On a scale of 1 to 14, where does your skincare sit? If most of it is 5.5 or lower – great!
Of course, the scale we’re referring to is the pH scale. What you may not know is that the pH of your skincare can impact both the penetration and efficacy of your skincare treatments as well your skin’s response to them. That’s why tipping the scales in skin’s favour is so important when formulating a product from a chemist’s point of view. And why at Alpha-H all our products are formulated with an optimal pH in mind.
pH optimised products help maintain the health and integrity of skin – predominantly the acid mantle.
What is the acid mantle?
The skin’s acid mantle is composed of natural sebum, acids, dead skin cells, and sweat that form a fine film on the outermost layer of your skin. This delicate mix creates a healthy barrier for skin to protect it from harmful bacteria, environmental pollutants, and tran-sepidermal moisture loss. Think of it as your skin’s first layer of defence. That’s why it’s so important to look after your acid mantle as it needs to remain healthy to look after you, and that’s what a balanced pH does. When pH is off-balance, you can experience a host of skin concerns including excess dryness, oiliness, acne and even inflammation as it tries to compensate. That said, pH can be a tricky term to understand, so let us explain it further.
What is pH?
pH is a scale of measurement from 0 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely alkaline) that tells you how acidic or alkaline a product is. pH 7 is considered neutral.