To the naked eye, skin is an elegantly simple fabric of multi-toned hues, remarkable in its soft flexibility and wonderfully responsive to touch. What belies this simplicity is the fact that human skin is rich in complexity, performing many roles in the service of your body. One of the most astounding roles your skin plays is in the immune process. In fact, as I have mention several times before, the skin is the largest organ of the body. But what I haven't mentioned before is that the skin plays an important part in the immune system. This is obvious since the skin is the defining point between you and the outside world.

It's only fitting that the immune function should be strongly represented in the organ that is most directly responsible for physically separat-ing the self from the non-self. I think the skin not only provides immune protection for its own tissue, but plays a role - a role that most professional don't understand very well - in protecting the whole body.

More action is seen at the biological border between you and your external environment than almost any other area of your body. Bacteria, viruses, mold, yeast, fungus and other threats to health can use the skin as a landing zone to gain entry into your interior. Yet, unless wounds, abrasions or disease are present, most of these would - be invaders are repelled by your skin.

Nevertheless, improving the skin's cellular defense system is the best way for not only a healthier - looking skin, but can possibly benefit in the health of your body a well.

Vitamins can be one way to help bolster the skin's cellular defense system. Vitamin E an antioxidant free - radical fighter is known to keep all cells, including those wearing the "immune" tag, safe from degradation. Vitamin E is the most important immune stimulant I have ever seen for both internal and external use. Vitamin A and C and the trace minerals selenium have similar immune - boosting effects. In fact, Dr. Karen Burke, at Cornell University, discovered antioxid-ant applied to the skin can help delay skin cancer or even prevent its formation. Similar reports are found in antioxidants for both internal and external findings.

Plants can also help bolster your skin's immunity. Like all living things, plants contain the chemicals of life: vitamins, trace minerals, enzy-mes, and proteins. These elements can often penetrate the skin's barrier, perhaps assisting the immune battle of fighting off skin problems such as blemishes, wrinkles, redness or blotchy skin and/or age spots. Some dermatologists are now beginning to suspect that these and others problems in the skin are due to breakdowns in the skin's immune system. While more research is needed, certain ingredients are already being targeted as part of a new family of immune boosters for the skin.

Products being sold as cosmetics may contain ingredients that enhance the immune system. But cosmetics cannot make health claims without legally being classified as drugs. That is why most cosmetics use words such as: "appear" "softer looking," "moisturizers," "aids in," and so on. I am writing this book to educate you about ingredients and their beneficial uses.

Here's a quick look at a few of the ingredients that may (and notice I said "may") protect skin from outside attack or support immune cells in their fight against harmful invaders.

In England, these essential oils are used as a folk remedy for herpes by applying a blend of one are two of these oils directly on the skin when a lesion is first noticed, than several times during the next few days. People report lesions either do not develop into full-blown blisters or blister time is shortened to several days verse weeks.

Aloe vera: Aloe vera is credited with its effects on such diverse problems as relief of burn pain to curing acne and skin ulcers. The sparkling clear gel of this desert botanical is now an accepted member of medicine kits throughout the United States.

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