12 Interesting and Surprising Facts About Your Skin

When it comes to the topic of skin, most of us know what our skin type is and usually have a pretty good idea of how our skin is feeling at the moment based on certain observations (e.g. whether it’s clear or breaking out, oily or dry, etc.). There’s so much more to the skin than meets the eye, and today we’re going to do a deep dive into some interesting and downright bizarre facts about the skin.

1. The Body’s Largest Organ

Many of us have heard the saying “your skin is your body’s largest organ,” but did you know it makes up approximately 15% of your total body weight? The average person has about 300 million skin cells. Yes, 300 million!

2. The 3 Layers

While your skin might just look like a uniformed layer on the outside, it’s actually comprised of 3 layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis is the top protective (and waterproof) layer. It’s continually making new skin cells and shedding old ones. The dermis is the middle layer and makes up 90% of the skin’s thickness. A lot goes on in the dermis, as it contains both collagen and elastin, grows hair, makes oil, produces sweat, and also contains nerves and blood vessels. Needless to say, the dermis has its hands full! Last but not least is the hypodermis, and it’s certainly no slouch either! This bottom layer contains fat that is crucial to your body, as it protects muscles and bones from injury. The fat in the hypodermis also helps regulate your body temperature. Larger nerves and blood vessels connect the hypodermis to the rest of the body.

3. New Month, New Skin

Our skin has the incredible ability of renewing itself every 28 days. Remember when we mentioned in #2 that the epidermis is continually creating new cells and shedding dead skin cells? Well it sheds around 30,000-40,000 per minute to be precise. Mind. Blown.

4. ’Cause You Know I’d Walk a Thousand Miles

Okay, so it’s technically not a thousand miles, but your skin does contain more than 11 miles of blood vessels, which is still very impressive. Also, If you caught the Vanessa Carlton reference above, chances are that we’re in the same age bracket :)

5. Receptors Galore

The human skin contains a plethora of touch receptors. They're known as mechanoreceptors and cutaneous receptors, but in simpler terms, our skin receptors can detect everything from hot/cold, tickling, pain, movement and so much more.

6. Arrector Pili Muscle

This might seem complicated based on the name, but the arrector pili is actually pretty straightforward. Every hair on our skin has the arrector pili muscle attached to it, and this is what causes the hair to go up or down on our skin (for example, when you get goosebumps).

7. The Power of the Skin Microbiome

The skin microbiome (or skin flora) is a complex and fascinating composite of over 1,000 different species of bacteria and 80 species of fungi. Those numbers might gross some of you out, but trust us when we say these are bacteria/fungi you want to have around. Our skin microbiome works day and night to keep us healthy. It helps with immune system function by fighting off infections, healing wounds and controlling inflammation.

8. How Pores Get Clogged

You’re having a good skin week, and BAM. The next morning you wake up with a few clogged pores. How did this happen? The main culprits are usually dead skin, excess oil and too much cleansing. So while you should definitely wash your face before bed, your face does not need to be washed several times a day.

9. The Importance of Lipids

Lipids that are present in the epidermis (such as fat) help skin retain its moisture barrier, protect against sun damage and bad bacteria/pollutants. That’s why it’s crucial to take care of those precious lipids. A few ways to take care of them are to use gentle cleansers either that are alcohol-free or contain very low levels, avoid over-exfoliation and hydrate the skin with plant oils such as jojoba, argan and rosehip that repair lipids.
PS: Did we mention our Serene Face Oil contains all 3 of these oils? ;)

10. H2O + Moisturization

Drinking an adequate amount of water flushes out toxins and can result in more clear, radiant skin, but you can’t necessarily drink your way to nourished skin, and keep in mind that drinking too little or too much water can be dangerous. Consume a healthy amount of water each day, but also remember to be consistent with moisturizing your skin.

11. Take Care of Your Lips

Here at Henné, our bread and butter is lip care...and for good reason! Your lips are the only part of your skin that don’t have sweat glands, which make them more vulnerable and susceptible to getting dry and chapped. Take extra care of your lips by using lip balm regularly during the day, and be sure to apply a thick layer of a lip balm or lip mask before bed.

12. Your Skin Type Can Change

You might think that your skin type is a constant, but it can shift here and there throughout life, although it’s usually only for a period of time. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as the change of seasons, aging, hormonal changes or even new medication. While it’s very unlikely that your skin will make a permanent drastic change, the temporary shifts are not always pleasant, so if you notice an issue that persists, it might be best to consult with a medical or skincare professional to see if they can find a solution.


To be honest, we could probably add at least 20 more facts to this, but we’ll leave it for another time. We hope that you’ve learned some new facts from this blog and that it gives you a newfound appreciation for the amazing skin you’re in!


Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.