Should I take into account the hydrogen pH value when choosing a cosmetic product?

You have probably heard repeatedly in the advertisement of soap and shower gels, chewing gums and, more rarely, creams, the mysterious word "Pe Ash." What is it and how much does it really matter when we choose detergents and cosmetics? Let's figure it out so that it's not too much to get into chemical "jungle". RN in translation from Latin - "pundus hydrogenium" - means "weight of hydrogen". This hydrogen index reflects the level of alkali presence in any solution or solid. Also in advertising use the word combinations acid-base balance and neutral pH.

"Soap dries the skin ..." - this is the main message of advertising an expensive shower gel. Indeed, alkali - the main ingredient of detergents - has such an effect. However, it is also impossible to refuse alkali, because it is with its help that dirt is washed away. Without alkali soap - no longer soap, it is expressed in evangelical language, it becomes a salt that has lost its salinity. So, the hydrogen indicator indicates how much alkali is contained in this product. Recollect the school science: what is quenched alkali? That's right, with acid. Therefore, we and baking soda are extinguished with vinegar. These two basic substances in their pure form both have a harmful effect on the skin: the acid corrodes, and the alkali dries.

The hydrogen index can be imagined as a scale from zero to 14. If the pH is zero, then there is no alkali in it, it is an acid in its pure form. If it is equal to fourteen it is a natural alkali. In distilled water, therefore, the pH will be seven. At first glance it seems that the seven is the optimal indicator of the acid-base balance. But no - water, it turns out, also dries the skin, and this is especially well felt by those who after a long bath or bathing feel an itch on the back. How can we find such a "golden mean" to not feel the harmful effects of acid or alkali in the literal sense on our own skin?

Our skin also has its own hydrogen index. It ranges between four and a half (in people with oily skin) to five and a half (with dry skin). Therefore, an inscription on a soap, cream or shower gel "balanced pH" means that in this product the hydrogen level is not more than 4.5-5.0 on a 14-point scale. The same goes for the advertising of chewing gums: another reason to chew them is to quickly restore the acid-base balance of the mouth after eating. But what does washing mean? This is the removal of dirt, and at the same time dead particles of the upper layer of the skin (what is called the exfoliating effect). Sebaceous glands secrete acid fat, which is eliminated by nothing more than alkali.

Therefore, when choosing soap and other detergents, you should consider how much you want to take off this protective acid mascara. After all, acid prevents the loss of water, and yet it protects from airing, ultraviolet rays, the harmful effects of the external environment. Another thing is when the sebaceous glands - for example, during sexual maturation - produce too much fat. Then the pores become clogged, which leads to the appearance of juvenile acne and acne. In this case, it makes sense to choose cosmetics, where the pH ph pH will approach the 9 mark - the maximum level of alkali content, which will not create an early wrinkle, but softly dry the skin.

For people with dry skin, remember that the level of alkali in the usual cheap bar soap is 9-11 on a 14-point scale. Such a soap, when used frequently, will dry and cover with a white, scaly bloom, not only your face, but also more hardy hands. For such people, it is optimal to wash soft foam with fruit acids, where the ph value is close to 3 (the maximum permissible level of acid). Such people even after washing hands should eat fatty nutritious creams.