What is your ideal environment? The place where you are happiest...where you feel your best? Where you are most balanced? Envision how you feel when you are there. Now imagine that the surface of your skin is one big "environment;" as such, it requires certain conditions to "feel" its best and function optimally. pH plays a big role allowing our skin to thrive.

What is pH?

pH is a measure of hydrogen ions in water-containing solution. More hydrogen ions means lower pH and fewer hydrogen ions means higher pH. 

The pH scale ranges from 0-14. Neutral substances, like water, have a pH right in the middle of that scale...pH=7. Acidic substances, like lemon juice, have a low pH of around 2. And alkaline substances, like ammonia or soap, have a high pH (around 11-12).

Anhydrous, or waterless, products do not have a pH.

Why is pH important when we are talking about our skin and how to care for it? 

The surface of our skin is called the “acid mantle” and has an ideal pH around 5.5 (this can vary based on the anatomic site, ethnicity, genetics, oil levels, etc). And anything that we put on our skin should ideally have a pH of 7 or less so that it works hand in hand to support your skin and allow this miraculous organ to do all of its important jobs, keeping you safe and healthy.

Just for comparison, our internal body pH is fairly neutral with a pH of around 7.4

When we use alkaline substances (which have a high pH of around 10), like soap, to wash our skin, this compromises our skin barrier. Our skin is much happier when we use products that are more aligned with its natural pH of 5.5. 

That’s why we formulated our Bright Girl collection to be pH compatible with your skin! Bright Girl skincare is dermatologist-created,specifically for young skin. When selecting the ideal products for your teenage skincare routine, it's very important to choose formulations designed to work perfectly with your skin's natural environment.

Besides supporting our skin’s natural pH, why else is pH important? Because maintaining a proper pH is essential to supporting your skin's microbiome! Read more about your skin's microbiome here.