Having seen our posts about pH quoted on a site about the need for soap to be ‘drying’ in order to clean skin properly, we have since been mulling over the merits (or lack thereof) of using soap and water.
The author of TheSoapBlog.com makes a great case for using homemade skin care over chemical-laden manufactured products such as The Dove Beauty Bar. However, we differ on a couple of fundamental points when it comes to the importance of pH and so I have called upon our lovely bioesthetician Ishtar Magally to clarify her thinking…
The author says that the drying effect of soap is not a problem because, “within 20 minutes [of washing], [the acid mantle] is about 1/3 strength and within 2-3 hours, it is back up at full strength.”
However, Ishtar suggests that unfortunately this isn’t quite true. “The skin will be able to restore its stripped oils if, and only if, pH-balanced formulas were used to cleanse it. pH-disturbing formulas will simply strip almost all the natural oils of the skin making it impossible for our glands to restore the normal acid range.
As a result two things could happen here:
- The skin is unable to replenish the stripped oils leading to dry, sensitive skin.
- The sebaceous glands produce too much oil as a result of over-stripping, leading to overly oily, acne-prone skin.”
She adds: “The truth is that those of us who have been using pH-balanced formulas for a while know from personal experience what a great difference it makes to keep the skin working within the right pH range.”
This is why we advocate using an all-natural and organic mildly acidic cleanser and toner because soap and water are both too alkaline to promote the healthiest environment for your skin.
If you are still pH-confused (and we understand why you might be), you can read more here.
And don’t forget, if you are in the US you can fire your questions (in English or Spanish) directly to Ishtar on the live chat section of the site 11am-3pm EST Monday to Thursday. And if you are in Europe, you can speak to Francoise 11am-3pm GMT.