What is pH?
I'm sure you're thinking, why are we talking about pH and who cares? You'll see why this is relevant but work with me for a little here.
Generally, the pH of something is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured and assigned a value from 1 to 14, with 1 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline or basic. A solution with a pH of 7 is neutral (fun fact: water has a pH of 7!).
We're not going to get into the nitty-gritty of the chemistry behind pH but this video does a great job of explaining those details if you're interested.
Why do we give a sh*t?
The pH of skin is a slightly acidic 5.5. Many factors contribute to its acidity including (but definitely not limited to):
😓 stress
👵🏽 age
🥦 dietary habits
💨 smoking
And so, our skincare products are all slightly acidic to match the skin's acidity level. If the pH of your product is too acidic or too basic, the skin barrier loses strength. That's when you get conditions like rosacea, dermatitis, and other ailments come in the picture.
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