Your skin's pH: What is it and how do you restore its balance?

Most of us know that in order to achieve healthy, strong skin, we need to balance its pH. But do you really understand why? And how? 

Let's take a look. 

Firstly, what is pH?

pH is measured on a scale of 0-14. 0 being very acidic and 14 being very alkaline. For the skin to remain balanced, the skin's pH must stay slightly acidic with a pH of 4.5-5.5.

Alkaline pH:

If your skin is too alkaline, it may feel dry and be more prone to showing signs of premature ageing such as deep wrinkles and UV damage. Often skincare products like soaps and foaming cleansers can raise the skin's pH too high.

Acidic pH:

If your skin's pH levels are too acidic it may feel oily, be prone to breakouts and inflammation. These symptoms can be caused by over-exfoliating, using peels or acid-based cleansers.

Why is it so important?

1. Hydration. When skin is too alkaline it struggles to maintain moisture which leads to dry and tired-looking skin.

2. Ageing: When the skin’s pH is imbalanced the skin becomes stressed. When the skin is stressed it becomes vulnerable to attack from nasties like bacteria and free radicals which can cause inflammation and oxidative stress - skin ageing. 

3. Defence: Balanced pH levels mean common skin stressors, allergens and irritants (ingredients in skin care) are less likely to trigger skin conditions that are instigated or exacerbated by a poor barrier function. 

How do you restore it?

Restoring the skin’s pH is easy. The fastest way to do this is to redesign your skin care regime with pH balanced products only. To bring your skin back to the perfect balance your skincare products should range between 4.5-6 pH. A pH balanced cleanser is the ideal place to start. 

To achieve a slightly acidic pH level of 4.5-5.5, astringents, harsh toners and soaps must be avoided. Soaps for example tend to have a pH (between 8-10) which is far too acidic and can damage the skin. Therefore, a cleansing bar, which is a soap-less soap is best to cleanse while restoring balance to the all important acid mantle. 

• Soap-less soaps are less alkaline than a regular soap so they are gentle on the skin.
• Soap-less soaps are formulated with a neutral pH which is far less irritating to sensitive skin types.
• Soap-less soaps are more nourishing for inflammatory skin conditions such as dry skin, or acne-prone skin, as they do not strip the skin of natural oils like a regular soap. 
  
  Dermavive cleansing bars are a gentler alternative to removing dirt and excess sebum from the skin while supporting the skin with pH neutral ingredients for optimal skin functioning. 

Dermavive Cleansing Bars are pH neutral which support the acid mantle for healthy skin. They do not contain any soap or artificial soap and have both cleansing and antibacterial properties to dissolve dirt, oil, grime and other debris within the skin while maintaining a perfectly balanced acid mantle to encourage harmony within the skin. 

Purchase Dermavive Cleansing Bars here.