Researchers have identified a new stem cell population in the skin epidermis responsible for tissue repair. The skin, which is an essential barrier that protects our body against the external environment, undergoes constant turnover throughout life to replace dead cells that are constantly sloughed off from the skin surface. During adult life, the number of cells produced must exactly compensate the number of cells lost. Different theories have been proposed to explain how this delicate balance is achieved. In a new study, researchers demonstrate the existence of a new population of stem cells that give rise to progenitor cells that ensure the daily maintenance of the epidermis and demonstrate the major contribution of epidermal stem cells during wound healing.