Are you wrecking your skin's acid mantle and don’t even know it?

Your acid mantle is simply the skin’s moisture barrier or protective barrier . It’s a very fine and slightly acidic film on the surface of your skin which acts as protection against bacteria and moisture loss which can lead to premature ageing.

With over 35 years in the skincare business – as well as taking care of some of our most beautiful faces, Lisa Wilkinson, Sandra Sully, Marta Dusseldorp, Sylvia Jeffreys and Melina Vidler – celebrity facialist “magic hands’ Sue Dann reveals what our skincare routine should look like to protect our precious acid mantle.

Many women I see are over-treating their skin because it seems like that has become the normal thing to do. The overuse of aggressive ingredients to get a quick result can result in the opposite effect to what women want.

Daily skincare should be simple and regular without the use of harsh products, less is (usually) more. Cleanse, tone, moisturise with a weekly exfoliation. Serums can be used to treat individual conditions as well as an eye cream pH balanced for the skin around the eyes.

As we age the level of sebum, collagen and elastin (ie. the good stuff!) reduces naturally. By using oil-based products the level of lipids can be increased because the skin requires help to balance the natural protective barrier that keeps the skin healthy and youthful.

Tips for looking after ageing skin

Rebuild and maintain your natural barrier, the acid mantle.
Don’t strip or over-treat your skin.
Use oil-based products that aid the penetration of anti-aging ingredients to hydrate and plump.
Add a DIY mask. Not enough women use masks at home, says Sue. Using masks weekly helps support the salon treatments and continues to build the skin strength because they help the ingredients to penetrate.

In the tool kit: