Maintaining pH balance crucial for healthy skin: Expert

By Puja Gupta New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANSlife) The skin’s pH can be impacted by nearly anything: the skin care products you use, what you’re washing it with (classic soaps are too alkaline), how often you’re washing it and even what you’re eating. Similarly, if you’re using products that are too acidic or too basic, you could alter the skin’s pH, Dermatalogist Anju Methil points out.
“Skin’s pH plays an important role in skin condition. The acid mantle is the key to skin’s protective barrier. It neutralizes alkaline-based aggressors (such as harsh surfactants), inhibits the growth of bacteria, restores, and maintains the optimal acid environment in which skin’s natural flora can thrive. Hence, when the skin is exposed to products that have a high pH balance, it starts getting affected by the damaging radicals, which increases the aging process,” she tells IANSlife.
The acidic nature is due to the natural secretions of the skin like the sebum, aminoacids and fatty acids. The skin’s barrier is slightly acidic for a reason: to keep moisture in and bacteria out.
If your pH balance is off and it’s too alkaline, your skin is going to look flaky and red. If it’s too acidic, you’ll increase your chances of inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and acne. A good diet as well as topical agents containing probiotic will help to regain the skin PH, Methil states.
Adhering to skincare routines and discovering DIYs are fun but it is essential to understand our skin texture before indulging in a routine found online. The first step is to complement your skincare routine with a healthy diet.
She suggests: “Ensure starting your day with lemon water or turmeric water followed by eating nuts and fresh fruits. Maintain a diet chart including wholesome foods that are high in nutrition and help build your body inside out. Also, hydrate yourself regularly. Hydrating will help to flush out the waste from your body, fight off wrinkles, and give your outer layer a healthy glow.”