An arid environment made from a mixture of sweat and sebum. This protects our skin. The microflora, or friendly bacteria, which live on it, have adapted so they are able to survive even with the constant shedding of skin cells. Keeping this part of the skin in a happy, balanced state is important for great skin. Providing there are no cuts or abrasions, these friendly bacteria kill stone dead any pathogenic microorganisms, or bad bacteria, that land on the skin, in 20 minutes. This is your skin’s immunity.

Plump new skin cells are formed at the germinative layer of this part of the skin. As new cells form, the older cells are pushed higher and higher, flattening and drying out in the stratum corneum top layer. Once at the surface these skin cells flake off. This is called desquamation and takes about 28 days on average. The process can take up to 35 days in mature skin. When skin is experiencing eczema or psoriasis desquamation can happen in as little as 14 days, revealing skin cells too soon. The desquamation process also happens at the entrance of pores, leading to blocked pores, blackheads and spots. If dead skin cells are allowed to build up on the surface of the skin, the face looks a dull grey. So, keep cleansing!