How to Balance
Your Skin pH

When flicking through beauty magazines, the chances are, you may have encountered the term pH balance. As well as this, you may have clocked onto the trend that more and more people are switching from chemical-filled quick-fix products and moving towards natural skincare solutions.

It has been pretty well established for some time that natural skincare practices and products can improve your skin’s overall appearance, it’s important to actually understand why this is. Among the most significant factors in your skin’s appearance is its pH level - so why is this important and how do you balance your skin?

What is pH balance? 

You may not realise it but your skin and hair have their own natural pH levels. If imbalanced this can trigger skin dryness as well as irritation. The pH scale is a numeric scale, often between 0 and 14. The pH level of the skin refers to how acidic or alkaline the skin is. On a scale of 1-14, with 1 being the most acidic to 14 being the most alkaline. 7 is considered a neutral level for your skin’s pH.

Skin has a thin, protective surface and this is often referred to as the acid mantle. This acid mantle is made up of sebum, fatty acids which are excreted from the skin’s sebaceous glands, which mixes with lactic and amino acids from sweat to create the skin’s pH, which ideally should come in as slightly acidic – at around 5.5.

How do I maintain a healthy skin pH? 

Cleansers and moisturisers significantly impact your skin's pH levels. The ideal range for pH-balanced skincare products is between 4 and 6. 

Unfortunately, basic bar soaps can have a pH as high as 12 and are especially damaging on facial skin. pH testing strips are a good option to use and allow you to determine whether your skincare products are pH-balanced. 

The importance of toners and micellar water to balance pH

Immediately after cleansing your skin, apply a toner that helps calibrate your pH. Before applying anything, read the ingredient list: If alcohol lands high on its list of ingredients, it will likely strip your skin of moisture (rather than nourishing it). 

Our Purifying Toner can be applied to cleansed skin morning and evening and leaves skin feeling refreshed clean. Our Himalayan Micellar Water contains calming ingredients such as Provitamin B5 & Betaine - which are both great for maintaining your pH.

Support Your Skin's pH Balance With Herbal Essentials Skincare

At Herbal Essentials, we believe that powerful natural activities and botanicals are best for your skin and we avoid harsh, soap-based ingredients which disrupt the skin’s natural PH balance. You can shop our range of skincare products to find the best routine for your needs and lifestyle.