Noma ubani angathinteka ngesikhumba esomile ngesikhathi esisodwa. Abanye abantu banesikhumba esomile ngenxa yokwakheka kwabo kofuzo, abanye bangahlushwa yiso ngezikhathi ezithile empilweni yabo ngenxa yezici zangaphandle. Ukuze unakekele isikhumba esomile, kubalulekile ukwazi izici zayo futhi uhlonze izithako ezisebenzayo ezidingayo ukuze uhlale uhle.

Isikhumba siyisitho esikhulu kunazo zonke emzimbeni womuntu njengoba simelela u-16% wesisindo saso sonke. Idlala izindima ezimbalwa ezibalulekile emzimbeni: isikhumba sisivikela ekuhlaselweni kwangaphandle (ukuthuthumela, ukungcola ...), isiza umzimba ukulawula izinga lokushisa layo, ibambe iqhaza ekukhiqizeni uvithamini D namahomoni futhi isivikele kuwo. ukutheleleka ngesistimu yayo yokuzivikela komzimba (eholwa ama-keratinocyte). Isikhumba sethu sihlelwe ngezingqimba eziningana.

Isikhumba siyisitho esiyinkimbinkimbi esihlelwe saba izingqimba eziningana ezidlulanayo:

• I-epidermis: imayelana ne ungqimba olungaphezulu lwesikhumba akhiwe izinhlobo ezintathu zamangqamuzana: i-keratinocyte (ingxube ye-keratin ne-lipids), ama-melanocyte (amangqamuzana afaka umbala esikhumbeni) namaseli e-langherans (amasosha omzimba esikhumba). I-epidermis idlala indima yokuvikela ngoba i-semi-permeable. 
• Isikhumba, ungqimba oluphakathi : Itholakala ngaphansi kwe-epidermis futhi iyayisekela. Ihlukaniswe yaba izingqimba ezimbili, i-papillary dermis kanye ne-reticular dermis egcwele iziphetho zemizwa kanye nemicu enwebekayo. Lezi zingqimba ezimbili ziqukethe ama-fibroblasts (akhiqiza i-collagen) namangqamuzana omzimba omzimba (ama-histiocyte nama-mast cell). 
• I-Hypoderme, ungqimba olujulile lwesikhumba : i-laced ngaphansi kwe-dermis, i-hypodermis izicubu ze-adipose, okusho ukuthi yakhiwe ngamafutha. Imithambo yegazi nemithambo yegazi idlula ku-hypodermis iye ku-dermis. I-hypodermis iyindawo yokugcina amafutha, ivikela amathambo ngokusebenza njenge-shock absorber, igcina ukushisa futhi ilolonge i-silhouette.

Lezi zingqimba ezihlukene ziqukethe amanzi angama-70%, amaprotheni angama-27,5%, amafutha angama-2% kanye nosawoti wamaminerali angama-0,5% kanye nezakhi zokulandelela.

Isikhumba esomile siwuhlobo lwesikhumba, njengesikhumba esinamafutha noma esihlangene. Ibonakala ngokucinana, ukushotshozela kanye nezimpawu zesikhumba ezibonakalayo ezinjengokuhwalala, ukuxebuka kanye nebala elifiphele. Abantu abanesikhumba esomile bangase babe nakho ukuguga kwesikhumba okuzwakala kakhulu kunabanye (imibimbi ejulile). Isizathu esiyinhloko sesikhumba esomile ukuntuleka kwe-lipids: izindlala ze-sebaceous ziyehluleka ukukhiqiza i-sebum eyanele ukwenza ifilimu yokuzivikela esikhumbeni. Ukuqina nokuluma kwesikhumba kwenzeka futhi lapho isikhumba siphelelwe amanzi, lokhu kubizwa ngokuthi ukomisa kwesikhathi kwesikhumba. Embuzweni, ukuhlukunyezwa kwangaphandle njengokubandayo, umoya owomile, ukungcola, ilanga, kodwa futhi nokuntuleka kwe-hydration yangaphakathi nangaphandle. Ubudala bubuye bube yingozi yokoma ngoba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umzimba wesikhumba uyancipha.

Ngakho-ke isikhumba esomile sidinga ukondliwa futhi sifakwe amanzi ekujuleni. I-hydration yesikhumba iqala ngokunikezwa kahle kwamanzi. Yingakho kunconywa ukuphuza amalitha angu-1,5 kuya kwangu-2 amanzi ngosuku. Ukwengeza, abantu abanesikhumba esomile kufanele basebenzise imikhiqizo yokunakekelwa kwansuku zonke ecebile ngama-ejenti atholakala emanzini, izici zemvelo ezimanzisa (ezibizwa nangokuthi i-Natural Moisturizing Factors noma i-NMF) kanye nama-lipids ukuze ukondle ngokujulile. 

I-molecule yenkanyezi ekunakekelweni kwesikhumba iminyaka eminingana, i-urea ingenye ye-Natural Moisturizing Factors, ebizwa ngokuthi "hygroscopic" agents. Ama-NMF akhona ngokwemvelo ngaphakathi kwama-corneocyte (amaseli ku-epidermis) futhi anendima yokuheha nokugcina amanzi. Ngaphezu kwe-urea, kukhona i-lactic acid, ama-amino acid, ama-carbohydrate nama-ion amaminerali (i-chloride, i-sodium ne-potassium) phakathi kwama-NMF. 

I-Urea emzimbeni ivela ekuqhekekeni kwamaprotheni ngumzimba. Le molekyuli yenziwa isibindi futhi ikhishwe emchameni. I-Urea etholakala ekunakekelweni kwesikhumba okuthambisayo manje isihlanganiswa elabhorethri isuka ku-ammonia ne-carbon dioxide. Ibekezelelwa kahle yizo zonke izinhlobo zesikhumba, i-urea yaziwa nge-keratolytic (ikhipha isikhumba ngobumnene), i-antibacterial and moisturizing (imunca futhi igcine amanzi) isenzo. Ngokubophezela kuma-molecule amanzi, i-urea iwagcina ezingxenyeni ezingaphezulu ze-epidermis. Ngakho-ke le molecule ifaneleka ngokukhethekile esikhumbeni esinama-calluses, isikhumba esithandwa yizinduna, isikhumba esibucayi kanye nesikhumba esomile.