Zinc is a metallic mineral present in trace amounts in the human body, animals, and plants. Zinc, as well as some other minerals, is needed in very small amounts in order for the body to operate correctly. Zinc is considered a coenzyme that helps some enzymes work properly.

Enzymes are proteins that start chemical responses in the body. Examples would include enzymes that break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into tinier substances the body can use for fuel or enzymes that can build larger molecules from smaller ones to help body growth or heal damaged tissue.

Our body has about 2-3g of zinc. There are no specific storage places known for zinc and so a regular supply in the diet is required. Zinc is located in all parts of human body, 60% is found in muscle, 30% in bone and about 5% in our skin. Especially high concentrations are in the prostate gland and semen. Men require more zinc than women because semen has 100 times more zinc than is found in the blood. The suggested amounts of zinc for adult men are 1/3 higher than those for women.

Zinc is an essential component for skin repair and skin care in general.

Because it is involved of DNA biosynthesis, it is believed that zinc triggers an enzyme which is necessary for the production of collagen. This means that zinc aids in tissue repair. Zinc is also required for DNA duplication, which is required for cell division. It is fundamental for the synthesis of superoxide dismutase, a powerful skin antioxidant. Zinc is a co-factor in the skin's synthesis of certain metalloproteinases that eliminate injured tissue. It is also a co-factor in the synthesis of adenosine deaminase, which signals T-cells as one of our body's defensive processes.

Each of these processes is involved in curing and repair and without proper zinc levels, the process of skin rejuvenation is slow or simply does not occur. Additionally, mature people may not have adequate zinc levels in the skin. Therefore, zinc levels may require to be augmented by topical application.

Zinc is critical to the entire body's defense system and boosts its mending processes. Studies show that any wound becomes saturated with zinc within 90 minutes of the damage. Zinc levels augment to peak about one week following the injury and return to normal about fourteen days later. Other studies indicate that as we age, zinc saturation of an injury does not reach the same levels as in younger skin and overall systemic zinc levels decline. The inability of elderly people to heal quickly or is most frequently due to inadequate zinc levels.

Zinc has quickly growing applications to medical science and some of these applications are becoming quite sophisticated. For example, zinc is being used in association with the treatment of some types of cancer. It is applied to the lesion site following biopsy of high-risk melanomas to promote anti-tumor immunity, minimize metastases and augment cancer-specific survival. Systemic zinc integrity (as measured from blood) is becoming a means of measuring the body's progress in combating diseases, like cancer.