The skin’s pH is naturally more on the acidic side, about 5.5, and remains at this pH to defend itself against bad bacteria, which can run rampant in an alkaline environment.
Your skin protects itself with a thin layer of lipids (oils), sweat, and dead skin cells known as the acid mantle. This mantle protects your skin from irritants, bacteria, and water loss.
Skincare products if not at the right pH, can strip away sebum and natural oils (players in your skin’s microbiome). And as a result, undesirable effects such as redness, inflammation, scaling, and dryness can occur.
The longer your skin’s pH is left imbalanced, the longer your skin is prone to exposure to environmental stressors and the growth of bad bacteria.
Note: It’s importance to balance pH daily especially after showering or washing your face as the pH of water can be a big culprit in causing dysbiosis or an imbalance in microbiota.