The Ph In Skincare Hype Does It Really Matter? It Depends

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Naturally, our skin is at a Ph acid mantle range of 5.0 to 6

We should worry a little bit about the disruption of our skins Ph. But this cause for concern would be more so in cleansers that are surfactants ( foamy ) or aqueous ( water-based ) and are also called detergents or soap. These generally have a high ph with alkaline levels around 7 or higher. This would be the culprit of messing up your skin!

When using high Ph cleansers ( soaps ) it slowly wears down our acid mantle ( our protective barrier ) and well basically this would be the same as disabling the protective shield of our mothership leaving us susceptible to all sorts of bad happenings. To name a few, acne, inflammation, psoriasis and contact dermatitis ( No! Not contact of the third kind ) lol! I’m just trying to simplify the complicated studies I’ve read and given a more basic understanding that can be better understood.

 Star Wars & our skin comparison, I’m not really sure why that came to my head but let’s carry on.

What is Ph?

Ph is all around us. We are talking about the Ph of the acid mantle which is measured on a Ph scale from 1 to 14, everything that’s water-soluble has Ph. Any extreme Ph that is more towards 1 or 14 on the scale can eat your skin. When you mix acids and alkalis together you can get a reaction like the volcano experiment you did in science class. Let’s not put this on our skin.

 

The acid mantle is a film that is part of the surface layer of our skin and is part of the good bacteria that protects our skin from environmental stressors, infections and dehydration. We regularly disrupt the Ph of the acid mantle simply by just splashing our face with water or when we shower or bath. Waters Ph is around 7. Under normal disruptions, acid mantle naturally regenerates usually within a few hours and is no cause for concern.  

Our skin naturally sheds cells and replenishes new ones. If we strip away our crucial lipid barrier by using abrasive products the Ph acid mantle no longer functions optimally. Our skin will lose skin cells without replenishing, a process called desquamation. Too much desquamation causes the skin to lose its ability in protecting itself. Too little desquamation ( poor hygiene) can cause pore blockage, acne and dry flaky dull skin. These disruptions in the normal functions of our skin are especially detrimental for people with already sensitive skin. 

So if you’re experiencing an imbalance in your skin just flip your bottle over and take a closer look at the ingredients. If one of the ingredients is water ( Aqua ) and another is any kind of sulphate ( the chemical that makes it foamy ) I would suggest tossing it and never looking back! In fact, you can look up your skincare products here to check their safety Skincare Database

You might be thinking why water? But water is good for the skin. Yes, it is when you drink it. But what happens is that water-based cleansers don't actually clean your skin but will only strip away the natural barrier and just evaporates. For a better understanding read this very informative article https://www.fajarmag.com/water-based-skin-care-products/

Now that we’re done talking about all the bad news maybe we can end with a little bit of the good news. Let’s talk about when Ph in skincare really doesn’t matter, shall we? You can take that load off now! 

There’s the bad then the good but no ugly for now unless I start getting into the rest of the carcinogens they put in most commercial skincare products. Buts that’s a whole other article you can check out here.

If you’re using an oil-based cleanser, there’s no need to worry about ph. Only the quality of the oil is important. There's no way to measure ph of oils because oils are insoluble. Ph is only measured in water and water-soluble ingredients.

There are a few ways we can support and repair the barrier of our skin, one way is by choosing high-quality oil-based skincare.

Skincare that includes emollients, occlusives and humectants Oh My! Ingredients that increase the moisture level in your skin and locks it in. Oil-based natural moisturizers that will pull moisture out of air into the skin and lock it in. For example; Beeswax and vegan Candelilla wax is a humectant and an occlusive! Virgin Coconut oil is an emollient! 

Seeing as this article is mainly focused on ph. I’ll end it here and get into why choosing oil-based skincare is the best choice for the care of your skin. 

If you’re striving for hydrated, dewy, supple naturally healthy-looking skin then head on over to my next article, If You’re Skin Could Talk where I explain the meaning of emollients, occlusives and humectants and how they play a vital role in keeping our skin functioning normally.

Sources  http://mosskincare.com/ph-oil-cleanser/

https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/html/10.2340/00015555-1531