to about 5 mm a preferred dosage for skin treatment comprises about 1 ml of skin treatment composition per about 100 cm 2 of skin without wishing to be bound by theory it is believed that the topical application of a composition containing ionic calcium and preferably also glycerophosphate and an u03b1 hydroxy acid would stimulate keratinocyte differentiation and increase ceramide synthesis thereby improving skin condition and appearance as previously explained the effect of external application of calcium has been demonstrated in vitro by schmidt et al similar effects on epidermal cells would be observed in vivo as skin ages cell division in the stratum basale the live inner reproductive layer that feeds cells into the outer and protective keratinized layers is less frequent and there is reduced synthesis of ceramide the reduced rate of replenishment of the stratum corneum with its accompanying reduced rate of ceramide synthesis contributes to the drier feeling and older appearance characteristic of aging skin acceleration of the transition from the stratum basale to the stratum corneum will help to minimize the appearance of aging such an acceleration may be induced by the topical application of ionic calcium preferably accompanied by at least one u03b1 hydroxy acid such as lactic acid and a glycerophosphate moiety when applied topically to the skin it is believed that the ionic calcium and u03b1 hydroxy acid moiety would be absorbed through the stratum corneum and stratum spinosum layers of the epidermis and into the stratum basale the ionic calcium in the composition according to the present.