What does keratin do in the skin?

Although Keratin doesn’t get the hype that collagen does, it absolutely forms your skin's defense mechanism. You see the rough thickened areas of your skin on your elbows, heels, or hands? That's basically keratin overworking. So yeah, keratin helps in creating strong protective barrier for your skin, supports skin integrity, assists in wound healing, regulates skin water retention and also signals when its time to exfoliate.