What the pHuck is pH? Why does it matter when it comes to skincare?

READ TIME: 6 MINUTES
TLDR: Ever wondered what ‘pH balanced’ means on a skincare label? Or how your skin’s pH can be affected by the products you apply? Perhaps you’re wondering if my Clean Right cleanser is pH balanced given a lot of cleansers aren’t? Spoiler alert, it is. Read on for the cold hard facts on pH.  

Hey, you! Did you listen in science class? No?! Well, prepare to get schooled on pH, or as it’s known in the biz ‘potential of hydrogen’. Although its official name makes it sound complex, the concept of pH is quite simple when it comes to skincare. In fact, understanding your skincare’s pH is often the most overlooked, but crucial, part of choosing the right products for your skin. And just as your skin’s pH has an enormous effect on your skin’s overall health, the pH of your skincare products does as well. Alright, let’s get into it.

pH according to science, not just marketing

pH is the measurement scale we use to label liquids as acids, bases or neither (neutral, like water). 

Everyone talks about the term ‘pH’ but, unless you’re a STEM student, most people don’t know what it means. Scientific terms are used all the time in skincare marketing and usually mean nothing to the reader. My mission at Angry Doctor is to get behind the words, and if you’re interested but don’t have a science background, let you really understand what the concept is. 

Stay with me here: everything in the world is made up of atoms. A collection of atoms is called a molecule, and there’s an infinite variety of molecules that make up everything on earth. The science of atoms, elements and molecules as the building blocks of every structure on earth – solid, liquid or gas – is called chemistry. Chemists combine these building blocks together to create usable products with specific properties. Carbon-based molecules are called organic, and all life forms are carbon-based. This is the area known as organic chemistry.

Then, you have acids and bases, which are two special kinds of chemicals. Almost all liquids are either acids or bases to some degree. Whether a liquid is an acid or base depends on the type of ions in it. If it has a lot of hydrogen ions, it will be an acid. If it has a lot of hydroxide ions, then it will be a base. An organic compound liquid is an acid, base or neutral depending upon its naturally occurring chemical structure. Vitamin C, for example, is quite a strong acid.

The reason for pH balanced active skincare is that if the overall mix of the compounds making up the product – i.e. the overall recipe – isn’t at the pH of the active compounds I’m trying to get into your skin cells, then they won’t work well. 

What does “pH balanced” actually mean?

Whenever you see or hear the term ‘pH’ in skincare products, it’s probably followed by ‘balanced’. Essentially, when we’re talking about the pH balance of skin it refers to the need to balance the acidity levels of the product with the acidity levels of skin — to achieve the sweet spot of maximum product effect and maximum usability for the user. 

Measuring pH

‘pH’ is simply the name of the scale used to assign a number to whether a compound is naturally an acid, a base or neutral. The scale is 1 to 14. 7 is neutral (water is 7); Anything less than 7 is an acid, and the lower the number the stronger the acid. Anything higher than 7 is a base, and the higher the number the stronger the base. 

Our skin’s pH

You might be more familiar with the concept of pH when it comes to skincare given it’s often printed on the back of your favourite product. But did you know that pH can also be measured on the skin? This is because we have water molecules present in our skin in the form of sweat and sebaceous secretions. Our skin’s natural pH is quite acidic and hovers around 4.9 (think of that scale I mentioned above). Remember that everyone’s skin is different and your skin’s pH can change; for instance, it becomes more basic as we grow older, so dryness and wrinkles can become more prevalent. It’s perfectly ok for your pH to change as you age, but if it’s feeling a bit out of whack all of a sudden you’ll probably know about it. The telltale signs are often irritation, flakiness and your skin generally misbehaving. Why? Let me break it down.  

While the epidermis claims the title of your skin’s top layer, it’s actually made up of five layers. The topmost of these is called the stratum corneum. Sounds science-y. Covering the stratum corneum is a very fine, mildly acidic film called the acid mantle. And what the HELL is an acid mantle? Not somewhere to store your hallucinogenic drugs. Think of it as a barrier that protects your skin from bacteria, viruses and other potential contaminants that might mess with your skin. It’s not just there to protect either, your acid mantle produces its own fatty acids, ceramides and cholesterol — it’s BUSY and you can lend it a helping hand by keeping it acidic. But not too acidic. Juuust right. Otherwise, your skin can become susceptible to irritation. It sounds tricky, but really all you have to think about is not letting it come into contact with extremely acidic or extremely alkaline substances, so using pH-balanced skincare is going to keep things harmonious. Speaking of skincare… 

pH and skincare

The perfect pH for my product is product-specific and strikes a balance between the pH needs of the skin and the product’s stability. This means that my product is formulated to a target pH level that’s not extremely acidic or basic but instead is close to the skin’s normal pH (around 5.5) while ensuring the product is effective. Long story short, optimising pH by product is essential to high-quality active skin care.

The likes of acids (your AHAs and BHAs) and vitamin C need to be at different pH levels to increase absorption and effectiveness. This is one of the reasons I couldn’t create just one Angry Doctor product; vitamin C (found in Morning Bright) and retinal and glycolic acid (both in Young Night) can’t all exist together in one bottle because of their different pH requirements. A vitamin C serum, like one with L-ascorbic acid, should be an acidic pH for optimal absorption. The good news? Morning Bright sits in this sweet spot, so your skin can soak up all its brightening, repairing and protective benefits.  

The pH of cleansers in particular

Cleansers are probably the one skincare product that can wreak the most havoc on the skin if their pH levels aren’t carefully balanced. Many have very high pH levels because alkalinity helps remove dirt and oils from the skin. But, this can weaken the acid mantle, allowing the cleansing agents in the product to strip away too many of the skin’s lipids leaving it compromised and open to bacteria and irritants.

So, how do you achieve that comfortably clean finish without your skin chucking a tantrum? Try to use cleansers that sit around the 4.5 pH mark so they’re still effective at breaking down dirt and oils but leave it intact and moisturised. Enter, Clean Right. This gentle, daily exfoliating cleanser (hello, glycolic and lactic acid) helps remove dead skin cells and creates a clean slate for subsequent skincare (may I suggest Morning Bright in the AM and Young Night in the PM). Clean Right would never dream of stripping your skin like those other high pH cleansers; instead, it has a pH of 4.5-5.0, similar to your skin’s which sits at 4.9, so your acid mantle will be happy as Larry. 

So, there you have it. Turns out pH is a big deal in skincare. That’s why when I formulate every Angry Doctor product, I not only make it effective, enjoyable to use and affordable, but I also take into account its pH level. That way it’s as effective as possible without the risk of your skin disagreeing with it. I may be angry, but I’m thoughtful too.