Skinspiration ... Our Acid Mantle

*Disclaimer; All work produced in this skinspiration blog is owned by Nicole Webb, with copyrights to La Beauté Ltd.

Our acid mantle.
 Sitting just above the top layer of our skin is our acid mantle. Often referred to as the skins microbiome, the pH barrier, our defence system or the skins protection barrier. 
This thin invisible layer sits on top of our stratum corneum (or top outer most layer of skin in the epidermis, the one you can touch). Our acid mantle is like a clear coat of paint over the roof of the house, although it is invisible it is vitally important to the entire functioning of our skin.

If the acid mantle is not happy then the rest of our skin is not happy (it's that simple!), therefore it is one of the most important aspects of your skin to always look after and is often one of the first things I look at when completing a skin consultation. 

So what is your acid mantle?
Your acid mantle is a layer that is made up from; oil, free fatty acids, water and bacteria. When it is healthy and at its best it has a pH between 4 - 5.5, this barrier intern is what gives the skin a slightly acidic pH reading (think back to your science lessons and the pH scale). The acid mantle is your skins first line of defence and protection. By having a slightly acidic environment it makes it a very un-welcoming place for unwanted bacteria - like those that we are continually exposed to every moment of every day - to live and survive. 
Think of your acid mantle like a protection shield. 

Now imagine if you took that shield away. Now your skin cells, internal organs, blood system, whole internal body cells are exposed to invasion from anything and everything! 

So, how do you look after your acid mantle?
The acid mantle is delicate, it's easily disrupted and as you now know it is vital to keep healthy. One of the worst things for our acid mantle is preservatives.
Preservatives are an added ingredient to many skincare products (but not any at La Beauté) that are used to reduce/disable the ability of bacteria or micro-organisms to grow in products (read my previous blog - You Get What You Pay For - if you want to know more on why they are added).
When you think of it logically; if preservatives are made to kill bacteria and organisms: Your skins acid mantle is made up of vital specific bacteria there to protect you: You then apply a skincare product with preservatives to your skin: the preservatives are going to do what they are created for and kill any and all bacteria: Including the good bacteria that makes up your acid mantle.  

• Ensuring you use a gentle cleanser; if you have ever cleansed your face and it has felt tight following - that is a sure sign you have over cleansed and damaged your acid mantle
• Don't over exfoliate; your skin doesn't need regular exfoliation, it should do it naturally itself. Side note; for those of you that tell me is does need daily or weekly exfoliation.. all you are telling me is your acid mantle is already compromised - so stop exfoliating start soaking! 
• Never use soap or make up wipes; this is a sure fire way to have no acid mantle
• Reduce and go back to basics; if you think that your acid mantle is unhappy, take your skincare regime right back to basic. This isn't the time to think of anti-ageing, to pump the serums or masks. Keep it simple - come see me and together we can rebuild your acid mantle
• Beware that heating / air conditioning / pollen are not ideal for the skin; although these are all hard to avoid, if your acid mantle is compromised your ability to handle these irritants will be much lower.

So please think of your acid mantle, the reason that it is there and ensure that you keep it intact. In return it will provide you with a shield of protection and a healthy skin!