Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1481047
New member benefit! Get the ASCP SkinPro app at ascpskincare.com/skinpro 73 TREATING pH IMBALANCE A proper course of treatment for pH imbalance can vary from person to person, depending on the concerns each person's skin displays. The following are general outlines for types of products and usage. • Cleansers: Wash with gentle yet thorough cleansers. Natural (saponified) soaps have pH values around 9.5–10.5 by nature, and a single washing with a bar of soap tends to increase the pH from the normal range of 5–5.5 to 7.5. Tap water for washing can increase skin pH and has a disrupting effect on skin barrier function. Another factor is poor rinsing, which, in combination with high pH, may also increase the irritation potential of a product. 13 It is for these reasons that you should always use a mild cleanser that rinses off thoroughly. • Toners: You can use a facial treatment to educate your clients on the use of toners and astringents and their importance in restoring the pH balance and skin barrier. A toner can help neutralize any remaining alkalinity to help restore skin to its optimal pH level. The more fragile, sensitive, or compromised the skin, the gentler the toner should be. • Masks: These should not only contain ingredients to address your client's skin concern—from antiaging peptides to hydrating seaweed filtrate— but should also provide a barrier to allow skin to self-correct pH deficiencies. • Exfoliation and peels: Mild alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and beta hydroxy acid (BHA) peels can be highly beneficial to the skin, but you should monitor them closely so your client's skin is not overly aggressed and so you can administer proper post-peel treatment to restore the proper pH levels. Enzymatic peels, which work differently from acid peels, can be less aggressive to sensitive skin types, but also need to be monitored for correct and thorough removal at the proper time. • Serums: Serums preceding moisturizers assist in restoring the skin barrier. This stage of treatment can provide ingredients that help restore the healthy biome of the skin before applying a moisturizing layer. • Moisturizer: A moisturizing cream provides hydrating ingredients and can be instrumental in restoring the skin barrier with ingredients such as seaweed, mastic water, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide/vitamin B3, and camellia japonica seed oil. Maintaining healthy skin requires education on skin biology and chemistry. Learning about factors that affect the pH of the skin and the natural moisture barrier is key in creating successful protocols to help your clients see results in their treatments and at-home skin care. Notes 1. S.H. Youn et al., "The Skin Surface pH and Its Different Influence on the Development of Acne Lesion According to Gender and Age, Skin Research and Technology, 19, no. 2 (May 2013): 131–6, www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23279122. 2. W. Philip Werschler et al., "Enhanced Efficacy of a Facial Hydrating Serum in Subjects with Normal or Self-Perceived Dry Skin," The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 4, no. 2 (February 2011): 51–5, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3050617. 3. Adele Sparavigna, "Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Skin Aging and Dedicated Treatment—State of the Art," Plastic and Aesthetic Research 7, no. 14 (2020), www.parjournal.net/article/view/3396. 4. James Del Rosso et al., "Understanding the Epidermal Barrier in Healthy and Compromised Skin: Clinically Relevant Information for the Dermatology Practitioner," The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 9, 4 Supplement 1 (April 2016): S2– S8, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5608132. 5. Milica Lukić, Ivana Pantelić, and Snezana D. Savić, "Towards Optimal pH of the Skin and Topical Formulations: From the Current State of the Art to Tailored Products," Cosmetics 8, no. 3 (August 2021): 69, www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/8/3/69. 6. Milica Lukić, "Towards Optimal pH of the Skin and Topical Formulations: From the Current State of the Art to Tailored Products." 7. MedlinePlus.com, "FLG Gene," accessed August 2022, www.medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/flg. 8. Lydia Sarfati, The Book of Skincare Science & Protocols, 8th ed. (Sarkli-Repêchage, Ltd., 2022). 9. Saba M. Ali and Gil Yosipovitch, "Skin pH: From Basic Science to Basic Skin Care," Acta Dermato-Venereologica 93, no. 3 (May 2013): 2617, www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content_files/files/pdf/93/3/3854.pdf. 10. Milica Lukić, Ivana Pantelić, and Snezana D. Savić, "Towards Optimal pH of the Skin and Topical Formulations: From the Current State of the Art to Tailored Products." 11. Lydia Sarfati, The Book of Skincare Science & Protocols. 12. Se-Kwon Kim, "Marine Cosmeceuticals," Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 13, no. 1 (March 2014): 56–67, https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12057. 13. Milica Lukić, Ivana Pantelić, and Snezana D. Savić, "Towards Optimal pH of the Skin and Topical Formulations: From the Current State of the Art to Tailored Products."