PH is defined as a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. Acidity or alkalinity ranges from 0-14. With scale interpretation of PH levels is as follows seven is regarded as neutral, below seven as acidic and above seven as alkaline (basic).In the cosmetic industry, the skin’s PH level is slightly acidic typically between 4.5 and 6.5 therefore when formulating always ensure that your products match the skin’s PH balance maintaining a protective barrier.
During the formulation process, you can always measure the product PH level using the PH strips, Digital PH meters -Available at Formulators Haven Shop, or colourimetric indicators. As you formulate your products, always remember your product stability and preservative effectiveness are all affected by PH levels with either positive or negative impacts on the product’s active ingredients.
Product PH Adjustments during formulation: As you formulate and measure product PH levels the PH can either be raised or lowered acids such as citric acid lower pH while bases like sodium Hydroxide raise products’ PH. Balancing and stabilizing product PH is crucial in product development to ensure safety, stability and product efficacy as extreme PH values can be irritating and harmful to the skin and hair.
Below is the recommended PH for some of the skincare products.
- Cleansers:
– Ideal pH: Slightly acidic (4.5-6.5)
– Effects: Matches skin’s natural pH, helps maintain skin barrier
– Higher pH can disrupt the skin’s acid mantle, leading to dryness or irritation
- Moisturizers:
– Ideal pH: 5.5-7.0
– Effects: Slightly acidic to neutral pH helps maintain skin hydration
– pH affects the stability and efficacy of certain ingredients like hyaluronic acid
- Exfoliants (AHAs/BHAs):
– Ideal pH: 3.0-4.0
– Effects: Lower pH increases exfoliation effectiveness
– Too low pH can cause skin irritation
- Vitamin C serums:
– Ideal pH: Below 3.5 for L-ascorbic acid
– Effects: Low pH necessary for stability and skin penetration
– Higher pH reduces effectiveness and stability
- Retinol products:
– Ideal pH: 5.5-6.0
– Effects: A slightly acidic environment enhances retinol’s stability. Always remember that pH affects the conversion of retinol to retinoic acid in the skin and therefore always put into remembrance the ideal PH levels.
- Hair care products:
– Shampoos: pH 5.0-7.0
– Conditioners: pH 3.0-6.0
– Effects: Acidic pH helps close hair cuticles, enhancing shine and manageability
- Sunscreens:
– Ideal pH: 5.0-7.0
– Effects: Neutral pH ensures the stability of UV filters
– pH affects the feel and spreadability of the product
- Acne treatments:
– Ideal pH: Varies by active ingredient (e.g., benzoyl peroxide: 3.5-4.5)
– Effects: pH influences the effectiveness and potential irritation of acne-fighting ingredients
pH and product types:
– Cleansers: Often slightly acidic to match the skin’s pH
– Exfoliating products: May have lower pH to enhance effectiveness
– Hair care: Varies depending on the product’s purpose
