We see many product claims along the lines of “pH balanced for skin” but like many other body care product claims this is entirely fictitious. Let's examine the scientific facts:
FACT 1: Your skin produces what is known as the Acid Mantle which is a slightly acidic secretion designed to protect. Basic chemistry tells us that if this is acidic, the most effective way to clean it off along with accumulated oils, dirt and germs, is by using an alkaline soap. Handmade natural cold process soaps usually have an alkaline pH between 9.0 and 10.0 which is ideal for the job. Most mass produced soaps, many of which are SYNDETS (synthetic detergents), have pH values between 5.0 and 7.0 (acidic to neutral) which are therefore not so ideal for skin cleaning purposes.
FACT 2: The long-term use of soap does not affect the pH-maintenance mechanism of human skin.The surface pH of human skin is around 5. Washing the skin with an alkaline soap will certainly increases the pH of the skin, however it will return to a more acidic pH within a few hours. Scientific research suggests that long-term continuous use of alkaline soap does not affect the pH-maintaining mechanism of human skin. (see Takagi, Y., Kaneda, K., Miyaki, M., Matsuo, K., Kawada, H. and Hosokawa, H. (2014), The long-term use of soap does not affect the pH-maintenance mechanism of human skin. Skin Research and Technology. doi: 10.1111/srt.12170)
Dr. Mike Thair
Co-founder & Managing Director
Indochine Natural
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