The foundation of healthy skin is a healthy acid mantle or, in other words, the skin's protective barrier. The acid mantle exists all over the body, even on 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, moisturizing agents, 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. A 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 don't thrive in the acidic environment.
it preserves the balance between moisture and oil on the skin's surface.
it protects the skin against internal and external attacks.
What happens when the acid mantle is disrupted? When our acid mantle becomes imbalanced or damaged, we can experience 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 maintain healthy skin, it's important to review your cleansing products for your face, body, and hair.
Many skin and hair care products don't have the same pH value as the skin and can therefore disrupt the protective acid mantle.
If you use products with drying surfactants or wash too frequently, you risk washing away too much of the acid mantle.
The body rebuilds it, but the skin's pH value can become imbalanced.
This creates an opportunity for bacteria and microorganisms to take hold, the skin cannot retain its moisture and begins to overproduce sebum, creating an environment where acne bacteria thrive.
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 feel that your acid mantle has been disrupted, we recommend using:
a mild, preferably non-foaming cleansing product for the face such as Odylique – Creamy Coconut Cleanser.
a mild shower gel like those we offer.
a shampoo that cleanses without drying out hair or scalp such as Bruns Frisörer no. 04.
a moisturizing oil or cream. For example, evening primrose oil can be used for 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 facial oil and cream can be combined during winter for extra protection. The oil should be applied first.
