The foundation of healthy, sound skin is a healthy acid mantle or, in other words, the skin's protective barrier.
The acid mantle exists all over the body, including the scalp. It is produced by the body and exists as an invisible film on the outermost layer of the skin, consisting primarily of sebum, moisture-binding substances, urea, and lactic acid.
Why is the skin's acid mantle important?
The acid mantle has several different functions:
it maintains the skin's pH value. Balanced skin surface has a pH of approximately 5 – 5.5.
it prevents harmful bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms from taking hold in the skin as they do not thrive in the acidic environment.
maintains the balance between moisture and fat on the skin surface.
it protects the skin against internal and external attacks.
Close-up of a person's neck, throat and chin. The person's hands rest gently against their face.
What happens when the acid mantle is disrupted?
When our acid mantle becomes imbalanced or damaged, one can develop skin problems such as:
becoming dry, dehydrated.
overproducing sebum to restore balance.
skin irritations (eczema).
becoming sensitive.
developing impurities and acne.
Every time we wash our skin, we also wash away some of the acid mantle.
To keep it intact and the skin healthy, it is important to review your cleansing products for both the face, body, and hair.
Many skin and hair care products do not have the same pH value as the skin and can therefore disrupt the protective acid mantle.
Using products with drying surfactants or washing too frequently risks washing away too much of the acid mantle.
The body rebuilds it again, but the skin's pH value can become imbalanced. This gives bacteria and microorganisms free rein to take hold, the skin cannot retain its moisture and begins to overproduce sebum, an environment that acne bacteria, among others, thrive in.
The acid mantle can also be affected by excessive sun exposure, poor diet, certain medications, and internal and external stress.
How to restore the acid mantle
If you experience that your acid mantle has been disrupted, we recommend that you use:
a mild, preferably non-foaming cleansing product for the face such as Odylique – Creamy Coconut Cleanser.
a mild shower soap like the ones we offer.
a shampoo that cleanses without drying out hair or scalp such as Bruns Frisörer nr 04.
a moisturizing oil or cream. For example, evening primrose oil can be used on the face, eye area and body. i+m Sensitive Moisturizing Cream is good for dry skin. Choose i+m Sensitive Intensive Cream if you have very dry skin. A face oil and a cream can be combined during winter for extra protection. The oil is then applied first.
