How to Determine the Right pH for Your Facial Cleanser!
- Why Skin pH Matters for Healthy Skin?
- The Impact of Cleansers on Skin pH
- Choosing Skincare Products with the Right pH
- Risks of Using Cleansers with Extreme pH Levels
Maintaining healthy skin is not just about hydration or sun protection. One often-overlooked factor plays a crucial role in keeping your skin resilient and free from irritation, it’s pH balance. Understanding how skin pH works can help you choose the right skincare products and prevent common problems such as dryness, acne, and sensitivity.
Why Skin pH Matters for Healthy Skin?
The skin's Potential of Hydrogen (pH) level is a measurement scale for the skin’s acidity or alkalinity. The skin's pH balance is maintained by a protective layer called the acid mantle, which consists of amino acids, fats, and natural skin oils. Ideally, normal facial skin has a pH of 4.5-5.5, which is slightly acidic. An acidic environment helps inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes, while supporting the beneficial skin bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis.
Several factors contribute to the skin’s acidic nature, including sebum secretion. The sebaceous glands produce sebum, which interacts with sweat and skin microorganisms, resulting in the production of free fatty acids such as linoleic acid or oleic acid. Sweat contains lactic acid, which is naturally acidic. Additionally, the body’s secretion system naturally produces acidic compounds and fatty acids, keeping the skin’s condition relatively acidic.
The Impact of Cleansers on Skin pH
Any changes in skin pH can lead to reactions such as dryness, irritation, or even microbial infections. Daily activities expose the skin to dirt, making cleansing necessary. However, surfactants used in facial cleansers can negatively impact skin function.
Alkalization can damage structural components of the skin, such as lipids and proteins, disrupt the stratum corneum, and even cause cytotoxicity. After cleansing, the skin's pH gradually returns to its normal range of 4.5-5.5. The time required for the skin to recover depends on how alkaline the cleanser is. Using soap or cleansers with excessively high pH can disrupt the balance of skin microbiota and strip away moisture.
Read more:
The Invisible Residents of Our Skin, Getting to Know Skin Microbiota!
Choosing Skincare Products with the Right pH
Therefore, skincare should be done using products with a pH close to the skin’s natural level. Facial cleansers are generally designed with a pH of 5.5, which supports ceramide production, a key component of the skin barrier. Common ingredients in facial cleansers include lactic acid, citric acid, sodium acetate, sodium lactate, and other acids. These acidic components also help remove dead skin cells from the surface, enhancing the cleansing process and resulting in a brighter complexion.
Risks of Using Cleansers with Extreme pH Levels
However, using facial cleansers with an excessively low pH (high acidity) over time can have side effects. pH imbalances can disrupt the production of natural oils, making the skin drier and more prone to irritation. Additionally, an altered skin microbiota can lead to the growth of acne-causing bacteria.
Long-term use of cleansers with either excessively high or low pH can lead to dryness, triggering the sebaceous glands to overproduce oil. If not properly cleansed, excess oil can clog pores and cause blackheads. Therefore, maintaining a balanced skin pH is crucial to preventing irritation and infections.
It is important to understand your skin type and use clinically tested products. To ensure the safety and quality of the cosmetics you produce, laboratory testing is essential. With proper testing, you can maintain consumer trust while minimizing the risk of product problems.
Author: Delfia
Editor: Sabilla
References:
Kong, H.H. 2011. Skin microbiome: Genomics-based insights into the diversity and role of skin microbes. Trends Mol. Med. Vol 17, 320–328.
Prakash, C., Bhargava, P., Tiwari, S., Majumdar, B., & Bhargava, R. K. (2017). Skin Surface pH in Acne Vulgaris: Insights from an Observational Study and Review of the Literature. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 10(7), 33–39.
