First impressions count. As unfair as it seems that we often judge people within minutes of meeting them, it's hard to deny our initial impression of someone is the lasting one. Frequently, first impressions can also give us a sense about another's level of health and nutrition. A healthy person is often said to "glow" and nowhere is this more noticeable than in the skin. Even before speaking with someone, the condition of their skin will afford us an insight into the state of their health and their skincare regime. Whether it shines with vitality or seems dull and wan, the appearance of a person's skin conveys a strong impression of their health and wellbeing.

Keeping your skin healthy is easy. For a good natural skincare routine, all it really needs to stay in tip-top shape is a bit of a scrub and a daily application of the latest miracle cream, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, this idea of skincare is probably the most widespread fallacy perpetuated about skin health. Many of us have rushed out to try the latest age-defying moisturising skincare cream in an effort to banish the wrinkles that keep appearing with each passing year.

You may have even gone one step further, experiencing various treatments touted for their "cleansing" qualities. There's no disputing that they work well, too. Who hasn't felt like a new person after a sauna or a full body scrub? Treating the surface of the skin with moisturising lotions, removing layers of dead skin cells and opening previously blocked pores is, however, only a part of the overall picture of holistic natural skincare.

The next time you see an advertisement for one of these treatments or miracle creams, ask yourself why. Why does your skin require moisturising? Why do your pores need unblocking? Why does your skin need cleansing? Why do you keep finding new wrinkles? While your skin will benefit from regular surface treatment, how much thought do you give to skincare from the inside out? It's the largest organ we have and it's an internal as well as external body structure. As such, our skin really is a reflection of our internal biochemical environment. Changes in skin texture, moisture, elasticity and pliability, and the appearance of conditions such as acne or eczema, all point to underlying imbalances in the workings of the body. These imbalances are usually caused by poor nutritional status. Correcting these imbalances will help form the basis of a more natural skincare routine.

Natural skincare to support skin structure

The skin is primarily a two-layered structure, composed of the outer epidermis and the underlying dermis. The main function of the epidermis is to serve as a barrier, a shield of keratin that protects us against light, heat, bacteria and so on. The epidermis also contains cells that give rise to sweat and oil glands in the deeper dermis.

The dermis is really where we should focus most of our attention when contemplating the discovery of new "smile lines". The dermis is composed of connective tissue containing collagen and elastic fibres, hair follicles, oil glands, the ducts of sweat glands and a small amount of fatty tissue. It's these collagen and elastic fibres that support our skin and endow it with its elastic qualities -- the ability to stretch and then return to shape in good order. Oil glands secrete sebum, a substance that keeps the skin soft and pliable and prevents excessive moisture evaporation from the skin's surface. Sweat glands, obviously, secrete sweat, the major temperature-regulation mechanism of the body. Sweat also plays a role in eliminating wastes.