Finding the Right Balance

Finding the Right Balance

Do you remember those Dove soap ads from long ago?

The one where they showed a couple of different bars of soap and then put a piece of litmus paper on it to show whether or not the pH (potential hydrogen) of the soap was too high for our skin. Of course, Dove was the only soap that didn't change the litmus paper so we knew that it was the best choice for us going forward.

We've occasionally found ourselves wishing we had a supply of litmus paper just to test for ourselves. We're curious like that.

And we've taken our quest for the ideal pH soap to the next level.

Did you know that your skin has a pH level of about 5.5? Skin, or at least the outermost layer of it is naturally acidic [source: University of California Newsroom]. The acid in that layer helps the rest of your skin retain moisture and keep nasties out.

To help maintain your skin's fatty protective acidic layer, it is recommended to use a cleanser or body wash with a pH level similar to that of the skin itself. If you use a soap that's too alkaline (has a pH level higher than 7), it will break up the acid in your skin and cause dryness. It takes your skin approximately 12-hours to restore its natural sebum levels to the right balance, and in that time your skin is exposed to the elements and at greater risk of long-term damage.
And then you wash your face and body with that same cleanser or wash, and the cycle repeats itself.

The bad news is that most skin cleansers have a pH level that comes in slightly higher than 5.5, which isn't great. A regular bar of soap usually has a pH level that ranges between 9 and 12! A cleanser or body wash with a lower pH level helps your skin by leaving the acidic layer intact [source: Draelos].

The good news is that our products contain no suphates, betaine, parabens or DEA. Our surfactants are ECO certified and EO-free, and we use a plant-derived sugar surfactant that comes from natural and renewable resources. Oh, and our Alix Body Wash has a pH level of 5.7 so it won't dry you out.

Don't you love feeling informed?

Arohanui
Sharon xoxo