Why? If your skin’s pH level is out of whack (either too acidic or too alkaline) it can lead to such skin woes as acne, dryness, rosacea, and even wrinkles, says Marisa Arredondo, founder of Phace Bioactive, a skin-care line formulated specifically around pH.
Pollution, sun, allergens, and other chemicals and particles all have a tremendous impact on skin’s pH. But so do the beauty products you’re using every day, says independent cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. “Using a skin-care product with a higher or lower pH [than the optimal range] can take the skin longer to go back to normal, which some say can stress the skin.”
No need to start setting up beakers and pH strips in your bathroom to prevent beauty issues from popping up. Here are four things you need to know about skin-care pH:
1. Healthy skin should be slightly acidic, with a pH between 4–5.5. Your skin’s pH level is a measure of how acidic or alkaline it is. (And for a Chem 101 refresher: Zero is acid, and 14 is basic, or alkaline. Water is neutral, at 7. Anything in the 0–7 range is acidic.)
Keeping skin’s acid mantle—the thin protective barrier, made up of fatty acids and secretions from sweat and oil glands—in the optimal pH range of 4–5.5 keeps your glow going, Arredondo says.
3. An alkaline state is great for your body, but not for your skin. It may seem counter-intuitive, especially if you’re familiar with the concept of alkalinity and how it’s great for your health. But you want to keep things alkaline (around 7.4) in your diet to promote healthy cell growth and inhibit disease, many experts say. These steps, plus managing stress, exercising, and getting enough sleep, all play a factor in keeping your body alkaline and healthy—and your overall health shines through in your complexion.
So, to keep your skin in its pH sweet spot, it’s all about balance—not super scientific know-how. Though if you want to wear a lab coat while you moisturize, we won’t stop you. —Amy Marturana
For more information, visit www.phacebioactive.com
(Photos: Phace Bioactive)
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