Okay, so you might’ve learnt the concept of pH in chemistry class in high school but, besides changing colors on a litmus test paper, what do you know about skin’s pH balance? Skin pH level is actually a good indicator to tell if your skin is in a healthy balance. And currently a lot of Korean skincare brands are trying to put the “low pH” or “pH balancing” label on their products and claim they are the better options for healthier skin. So how about we take this as a sign to learn all about the skin’s pH balance and maybe “ace” this chemistry refresher course—for the sake of our skin?
What is the optimal skin pH?
Basically, pH measures how acidic or alkaline a surface is, ranging from a scale of 1 – 14, with 1 being most acidic and 14 most alkaline (anything below the neutral 7 is considered acidic). So when it comes to our skin’s “acid” mantle, the magic number should be a solid 5.5 within the normal range of 4.5 – 6.
As our skin’s natural defense system, the acid mantle has antibacterial properties to keep an optimal pH level for skin’s natural flora to thrive. Its acidity also drives our normal skin cell function to renew skin and shed old, dead skin. Having a pH balanced acid mantle is key to a strong protective skin barrier. That’s why there are more and more Korean skincare products formulated with a pH-balancing or low-pH formula to imitate the acid mantle to protect the skin and keep the skin functioning properly.
Factors that might affect our skin acid mantle
It’s hard to keep track of our skin’s pH level all the time. The best we can do is pay attention to the potential (mostly external) factors that might affect the acidity of our skin surface so we can be prepared. Factors like our age, sun exposure (wear your SPF every day!), pollution, medication, change in season or weather, and even our own sweat or our skin’s moisture level and sebum can affect the pH level of our skin acid mantle.
How to maintain a healthy, balanced skin pH?
Although our skin can naturally restore its own acidic pH and fix the acid mantle on its own, the external damages our skin faces every day surpass its natural capacity to fix the damage, which may result in dry skin, flakiness, and skin irritation. That’s when pH balancing cleanser or pH balancing toner comes in for the rescue.
Wash your face with a gentle, low-pH cleanser that has a pH ranging from 5 – 6.5 to neutralize the pH balance of the skin acid mantle. Etude House’s Soon Jung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser is a trusted favorite in our book