In an Essity-sponsored symposium, entitled 'Skin integrity-the perpetual challenge', three key opinion leaders discussed the importance of recognising and managing skin vulnerability in a patient-centred way. Peter Bradley summarises the main points they presented at the EWMA 2020 Virtual Conference This article offers an introduction to the symposium, Skin integrity-the perpetual challenge, held on 18 November 2020, as part of the EWMA 2020 Virtual Conference. There were three speakers. Dimitri Beeckman, Professor of Skin Integrity and Clinical Nursing, Ghent University, Belgium, focused on moisture lesions or MASD (moisture-associated skin damage). Karen Campbell, Consultant, Primacare Living Solutions and Adjunct Professor, MClScWH, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, focused on the concepts related to skin vulnerability. She aimed to identify shared risk factors for skin conditions and ways to promote skin integrity, formulating a synergistic prevention approach to break down barriers in practice. The third speaker was Alessandro Corsi, Wound Care Consultant and Surgeon, Director of Wound Care Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan. He looked in detail at the dressings available in this area, detailing how he and his team had successfully used the Essity line of Skin Sensitive silicone dressings in their hospital.