An Introduction to pH in Skincare

You've likely seen different skincare products talk about their pH levels, or refer to a mildly, weakly or slightly acidic formula. It can definitely be a bit daunting to even consider putting something acidic on our face, but bear with us and we'll give you a crash course on why it's important and how it can be beneficial for your skin.

At a high level, pH is a scale that measures the acid-alkaline ratio from one (most acidic) to 14 (alkaline). But how does it apply to what we put on our face?

Generally speaking, a healthy skin pH level is around 5.5, which is slightly acidic. The more we disrupt that healthy pH level, the more prone we are to skin issues as well as bacteria growth within our pores which evidently leads to breakouts. That makes it extremely important to focus on products which are mildly/weakly/slightly acidic (different brands will have different verbiage) or products that just flat out outline a pH level of around 5.5.

Research has shown however that we don't need to be the ones to balance our skin's pH as it does so naturally. However, using products with extreme pH levels can throw it off balance and cause your skin to flare up in all sorts of ways. Keeping a stable pH level on your skin isn't the miracle cure for every skin concern, however it's a great base to use when selecting products.

While most Korean skincare products generally contain a healthy pH level, it's always good to double-check within the product descriptions or with a speedy Google search.