Why Does ph Matter? The Magic Balance of Healthy Skin

1. Why Does the Skin’s pH Scale Matter?
2.Does Drinking Water and Clean Eating Influence Body's pH Levels?
3.Skin Care Products - What pH Should It Be?

They say everything in nature is about balance, and that is no less true when it comes to our skin. Achieving the happy middle of beautiful skin may come down to maintaining the right pH balance. So, what is the magic pH level of healthy skin? On a scale of 0 to 14, the ideal state is slightly acidic, sitting around 4,5-5,5. Basic knowledge about pH measurement will help you understand your skin's needs and which skin care products should you choose to balance too low pH level or too high pH level.

1. Why Does the Skin’s pH Scale Matter?

pH stands for ‘potential hydrogen’ and measures how much alkaline or acid is in a substance. The reason our skin is slightly more acidic is thanks to a fine protective layer on its surface, called the ‘acid mantle’.


Think of the skin as mixing up a protective cocktail made from fatty acids from the sebaceous glands (sebum) combined with amino and lactic acids from sweat. This creates an acidic barrier that protects our skin from bacteria, viruses and other pollutants. If the acid mantle is out of harmony or weak, it could lead to an array of skin problems.

What are the implications of maintaining the wrong pH level?

pH imbalance may cause many dysfunction of your skin's surface as well as the whole body's. That is why it is so crucial for us to care about maintaining neutral pH at all times.

Symptoms and consequences of too high or too low PH

• fatigue,
• inflammation,
• irritation,
• growth of yeast and bacteria,
• urinary tract infections,
• other dysfunctions.

Take good care of your body and listen to its needs. Observe, act and treat it the way it wants to be treated. It will thank you - your body requires balance for proper organs and all of body systems functioning. Keeping neutral pH will slow down visible aging process as well you will observe other health benefits; such as strength, vitality and extension of metabolic processes.

2.Does Drinking Water and Clean Eating Influence Body's pH Levels?

The acid mantle can be affected from the inside out, through diet and maintaining a healthy digestive system. For example, too much sugar or dairy products can increase your body’s production of sebum, which can disrupt the pH balance. Both dairy and meat fall on the acidic side, and eating too much can increase inflammation. Meanwhile, a balanced diet with lots of alkaline-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes helps your body fight off diseases.

Which products should I avoid?

Everything we eat or put on our skin is put somewhere in the pH scale ranges.
Once again, it is all about balance! If you are a coffee lover, it does not mean you have to give up that espresso in the morning! Balance it out and enjoy!

What affects the pH level most?

Boosting a healthy gut by taking prebiotics and probiotics (cue the popularity of kombucha and kimchi) is also connected to healthy, resilient skin, especially when it comes to healing eczema, rosacea, and acne.

Drinking alkaline water helps - is this true?

We all know drinking water is crucial for maintaining our body's overall health, hydrating skin cells and encouraging proper functioning of our organs. So what is alkaline water and why is it important to drink it to influence our pH levels? There are many benefits of supplementing your diet with drinking alkaline water.
Alkaline water is an ionized water, meaning the pH is higher than in water we usually drink (tap water or bottled). Normally, the water we take in is approximately level 7, where alkaline water may come with a pH level of 8 or 9. Drink alkaline water regularly to help your body to fight excess acidity and neutralize your pH levels.

3. Skin Care Products - What pH Should It Be?

What products we use can also affect the pH level of healthy skin. Have you ever wondered why some cleansers give your skin that squeaky-clean tight feeling? They could be disrupting your skin’s pH level. Choose soap-free cleansers that are pH balanced (not too alkaline or too acidic) that fall within the range of normal, healthy skin.
If they’re not used properly, acidic products such as AHAs can temporarily disrupt the moisture barrier by over-stripping the skin’s natural oils and actually exacerbate acne-prone skin. Other possible offenders for irritating your skin could be fragrances, essential oils or foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate. These are common ingredients in skincare products that could be disrupting your skin’s acid mantle.

When in doubt over what is causing your skin to act out, perhaps the easiest thing is to do less, not more! Sometimes just using a curated selection of simple products can help your skin balance its pH level, and might just be the key to achieving beautifully balanced, glowing skin.
Shelly, Timeless Skin Care Esthetician adds: “The takeaway is this: balance. Choose products that are pH balanced or products formulated with a pH that falls in the same range as the skin’s natural barrier. Avoid consistently disrupting the pH levels in the skin, allowing the skin to naturally regulate itself so as to prevent breakouts, irritation and inflammation.”

Which products should I use for higher pH?

For everyone (but especially those with sensitive skin!), we recommend Hyaluronic Vitamin C Serum which contains magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, a less potent derivative of Vitamin C that works perfect to brighten and protect your skin with a pH level of 7.4.

The delicate and sensitive eye area is prone to dryness and one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Try Hydrating Eye Cream to keep it well hydrated. It helps with skin irritation in the eye area.
Hyaluronic Acid Pure is incredibly effective for plumping and delivering moisture to the skin while also being very light. It doesn’t clog up pores and can be applied alone directly on to damp skin OR follow the application of other serums for added moisturizing benefits. Hyaluronic Acid Pure maintains pH level at 6.4

What if I need low pH products?

Avoid any products with pH level higher than 9, as they can be too drying and irritating for your skin, causing it to wrinkle and dehydrate.
A concentrated, active polypeptide serum, such as Matrixyl® Synthe'6® (pH level 4.7) works on the deeper layers of the skin to heal and regenerate.

What skin care products should I use on a daily basis?

If you do not use any toner yet - it is a good time to start! Face toners used to have a reputation of doing nothing a couple years ago. Fortunately, the last couple of years raised awareness about proper skin care and which steps should not be skipped. One of them is face toners!
Good quality toner should be around level 5 on pH range scale. Its job is to fix your skin barrier's pH, calm it and balance it out after cleansing. Try it and see the difference!

DISCLAIMER: The information on our blogs has been compiled from published sources and the experience of the Timeless Skin Care team. The blogs are not intended to diagnose or treat a medical condition or to address every skin type or condition. While reasonable effort is made to publish reliable and up to date information, Timeless Skin Care cannot predict how a skin care regimen will affect every individual user. Timeless does not guarantee any specific outcomes or the accuracy of all information presented and accepts no liability in respect of any omission or error. If you are uncertain about possible sensitivity when using Timeless Skin Care products, please do a patch test before use. If you have any skin concerns, please talk to your physician or consult a dermatologist.