Low pH Cleansers

Low pH cleansers: fresh Soy Face Cleanser, Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser, Biologique Recherche Lait U, Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk, CeraVe hydrating facial cleanser

This is the second step of the double cleanse, following the oil-based cleanser that’s used to wash away any sunscreen and makeup from the day. These water-based, low pH cleansers wash away any non-oil based product residue, dirt, and bacteria.

The outermost layer of our skin has a natural pH between about 4-6 so in order to keep it healthy, we need to be using cleansers with a pH in that same range. Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of using harsh foamy cleansers that leave our skin feeling dry and tight after a wash due to their high pH. These "acne-fighting" cleansers that most everyone has tried at some point, are actually doing some pretty awful things to your skin. They're stripping it of its natural oils and damaging its moisture barrier, causing it to overproduce sebum which leads to oily, acne prone skin - that's when you'll reach for the harsh cleanser again. See, it's a vicious cycle perpetuating acne that no one should be a part of.

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Your skin is a pretty good listener so if you give it a higher pH, it's going to temporarily raise its pH level. Bacteria thrive at the neutral pH of 7 so the lower the pH of our skin, the better off we are at fighting off that nasty bacteria. This is where low pH cleansers come to the rescue because they will keep the pH of your skin at its natural, antibacterial levels. They also prep your skin for the next step in your routine - actives. Some actives like AHAs and Vitamin C need to be at a low pH to work effectively so using a low pH cleanser gets your skin to an optimal level for those ingredients.

If you're experiencing any excess oiliness, flakiness, irritation or acne and are tempted to immediately start treating with the latest acne-fighting or exfoliating product, hold off and instead give a low pH water-based cleanser a try.  This will help treat any skin issues that are being exacerbated by harsh cleansers and will give you a better idea of your natural skin type.

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Routine StepsEmily Code