The Importance of pH & Skincare

On top of human skin is a thin protective layer known as the acid mantle. This is formed by free fatty acids secreted by sebaceous glands and lactic and amino acids from sweat. The acid mantle is important for the normal healthy functioning of the skin as it helps to keep moisture locked in, and germs and toxins out.

For those who don’t know, the ‘p’ in pH stands for potential, and the ‘H’ for hydrogen and this measures how acidic or alkaline the skin is.

If the correct skin pH is not preserved, and especially if your skin is too alkaline, it will feel dry, irritated and sensitive, often causing eczema flares.

A neutral pH is 7.0. Anything below is acidic and anything above is alkaline. A normal, healthy skin pH is acidic, ranging in pH values of 4-6 with an average of about 5.5, while the body’s internal environment maintains a near-neutral pH of between 7-9.

Treatment tips to help keep the skin at a healthy skin pH

• Most soap bars bought in supermarkets are generally alkaline, often with pH values from 10-12
• More modern non-soap cleansers use syndets which are generally more neutral or slightly acidic
• Research has found that there is a significant correlation between the use of alkaline pH soaps and skin irritation
• If you are a teenager with acne try not to scrub away your spots with harsher alkaline cleansers and soaps, as well as toners and scrubs because this often results in irritant contact dermatitis
• The best way of removing make-up, gently, is to use a neutral pH Micellar water on a non-woven gauze swab
• The quality of the water that one uses to shower, bath or wash one’s skin is also important. Ideally, it should be a softer water (less calcium & magnesium), neutral pH or slightly acidic
• Generally, most good medical-grade cosmeceutical products will be either neutral pH or slightly acidic

Cleansers are important products in preserving the correct skin pH

Micellar Water

Micellar waters are micelles, small oil molecules, suspended in water. In what is seemingly a simple formulation, these powerful but gentle cleansers are capable of dissolving and removing make-up, sebum and other environmental impurities like dirt, without leaving any residue or impacting the skin barrier function. Micellar waters, importantly, also help to rebalance the pH of the skin. Dr Webster recommends:

Normal, Combination and Ageing skin

• Endocare Hydractive Micellar Solution
• Dermaceutic Oxybiome

Sensitive or Rosacea-prone skin

• Bioderma Sensibio H20 AR Micellar Water

Oily and Acne-prone skin

• Bioderma Sebium H20 Cleanser

Dry and Dehydrated skin

• Bioderma Hydrabio H20 Cleanser

Pigmented skin

• Bioderma Pigmentbio H20 Cleanser

pH-balanced cleansers

Ensures effective cleansing without stripping away essential oils or disturbing the skin’s normal acid mantle. Dr Webster recommends:

Normal, Combination skin

• Endocare Aquafoam
• Obagi Foaming Cleanser

Ageing skin

• NeoStrata® Skin Active Exfoliating Wash
• Lamelle Dermaheal Foaming Cleanser

Sensitive or Rosacea-prone skin

• SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser
• Lamelle Serra Cleansing Gel

Oily and Acne-prone skin

• Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Blemish Cleanser Treatment
• MartiDerm Acniover Purifying Gel

Dry and Dehydrated skin

• ZO Skin Health Hydrating Cleanser
• mesoestetic hydracream fusion

Pigmented skin

• PCA Skin Pigment Bar
• mesoestetic brightening foam