It is known that the skin's normal pH value ranges between 4.5 to 6.5, making it weakly acidic. Many people wonder if using alkaline hand soap actually harms the skin.
To answer this question should know the skin pH value first. Each part of the human body has a different pH value.
The skin's surface is naturally weakly acidic, while gastric juice is strongly acidic, intestinal fluid is alkaline, blood is weakly alkaline, and muscle and tissue fluid are weakly alkaline as well.
With the exception of the gastrointestinal tract responsible for digestion and decomposition, most parts of the body maintain a weakly alkaline pH range of 7.3 to 7.5.
The weak acidity of the skin's surface is attributed to cell metabolites, sebaceous gland secretions, excretion of epidermal bacteria, and the attachment of uric lactic acid waste excreted through sweat.
Among these factors, sebaceous gland secretion helps maintain skin moisture, prevents dryness, and neutralizes the skin's surface pH to a weakly acidic level of approximately 5.5.
The skin becomes weakly acidic when it is healthy, has adequate sebum secretion, and possesses effective pH neutralization capabilities.
However, having weakly acidic skin doesn't mean it is healthy.
While normal weakly acidic skin helps inhibit the overgrowth of epidermal bacteria, poorly cleansed skin filled with oil, dead skin cells, bacterial waste, and sweat can harbor a significant amount of bacteria and clog pores.
This is why proper skin cleansing is necessary.
The most commonly used cleansing product is "soap." But soap is alkaline and some may argue that alkalinity disrupts the skin's weak acidity. Can we eliminate the alkaline aspect? Or perhaps there is weakly acidic soap available?
To understand the concept, we need to clarify what "soap" is. Chemically speaking, soap is the "higher fatty acid."
The saponification reaction involves the hydrolysis of "oil + alkali," resulting in the formation of "fatty acid + glycerol."
Hence, without alkali, there would be no soap. Soap, as a substance, is weakly alkaline, so there is no such thing as weakly acidic soap.
Soap and lye go hand in hand; without lye, there is no soap.
However, in order for soap to be usable, the soap-making process removes the excess alkali, reducing the pH value of the soap to 9 or lower, making it weakly alkaline.
This level of weak alkalinity allows the skin to naturally readjust within two to three hours.
The alkalinity of soap is something the skin can balance on its own.
In reality, the ultimate purpose of any cleaning product is to cleanse. What matters is whether it can effectively clean the skin in a gentle manner without burdening the body.
Pure natural handmade soap can be used to wash the face. It is important to consider individual skin types, seasons, and climates when choosing a soap.
Pure natural handmade soap doesn't contain artificial chemicals, and once it comes into contact with water, it neutralizes and decomposes completely within twenty-four hours.
