Normally, human skin has a naturally acidic pH. But factors such as environmental pollutants or skin care routines can affect the skin’s pH level. Many skin problems are due to an imbalance in the skin’s pH. So you need to know how to regulate your skin’s pH. The skin’s pH ranges from 1 to 14. 7 is neutral. Numbers below seven indicate an acidic pH. While numbers above 7 are known as alkaline or non-acidic skin. According to many doctors and researchers, healthy skin has an acidic pH. When your skin is acidic, skin cells can more easily destroy harmful microbes and free radicals.
An old study in 2006 showed that the ideal skin pH is below 5. Research has also shown that the pH level of newborn skin is high. But it decreases over time as they age. The average pH of newborn skin is around 7. While this value for adults is about 5 to 6. In the following article from the specialized blog of the Perimah Beauty Clinic, we intend to explain about identifying the pH of the skin. Therefore, we suggest that you stay with us until the end of this article.
Skin pH
Acidity of different areas of the skin
An interesting point that you should know about is that the pH of the skin is different in different areas of the body. For example, human skin in the armpits and genital areas has a more acidic property. While areas such as the chest or hands are almost alkaline. An important question that arises in the meantime is why the acidity of different parts of the skin is different from each other. This difference is due to the acidic barrier of the skin. Other factors such as sebum and skin moisture, sweating in the desired area, genetics and detergents, cosmetics and cleansers also affect this issue. All of these factors can cause imbalance (pH) of the skin.
How to check the pH of your skin?
There are several different methods that you can use to check the pH of oily and dry skin. Here are some of these methods:
۱٫ Home test strips
One of the best and easiest methods is to use a pH test strip at home. These home kits are easy to prepare and are available in pharmacies or stores. You can determine the acidity or alkalinity of your skin using these home kits. Test strips are small pieces of paper that show the acidity or alkalinity of the skin with color changes. Just cut a small piece of paper and place it on the skin surface. If the color turns blue, it means that the skin surface in that area is alkaline. But if it turns red or pink, it means that the skin surface is acidic.
۲٫ Saliva and urine tests
Another best technique to check the acidity or alkalinity of the skin is to perform saliva and urine tests. These tests are performed in medical laboratories and provide complete information about the overall pH level of your body. However, note that these laboratories are not suitable for measuring the pH level of the skin in a specific area of the body. In this case, home kits may be more suitable. However, their results are not as accurate.
۳٫ Through a dermatologist
A dermatologist can also provide complete information about the acidity or alkalinity of your skin. In addition, dermatologists can evaluate your skin care products or cosmetics. So if you have a specific skin routine, we recommend that you introduce your skin care products to a dermatologist. In this way, the doctor can examine its effect on the acidity or alkalinity of the skin.
۴٫ Observing the skin
You can get information about the acidity or alkalinity of your skin by observing its appearance. Skin that has an acidic and neutral pH has a healthy appearance and is free of dry spots. Problems such as skin irritation, acne, redness, or dry patches indicate that the skin is too alkaline.
What does too acidic or too alkaline skin look like?
As mentioned, one of the best ways to check if the skin is acidic or alkaline is to observe the appearance of the skin. But the important question is what does too acidic or too alkaline skin look like. Researchers and doctors believe that an increase in the skin’s pH level disrupts the function of skin cells. In such conditions, healthy bacteria cannot grow normally. On the other hand, the skin barrier will also be disrupted. Therefore, an increase in the acidity or alkalinity of the skin causes the following problems:
One of the most important symptoms is dry skin and peeling skin. If the acidity or alkalinity of the skin increases more than necessary, it removes the skin’s oil and causes the skin to dry out.
Another symptom is the appearance of pimples and acne. When the amount of oil secretion on the skin surface is disturbed, the growth of unhealthy bacteria will increase, which will lead to the appearance of pimples and acne.
Increased acidity or alkalinity of the skin causes problems such as redness, itching, inflammation or other skin irritations.
There is also a possibility of allergies. This means that your skin may react quickly to sunlight or cold.
Why is skin pH so important?
The important question is why should we care about the skin’s pH? Our most important task is to protect the skin from infection and pathogens. This helps you to have healthy and young skin. So there is no need to resort to invasive methods such as surgery to rejuvenate your face. As mentioned, the skin’s pH should be between 4 and 5.
In such a situation, excessive oil secretion on the surface of the skin
