Things that should be consigned to the past:
- Mom jeans (is there anything more unflattering?!)
- Big Brother (just quit, please)
- Soaps to wash your face (so drying!)
I hear ya. So many of you love using soaps to wash your faces. You’re doing it since you were a wee little kid and can’t understand why the skincare world has suddenly turned on them. It all has to do with pH…
What Is pH?
pH measures how acidic or alkaline a solution of water + something is. pH 7 is the neutral point. Anything below it is an “acid” and anything above it a “base” (or alkaline). Think of it like a scale from 0 to 14. Battery acid is at 0 (yikes), water sits pretty at 7, and bleach hangs out at 13 (double yikes).
Your skin has a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. When it stays at that level, your skin is happy. It’s soft. It’s hydrated. It’s good at defending itself from germs, pollutants and all the other crap that wants to hurt it. This slightly acidic environment isn’t random, by the way. It’s called your acid mantle, and it’s basically your skin’s bouncer. It keeps the bad stuff out and the good stuff in.
Your skin also houses billions of good bacteria (yeah, bacteria can be good – who knew?) that keep the bad bacteria in check. These little guys thrive in that acidic environment. When the pH goes too high or too low, your skin’s protective barrier breaks down. It starts to crack. It gets dry as the Sahara. It gets easily irritated. You’re nuking your skin’s entire ecosystem. Not cute.
Now here comes the tricky part: ANYTHING you put on your skin that’s higher or lower than its natural pH will raise or lower its pH levels accordingly. Even water.
Struggling to find skincare products that don’t irritate your sensitive skin? Download your FREE “Skincare Ingredients To Avoid” cheatsheet to find out what the most common culprits are and cut them out of your skincare routine:
Why The pH Of Your Cleanser Matters
Old-school soaps (think Pears and Palmolive) are super alkaline. Their pH is above 9! Use them today, use them tomorrow, they’ll mess your skin’s natural pH balance. That’s a recipe for tightness, dryness, irritations, flaking… all the bad things you DON’T want.
Here’s what’s actually happening when you use these soaps: that squeaky clean feeling you get? That’s not clean. That’s your skin’s natural oils being stripped away like paint thinner on a wall. Your acid mantle is basically dissolved. And that tight feeling afterward? That’s your skin desperately trying to figure out what the hell just happened to it.
Then, because your skin isn’t stupid, it goes into panic mode and starts pumping out extra oil to compensate for the Sahara desert situation you just created. So you wash your face again because it’s oily. And the cycle continues. Congrats, you’ve just created a never-ending problem that wouldn’t exist if you’d just used the right cleanser in the first place.
These are the types of soaps that should be consigned to the past, pronto. But, should you discriminate against all soaps just cos the old generation was harsh? Here’s the deal: there’s a new generation of pH balanced soaps out there but if you’re not willing to do your research or use pH strips to figure that out, it’s best to stay away from all soaps altogether. Just in case. (I know, it’d be so much easier if brands stated the pH of their soaps on the packaging, but so few bother. *sighs*)
If you love soap so much, you’re willing to go the extra mile, here’s what you need to know: As a rule of thumb, only use soaps that have a pH close to that of your skin. The ideal range is between 5.5 and 6.5. (Why not 4.5? Cos I haven’t found any soaps in that range and 6.5 is as high as I’d be willing to go – but go there carefully!)
Between 5.5 and 6.5 gives your skin a fighting chance to rebalance itself quickly. It’s close enough to your natural pH that your acid mantle doesn’t completely freak out. Think of it like jumping into a pool that’s slightly cooler than body temperature versus jumping into an ice bath. One is manageable, the other is shock to your system.
Also, 6.5 is really pushing it for some people. If you’ve got sensitive skin, rosacea, eczema, or any skin condition, you want to stay even closer to 5.5. Your skin doesn’t have the same recovery superpowers as someone with a tougher barrier.
Related: Why I Only Use Cleansers With A Low pH
Can You Use Regular Soap On Your Body, But Not Your Face?
Look, most people’s body skin can handle more crap than their face. It’s thicker, tougher, whatever. But honestly? If something’s too harsh for your face, why the hell would you use it anywhere else?
Your body skin isn’t some indestructible thing. It’s still skin. And if you’ve got issues like bacne, those bumps on your arms, eczema, dry patches – your body’s literally screaming at you that the soap’s too harsh. I don’t get why people treat their body like it’s made of leather. “Oh it’s fine for my body!” Is it though? Or have you just gotten used to tight, dry skin and think that’s normal?
What About Liquid Cleansers VS Bar Soaps?
Everyone acts like liquid cleansers are automatically better. They’re not. You can get a liquid cleanser with pH 9 that’ll fuck up your skin just as bad as a crusty bar of Ivory soap. The bottle doesn’t make it good. I don’t care if it’s got pretty packaging and costs a fortune. The real deal is this: making a bar soap with low pH is harder cos of the ingredients you need to keep it solid. That’s it. That’s the only reason liquid cleansers have an edge. If you can’t be bothered testing pH with strips, just grab a liquid one that says it’s low pH and move on with your life.
And yeah, liquid cleansers actually tell you their pH more often. CeraVe does. La Roche-Posay does. COSRX does. They’re not being shady about it. Bar soaps? Most of them act like it’s classified information. Unless it literally says “pH-balanced” on the front, you’re just guessing and hoping you don’t wreck your skin.
What Are The Best pH Balanced Soaps?
Did you really think I’d let you do your soapy pH research alone? 😉 Here are my fave pH-balanced soaps:
- Drunk Elephant JuJu Bar ($28.00): pH 6.34. It cleanses and subtly exfoliates your skin too. Available at Cult Beauty, Sephora and SpaceNK.
- Sebamed Cleansing Bar (£3.99): pH 5.5. A gentle soap with amino acids to keep skin soft and supple. Available at Face The Future and Superdrug
What Happens If You’ve Been Using High pH Soap For Years?
First off, don’t spiral. Your skin is more resilient than you think. If you switch to a pH-balanced cleanser now, your acid mantle will start to recover within a few weeks. Seriously. Your skin is constantly renewing itself, so once you stop sabotaging it daily, it’ll bounce back.
You might notice your skin goes through a weird transition phase where it’s still producing extra oil (because it’s used to being stripped) or still feeling tight (because it’s repairing). Give it time. We’re talking 2-4 weeks for your skin to realize you’re not attacking it anymore. Be patient. Your skin didn’t get messed up overnight, and it won’t fix itself overnight either.
In the meantime, baby your skin. Use a good moisturizer, skip the harsh actives for a bit, and let your barrier rebuild itself. Think of it like physical therapy for your face.
The Bottom Line
If you’re gonna use bar soap, opt for one that’s pH-balanced. Anything about 6.5 spells bad news for skin.
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
