Different factors can lead to an alteration in the normal pH values of your skin:
Hormonal changes
Variations in hormone levels can cause changes in the pH of the skin throughout adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause, especially in certain places. You will be able to keep your skin beautiful and healthy if you clean and care for it with products that do not affect its optimal pH.
Unsuitable cosmetic products
In addition to hygiene products, any additional cosmetic applied to the skin that does not have an appropriate pH might induce an imbalance, resulting in dysbiosis (microbiota changes) and a change in the skin’s barrier function.
As a result, it’s best to stick to products that respect the pH of healthy skin. Additionally, alcohol-containing compounds can change the acid mantle.
Cleaning
Maintaining an appropriate pH in the skin requires careful attention to how and with what you perform regular skin maintenance. Even with a proper product, excessive or frequent hygiene will produce dryness and discomfort.
The pH of the skin is altered by alkaline soaps, gels, shampoos, and other cleaning agents. In healthy skin, this shift in pH can take anywhere from one to two hours to a few hours to neutralise. The skin will not be adequately protected throughout the time it takes for your body to re-adjust its pH.
We don’t mean a pH of roughly 5.5, which is the average value of healthy skin, when we refer to neutral pH in hygiene and skincare products. These items will be “neutral” to the skin, meaning they will not alter its pH.
Changes in humidity and temperature
Variations in pH can be caused by changes in temperature and humidity, which change the amount of water in the hydrolipidic film. Furthermore, dehydrated skin is more sensitive and vulnerable to the effects of external stimuli.
Ageing
The pH of the skin of newborns and children up until adolescence is higher. The propensity to alkalinity returns with age, but the pH becomes more acidic throughout middle age.
Because of these natural variances, both youngsters and the elders have more delicate skin, making it even more crucial to choose the right cleaning and care solutions for them.
Medication’s effects
Antibiotics, diuretics, and chemotherapy, among some other medications, can alter the pH, removing the protective barrier function.