With a surface area of about 16 to 22 square feet, skin is far more than merely a protective barrier. Your skin is an organ, and it serves to regulate excretion of metabolic waste products, regulates temperature, and includes receptors for pain, tactile sensation, and pressure. Accordingly, the health and appearance of your skin, like the health of your other organs, correlates with the lifestyle and dietary habits that you choose, as well as with critical age-related factors such as hormonal imbalance.