A

Acid protection coating
The natural weak acidic layer (pH 5.5) formed on the skin as a result of elimination from the skin's glands (sweat in particular), which provides protection against pathogens and alkaline substances.

Actinic keratosis
Papules which appear predominantly on heavily sunlight-aged skin in fair-skinned people. Horny to wart-like reddish-brown growths that can develop into skin cancer.

Age spots
Patchy, irregular pigmentation that appears only on sun-damaged skin, for instance on the face, neck, hands and forearms of older people. They are also known as "light damage spots".

Atopic eczema
Another term for neurodermatitis or atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin disease involving dry, itchy and sometimes inflamed skin, belonging to the Atopic group.

Atopic group
The diseases of the atopic group include a range of allergic diseases such as hay fever, allergic bronchial asthma, allergic conjunctivitis and atopic eczema.

Atopic patients
People whose immune system reacts in an excessive fashion. They tend to suffer from allergic reactions, e.g. hay fever, allergic bronchial asthma and atopic eczema.

Atopy
An unusual readiness to react in a particular manner to specific substances in the environment, e.g. grass pollens, mushroom spores, certain foodstuffs, etc. combined with changes in the functions of the skin.

B

Balneotherapy
Curative treatment using baths.

Barrier function, the skin's
The Hydrolipid system is responsible for the skin's barrier system. This natural protective coating consisting of water, lipids and moisturising factors covers the surface of the skin, protecting it in this way from drying out, against external influences and mechanical effects.

Basal cell layer
The lowest layer of the Epidermis, which serves to re-generate the skin. The basal cells constantly divide and push the inner cell layers towards the outside. These die off, harden and form the skin's protective horny layer.

C

Ceramide
An important element in the fats in the horny layer, which are layered between the horny cells rather like mortar between the bricks in a wall. The ceramides normalise the skin's moisture balance. (Lipids in the horny layer)

Contact eczema (dermatitis), chronic
Chronic contact eczema can appear as a result of the repeated effects of external irritation over a relatively long period, even in small concentrations, in the case of an individual susceptibility to eczema. E.g. the repeated effect of household cleaning agents. (Dry eczema)

Corium
Latin term for the dermis, the middle of the three skin layers.

Creme
A mixture of water and oil, in which either oil droplets are incorporated into water (oil-in-water emulsion) or water into oil (water-in-oil emulsion).

Cytoplasm
Refers to the plasma enclosed in a cell membrane within a cell which contains proteins dissolved in water (75 to 95 percent), lipids, carbohydrates, mineral salts and trace elements as well as a large number of smaller (granules) and larger elements (cell organelles).

D

Dermatological care of dry skin
The goal of dermatological care of dry skin is to preserve and restore the damaged skin barrier function (Hydrolipid system), to guarantee protection against exogenous noxae (Noxae), to normalise trans-epidermal water loss and to reduce the susceptibility of the skin to inflammation or eczema.

Detergents
Surface-active substances which are included as cleansing components in products such as washing lotions.

Dry eczema
Reddening and flaking of the skin as a result of frequent cleaning processes and the use of soaps, e.g. foam baths.

E

Eczema
An inflammatory intolerance reaction of the skin which is expressed in the form of reddening, flaking, itching and weeping reactions.

Eczema of the joints
Typical eczema suffered by atopic eczema patients, which appears in the crease of the elbow or the back of the knees.

Emollients
Emollients are effective medical moisturisers, which often come without the unwanted 'extras' of cosmetic moisturisers. They are available in many different formats - creams, lotions, bath oils and soap substitutes.

Emulsifiers
Materials which enable the formation of emulsions and improve their stability. Fat and water can be finely mixed in this way.

Emulsion
An extremely fine distribution of two liquids that cannot be dissolved in one another, e.g. oil and water (Creme). Emulsifiers are used for this purpose.

Endogenous triggers of dry skin conditions
This refers to influences that effect the skin from within. The term "endogenous triggers" is taken to refer primarily to constitutional influences. These include genetic pre-disposition, hormonal influences or individual biological skin ageing, as well as internal diseases such as diabetes.

Epidermis
The Latin term for the outermost layer of skin.

Exogenous triggers of dry skin conditions
Exogenous triggers affect the skin from the outside. These include the climate, with heat and cold, dry air from heating systems or low air moisture levels, sunlight (UV-B radiation) or also influences such as excessive washing, particularly with hot water, as well as contact between the skin and aggressive cleaning agents. Eating habits and mental state can also play a role in this regard.

