Are Harsh Products Throwing Off Your Skin? Why Striking a pH Balance Is Key

Trying to assess problem skin is like diagnosing a troubled houseplant. Are yellow leaves a sign of overwatering—or underwatering? Does its droopy demeanor call for more light or fertilizer or whispered words of encouragement? In matters of complexion, the root causes of flare-ups—dry patches, redness, stubborn breakouts—can be similarly hard to pin down, leading to resigned inaction or, often worse, aggressive offense. The better way forward? Consider gentler products that play well with the skin’s natural pH.

That scale, if you recall from chemistry class, assesses where a substance falls on the spectrum from 0 (battery acid) to 14 (drain cleaner), with 7 marking the metaphorical Switzerland (water). “The skin’s natural environment is more acidic, which is why we call it the ‘acid mantle,’ ” says Los Angeles dermatologist Karyn Grossman, M.D., referring to the lipid-rich outermost layer. She puts optimal pH between 4 and 6, which creates a hospitable environment for beneficial flora and also “helps to keep the outside world out and the inside world in.” But when the pH swings out of whack and the barrier breaks down—something that intense peels or harsh, stripping soaps can trigger—the result is often written plainly on your face.

Marisa Vara Arredondo, the founder of the skin-care line Phace Bioactive, knows it well. “As a teenager I had really bad cystic acne, and I tried everything: antibiotics, sulfur, benzoyl peroxide. I would scrub with a buff puff and Neutrogena soap, which at the time was very alkaline,” she recalls of her pendulum swings between breakout and blitzkrieg. Only later, after a recurrence in her 20s, did she come to understand the role of pH, which spurred her to formulate products with the acid mantle in mind. While her seven products range from a dark-spot serum to a décolletage cream, her hero product remains the most routine: the Detoxifying Gel Cleanser. The pH (3.0-3.5) is stated plainly on the bottle, and the ingredient list takes a do-no-harm approach, pairing a mild coconut-derived surfactant with fruit enzymes to boost cell turnover.

If a pH-balanced skin barrier promotes healthy flora, can flora return the favor? According to New York dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., the answer is yes. “Probiotics have been shown to repair a disrupted acid mantle by restoring an acidic skin pH, reducing oxygen free-radical damage, and improving skin-barrier function,” he explains. It’s a worthwhile case for trying Aurelia’s probiotic-powered products (as if the dreamy essential oil scents weren’t enough). According to founder Claire Vero, the probiotic technology is designed to help “manage the inflammation in the skin by targeting [its] natural defense mechanism”—something that’s no doubt taxed by exposure to pollution, UV, and other routine stressors. The nourishing fatty acids in Aurelia’s Cell Repair Night Oil are icing on the cake.

 

The post Are Harsh Products Throwing Off Your Skin? Why Striking a pH Balance Is Key appeared first on Vogue.