Why the pH Balance of Your Skin is Important!

Have you ever bought a product targeted at dry skin and it dried your skin out further? Have you ever noticed that your face is sometimes oily and sometimes dry? Finding the right balance for our skin is important, but often quite tricky. Just like our hormones, skin can become unbalanced for a variety of reasons. This can occur often if you are using products that aren’t pH balanced. However, like with any skin condition, it’s important to first understand why your skin behaves the way it does, before you can fix it.

So what does pH balance mean?

pH stands for potential hydrogen and is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. This range is from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline).¹ When it comes to the pH of your skin, it’s reliant on the skin’s acid mantle. This acid mantle protects skin against external influences like bacteria, allergens and pollution, while maintaining moisture.² For your skin to remain balanced, your acid mantle will naturally stay slightly acidic with a pH of around 4.5-5.5. This can be thrown off by anything from UV rays, humidity and skincare products.²

How can you tell if your skin is unbalanced?

Skin can be considered unbalanced if its pH levels are either too alkaline or too acidic. Is your skin dry, sensitive and prone to dry skin? Chances are your skin may be too alkaline. If your skin is too alkaline, it may be more prone to showing signs of premature ageing such as deep wrinkles, crow’s feet and UV damage.² Often skincare products like bar soaps and foaming cleansers can raise skin’s pH too high.

Would you consider your skin to be oily and prone to breakouts? Does your skin react by becoming inflamed, red and sore? This may be due to your skin’s pH levels being too acidic. This can actually be caused by over exfoliating and using peels and acid based exfoliators!² People with acne prone skin often think that regular exfoliation can solve the problem, but it may be making it worse!!

How can you bring balance back to your skin?

If your skin is too alkaline you don’t need to be using acidic products, just like if your skin is too acidic you don’t need to be increasing the alkalinity! To bring your skin back to the perfect balance, all you need to do is make sure that the products you apply to your skin are pH balanced. This means that the pH levels of your skincare products should sit around 4.5-6!

Which products can balance your skin’s pH levels?

All of our products available on Nourished Life are designed to balance skin’s pH levels, however some brands in particular have a strong passion for balancing skin.

Happy Skincare
All of Happy Skincare’s products have been formulated with a pH level of 4.5-6. This means they are safe to use on all skin types and work to bring harmony back to the skin. A great cleanser that can be used on all skin types is the Happy Skincare ’Cloud 9’ Deep Cleansing Balm which works effectively to gently remove all makeup and impurities from the skin, without drying it out. After you have cleansed your face, the next step is to apply a facial oil. If your skin is prone to acne breakouts or oiliness, I recommend using the Happy Skincare ’Good Vibes’ Omega Facial Oil, whereas if you have dry or ageing skin, your best option is the Happy Skincare ’Laugh Out Loud’ Active Jojoba Oil. One of my favourite products from Happy Skincare however, is their ’Over The Moon’ Rich Repair Cream which is perfect or anyone with dry or dehydrated skin. It may help soothe irritation and provide intense hydration.

Is it important to consider the pH balance of your scalp?

Just as our skin can become unbalanced, so can our hair. Every fibre of hair has a clear shield that protects it. When the pH balance of our hair is thrown off, our hair becomes porous and lacks moisture. This can be due to hair care products that are too basic, pollution, UV rays and other external influences. For healthier hair cuticles and fibres, our pH level needs to be around 4-4.5. With the help of these natural products, bad hair days will hopefully become a thing of the past!

pH balancing products for your hair!

Acure
Acure has a fantastic range of haircare products that are all pH balanced. Each product from their range has a pH of 4-4.5 and have been salon tested using only natural and organic ingredients. They utilise the benefits of plant stem cell technology to solve hair problems from the follicle level. By using these balancing products, your hair cuticles will be sealed, moisture is locked in and hair becomes more manageable! Your hair will look shinier and frizz will calm down. Who doesn’t want that!

(sources:¹womenshealthmag.com, ²happyskincare.com.au)