F

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G

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H

Hydrolipid system
The skin's natural protective layer, consisting of water, sebum (Lipids) and moisturising factors (e.g. Urea). The hydrolipid system is responsible for the skin's Barrier function.

I

Immunglobuline E (Ig E)
Immunglobuline E (Ig E) is one of the antibodies which is built by the immune system. The blood level is mainly increased by allergens like pollen or worm infections. There are a few rare other diseases connected with an increase in blood Ig E blood levels.

J

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K

Keratin
A horn-like substance which makes up our hair and fingernails.

Keratinocytes
Cells making up 90 percent of the epidermis.

L

Light damage
Light damage is divided into "chronic" and "acute":

• Chronic light damage describes changes to the skin which become permanent as a consequence of excessive exposure to the sun's rays. Chronic light damage is characterised by a prematurely old-looking and dry skin with wrinkles and lines.
• Acute light damage is sunburn.

Lipids
Fats; broken down into natural and synthetic fats. (Physiological lipids)

Lipids in the horny layer
The lipids in the horny layer, which are layered between the horny cells in the same way as mortar between bricks, are of central importance to the storage of moisture and thus also to the skin's ability to bind water. They form double lipid membranes, between which the water is stored. Besides cholesterine and long-chain fatty acids, Ceramides form the largest lipid class among the lipids in the horny layer of the epidermis (approx. 35%).

Lotion
Mixture of water with very little oil. Oil-in-water emulsions of this type are used as a skin care milk.

M

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N

Natural moisturising factors (NMF)
The skin's natural moisture-retaining factors. One of the most important NMFs is Urea.

Neurodermatitis
Neurodermatitis is a chronic or chronically recurring inflammatory skin disease which occurs as attacks (acute or chronic) and is characterised by morbid dry skin, serious itching, reddening, flaking, weeping and formation of crusts on the skin. A distinction is made between acutely problematic and "normal" symptom-free phases when describing the state of the skin. Forms vary depending on age. Atopic eczema normally begins in infancy, rarely after puberty and generally shows a decline in intensity after the age of 30. More than half of those afflicted continue to suffer from sensitive and dry skin throughout their lives.

Noxae
The term "noxae" describes harmful materials which are known to act as a causal factor in disease.

O

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P

Peeling
Rubbing off and removing the outermost layers of skin, mechanically using fine abrasive grit (e.g. almond bran) or by chemical means. The outermost horny flakes are often dampened first.

Physiological lipids
The Sebaceous glands produce lipids which form a protective film on the surface of the skin. The purpose of this lipid film is to keep the skin smooth and supple and to protect it against external influences.

Pores
Outlets for the skin glands.

Preservatives
Materials which prevent the increased growth of bacteria in the water phase of Emulsions.

Psoriasis
From the Greek "psora", scurf. It is a characteristic skin disease with red patches on the skin, covered with a layer of dry silvery shiny flakes. Typical areas affected are the elbows, knees and scalp.

Q

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R

Radicals, free
Chemical compounds which arise in the skin as an effect of UV light. Free radicals result in damage to the various cell components. The body's own repair mechanisms can repair this damage only to a certain extent. If this is no longer possible, e.g. in the case of excessive UV radiation, the result will be premature Skin ageing.

S

Sebaceous glands
Skin glands which produce sebum (skin fat) and direct it to the surface of the skin via the pores. Sebum protects the skin against drying out (Hydrolipid system).

Sebostasis
Dry skin as a result of reduced elimination of sebum.

Skin ageing
A distinction must be drawn between internal ageing or ageing of the skin over time (intrinsic skin ageing) and environmentally determined premature ageing (extrinsic skin ageing). Ageing of the skin over time is based on the same causal factors as the ageing of all other organs, and while the process cannot be stopped, it progresses at different rates depending on the individual skin type. Environmentally conditioned premature ageing is primarily caused by excessive UV-B radiation. The crossovers to the symptoms of chronic Light damage are thus fluid. In terms of their appearance, environmentally aged skin and skin characterised by internal ageing are quite similar: the skin is dry, slack, thin and wrinkled.

Subcutis
The Latin term for the lowermost skin layer.

Syndet
Abbreviation for Synthetic Detergents.

T

Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL)
Trans-epidermal water loss is defined as the release of water in grammes per square metre per hour (g/h x m2). An evaporimeter is used to determine evaporation of water from the surface of the skin, as well as the skin temperature.

U

Urea
Urea is one of the most important natural moisturising factors which are responsible for the formation of moisture in the skin. Urea increases the ability of the skin to bind water and thus improves the skin's moisture content.

V

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X/Y

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Z

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