All About your Skin pH
You may have a lot of questions about skin care and believe me, 99% of the answers have to do with the PH of your skin, and it plays a huge role in the health of your skin and how well your skin care products work.
What is the skin pH?
The pH of a substance is the “potential of Hydrogen” and describes the acid to alkaline ratio of the substance. It is represented on a scale of 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline, with water at a neutral 7.
Why is skin pH important?
Your skin’s natural pH is between 4.5 and 5.5, which is slightly acidic. If the skin is too acidic, it becomes super sensitive and irritation-prone, but it not that common, usually the skin is too alkaline which becomes dry and sensitive, and can even give you eczema. You will get more fine lines and crow’s feet, and be more prone to sun damage and breakouts. Skin functions and looks its best when its pH levels are balanced.
The acid mantle of your skin is the slightly acidic external layer that keeps bacteria and environmental pollution out and keeps lipids and moisture in. When the acid mantle becomes too alkaline, it is unable to guard the body against bacteria, which is what leads to breakouts and moisture loss.
Also a product’s effectiveness is determined by the pH level of your skin. For instance, reports show that anti-aging products in particular are most effective at lower pHs.
What to look for?
It depends on the product and will determine the order in which you use them. A product with a lower pH will penetrate more deeply into the skin, so it will be more effective, so, for treatment products look for a pH around 4 to ensure that it will be able to penetrate below the surface to treat your skin at a cellular level. But for daily products, like sunscreens and heavy moisturizers, we don´t recommend you go too low with the pH and have the product be too intense because you just need them to be sitting on top of your skin and working at the surface,
All About your Skin pH
On the pH scale , 14 is totally alkaline, 7 is neutral and between 0 and 6 acidic. Although not all the fluids in our body have the same degree of pH to maintain their balance, the blood must always remain at a slightly alkaline pH between 7.3-7, otherwise the cells would become ill.
PH is a good way to determine the order in which you apply your skin care regimen. Typically, you will apply products from the lowest pH to the highest.
If you have more questions about your pH and which products work better according to your pH level, visit Renew Esthetics MediSpa, we count on Idalis Bailey, a skincare specialist; she will be able to provide you with professional services approved by the FDA that suits all types of skin.
