We know we must drink eight glasses of water a day to keep our internal organs hydrated, but what about the outside? In today's stressful environment ordinary skincare is just not enough. Seasonal as well as physical and environmental changes in your life can dramatically affect the appearance of your skin. Dehydration, calluses and flakiness are at the top of the daily problem list. Not many people know that the skin at the surface (stratum corneum) is no thicker than a piece of tape. Our skin is the first line of defense against bacteria and viruses and must be kept in good condition for it to work correctly. Like a fine piece of cloth, our skin must be handled with care or else it could look tattered and worn before its time.

Pollution, sun rays and stress all combine to ruin your skin and lead to pre mature and early wrinkling. Facials are deep skin treatments with real benefits to counteract the negative effects of pollution and the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. Incorporating monthly facials into our skin care routine can dramatically improve hydration, elasticity and smoothness of the skin. Facials are useful as mild treatments to take care of skin and, of course, the dreaded wrinkles.

Facials vary depending on your skin type, the kind of treatment you have chosen, and the products used. Facials help to remove the dead, dull outer layer of cells that make up the skin's surface along with pollutants revealing newer and younger cells underneath which gives the skin a youthful glow. Facial massage helps blood circulation, which in turn aids lymphatic drainage, the system, which removes our waste and toxins. The face has over 120 muscles, massaging them consistently relaxes the face and can delay wrinkles.

If skin had a care label, this is what it would say: all-natural collagen fibers need moisture; exposure to sun causes discoloration and wrinkling; avoid harsh chemicals as skin will flake; wash on gentle cycle and hydrate daily.

Ursula Albrecht, L. E. (CIDESCO Diplomate) with 25 years of experience, trained in Europe and the U.S., has her skin care salon in Cocoa Village, FL offering personalized skin-care treatments.