Maintaining pH

Skin pH is an important part of our skins health. pH, or potential hydrogen is the measure of acidity and alkalinity.

A slightly acidic balance of our skin is healthy. Skin should be balanced at 5.5.




Our skin has an acid mantle that buffers our skin from the wind and environmental factors, keeps bacterial infections at bay, reduces our likeliness to breakout, protects our skin from drying, delays wrinkling and other various signs of aging.

Our acid mantle is formed by the combination of the natural oil we secrete (sebum), our sweat and beneficial bacteria that live on our skin. Together they form a healthy surface of the skin that is slightly acidic.

When our acid mantle is "lost" it simply means we are not taking notice to our natural pH balance of our skin. When we strip our skin by ways of over-washing, harsh chemicals, detergents and alkaline soaps our skin is more susceptible to free-radicals.

Think of your skin briefly as a school dance. Great right? Now, think of free radicals like angry boys at the school dance without a date. On the surface of our skin we have all these happy atoms that have mates that are dancing around to crazy cool tunes. The free radicals are angry because they don't have a mate to dance with, so they go in and steal the other guy's girls to dance with. Thus, resulting in more angry atoms... thus resulting in damage. But how is this damaging?
Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA or the cell membrane. (Everything is connected, I am telling you! Our bodies are walking miracles!) Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system... antioxidants! And not just our own, but antioxidants we can put on our skin!

Commercial soaps and harsh cleansers tend to be highly alkaline and often have free alkalis still in them that react with our skins sebum to strip away it's acid mantle. What? Did I just imply that some sebum is good?! I did! Our sebum protects our skin from environmental factors and nourishes our skin. The result in these cleansers and products with free alkalis still in them is drier skin that ages more quickly and is less able to withstand infection. Skin care products containing alcohol can also shift pH away from it's natural balance.

Toning our skin is a fast way to bring our skin back to 5.5 pH balanced.


Maintaining pH doesn't seem so complicated, right? It actually might seem quite unimportant and stupid. At least, that's what I thought when I was in Esthiologly school. I was all, PSH! BIG DEAL.

But... the health of the outermost part of your skin is one of the secret keys to achieving better than normal skin. To glowing skin. When you are protecting your skin with antioxidants, washing your skin with proper nutrients, restoring your acid mantle with the proper toner, moisturizing with the proper ingredients... you are actually changing the life of your skin, not just the appearance. So much we want to see something work 'now', I'm guilty of it too. And when you maintain your pH you may not even see very much of a difference, especially if you aren't prone to break-outs. But, it is a small but very important step for health not just physical beauty.



Cheers to that! Now toast a cup of green tea (full of antioxidants) to yourself, and your skin! And just for me, rub that tea bag all over your face after you finish your drink.
Love to you,
Jessica.