What Does pH Balancing Your Face Mean and Should You Care?

Most men have never given much thought to pH levels beyond having to do some acidity lab tests in their High School’s chemistry class. pH levels however, are incredibly important for your skin. Your body naturally maintains your face’s pH balance, but when it gets out of whack, you’ll get inflammation, acne, wrinkles and other less than pleasant side effects. Learn more what pH balancing your face means, why you should care, and what to do about it (easily).

Your skin has a thin protective layer called the acid mantle. The acid mantle is made up of acids, namely – amino, lactic and fatty, that mix with the natural essential oils your sebaceous glands excrete. This cocktail of acids creates a protective barrier that is the first line of defense against bacteria and environment toxins. In other words, your skin needs to be a little acidic to destroy all the things you don’t want growing on your face. It also means you need your skin to be slightly oily so it doesn’t dry out and become irritated or get premature wrinkles.

If you remember from chemistry class, all organic substances (which include you) have a pH level. The range goes from acidic to neutral to basic. Your body has a pH level of 7 but your face is about a 5.5 (more acidic). The funny thing is, most men’s skin care and grooming products carry a pH level of 8 – 10. This means they’re highly drying to the skin. As mentioned above, your skin needs that acidic barrier to stay healthy. Too alkaline and skin gets dry and ages prematurely, while too acidic creates an environment prone to breakouts and acne.

So how do you have a proper men’s skin care regimen and now disrupt your skin’s pH balance? Use natural men’s skin care and grooming products. Men’s skin care products filled with chemicals strip the skin of the essential oils and acidic barrier it needs, making it too alkaline. Even guys with very oily skin run the risk of skin problems by over drying their face.

A natural face wash for men won’t strip the essential oils and acidic barrier on your face, leaving it clean, yet still protected. After using a men’s natural face wash, apply a natural face moisturizer for men as well. This will restore any lost hydration needed back onto the skin to normalize the pH level.

The next time you go to buy a generic men’s skin care product, think to yourself, do you want to destroy the natural barrier your body has created or do you want to have healthy skin?