the ac∙id man∙tle.
On the surface of your skin you have what is called the acid mantle. This is a thin film made up of water and natural occurring acids in the skin (hence the name). This mantle is the skin’s first defense mechanism against bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. It also is a key component for keeping moisture within the skin. When we cleanse or exfoliate this can change the skin causing tiny cracks in this layer making the skin more vulnerable. The acid mantle does repair itself, however, it can take up to twelve hours to do so. Just think of the all the things your skin is exposed to within 12 hours of washing your face…crazy, right!?!
In my opinion, a healthy acid mantle is the most important part of skincare! It’s a very difficult task to promote change in the skin if this layer is compromised. In fact, multiple studies show that defects in this barrier layer are a critical factor in various skin diseases. Not only that, but one study that came out a few years ago suggested that the breakdown of this acid mantle could even contribute to the your body’s internal inflammation level affecting the health of your major organs.
Soooo…what can you do to help keep your acid mantle healthy you ask?
Mind your pH. Remember that acid is in this layer’s name! pH is the measurement of the chemical condition of a solution. PH has scale that ranges from 1-14. 1-6 meaning that something is more acidic, 8-14 alkaline and 7 being neutral. A healthy skin’s pH level is between 4-6. Anything above a 6 will start to disrupt that pH level. Even water! Water normally ranges from 6.5-8.5 on the pH scale. This is why it is so important to use a pH balanced cleanser and why you will get a HUGE eye roll from any esthetician if you tell them that you are using bar soap to cleanse with. Bar soap’s pH typically ranges from 8-10 and combining this with water’s pH level will cause the cleansing process to become much more alkaline and drying to the skin.
Use a toner. A toner’s number one job is to adjust the ph level of the skin to it’s appropriate level. It’s second job is to assist in hydration and help your other products work more efficiently. Think of your skin as a sponge. A dampened sponge is much more capable of absorbing things versus a bone dry sponge. Water attracts water! Theoretically a toner will help water content to absorb into the skin as well as your other crucial ingredients.
Exfoliate properly. Over exfoliating or exfoliating incorrectly will erode the acid mantle. The most common mistakes that I see with exfoliating actually occur with physical exfoliants or scrubs. This kind of exfoliation should be used only 2-3 times a week with particles that are completely round. Any seeds or things with a rough edge could cause microscopic cuts in the skin dismantling its acid barrier.
Use a moisturizer. A moisturizer helps the mantle by preventing Transepidermal Water Loss. TEWL(Transepideral Water Loss) is a term for a measurement system that measures the amount of hydration that is lost by evaporating from the surface of the skin and is in direct correlation with the skin’s barrier layer function. We want to keep water from leaving the skin in order to keep the acid mantle intact. Yes, even you oily skin peeps! Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and dimethicones. My favorite product for this is Dermalogica’s Calm Water Gel which can be added beneath another moisturizer or used alone.
