Cleansers do not stay on your skin long enough to reach deeper layers, but they do play more than one important role in your daily skincare routine. Most obviously, they clean your skin of dirt, excess oil, makeup, and other debris that could otherwise become trapped inside your pores and cause all sorts of skincare woes, including acne.
However, many people do not know that cleansers play another equally important role. The right facial cleanser can slightly lower the pH of your skin, which comes along with numerous benefits.
Why Does the pH of Your Cleanser Matter?
Normal human skin has a pH of around 4.7. This sits slightly on the acidic side of the pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being highly acidic and 14 highly alkaline. Water is considered to be neutral, falling directly in the middle of the scale at 7.
While you do not want to use skincare products with extremely low or high pHs, using a cleanser formulated for your skin type that slightly lowers your skin’s pH can do three important things:
Increases the effectiveness of other skincare ingredients in your regimen, such as vitamin C.
Loosens the “glue” that holds skin cells together.
Makes your skin less hospitable for acne-causing bacteria.
Vitamin C has been shown to be more stable and better able to penetrate the skin when the pH is below 3.5. Thus, using a cleanser to lower your skin’s pH before applying a vitamin C serum can help to improve its efficacy by allowing it to reach the deeper layers of skin. A lower pH also helps to remove the “glue” that binds skin cells together. This helps to shed old cells from the surface so that fresh new ones can take their place. Finally, bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes are not able to thrive in low-pH environments. So using a cleanser that lowers your skin’s pH can also help to keep acne at bay by minimizing bacteria.
Which Cleansers Lower Your Skin’s pH?
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) cleansers are just one example of a cleanser type that lowers the skin’s pH and therefore helps to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. Glycolic acid is one of the most common AHAs used in facial cleansers and can be found in products like Essopi Glycolic 10% Moisturizing Cleanser. Depending on your skin type, you may have to slowly introduce a glycolic acid cleanser to your regimen, using it only a few times per week to start.
Some sensitive skin types – such as those who struggle with acne, rosacea, and stinging/burning – do not tolerate AHAs well. Instead, look for other low-pH moisturizing cleansers that meet the unique needs of your Baumann Skin Type.
You can read more about how to choose a cleanser for your skin type in this blog.
Bottom Line
Each product in your Baumann Skin Type regimen has a specific purpose. Using the right cleanser preps your skin for the ingredients that follow, while also gently sweeping away dirt and debris. Talk with your STS-approved physician to choose a cleanser and treatment products that are appropriate for your skin type and needs.
For more information about how to choose products based on you
Wishing you great skin!
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