Get Some pH Balance in Your Life

 

 

First thing is first, pH stands for "potential hydrogen" and is used to measure the acidity of basicity of a product that contains water.

When I teach the pH scale during our chemistry portion, I always get slacked jaws and eyes drifting shut. I'll be honest, if you were to pull out a chemistry test I would, run away with my tail tucked between my legs! It's once you get past the "not knowing/ not understanding" part and relate it back to things you already know...that's when it starts to make sense and gets enjoyable. 

So I always tell this story:

The pH scale represents highschool and ranges from 0 to 14.
People that are "0" which mean that they have no friends, and they are bitter (like an acidic product). (Then I go on into polarity where I say for them to feel better they need to (+) friends.) Whereas, a person that has "14" best friends may have too many fairweather friends that they don't have the time or means to maintain so they might go a little crazy too. (They need to (-) friends.)
And those magical "7"s are juuuusssttt right! Not too little and not too many

Too much of on one side of the scale is a problem...think of it this way...you leave a really low pH chemical peel on your skin, you will experience irritation and sensitivities. You put something with a high pH like..let's say...lye on your skin, this too will cause extreme irritation and sensitivities. So pretty much, my point is that the goal of your skin care regimen should be to find a balance and maintain your skin's pH/health.

Our skin has a pH of 4.5-5.5 and is slightly acidic due to our acid mantle. The acid mantle consists of  our sebum (oil) and other fatty materials and is used to protect our skin. So when people remove all of the oil from their skin, essentially this is a poor move because this eliminates some of our skin's protection factor. A regular bar of soap has such a high pH that it can actually dry your skin and cause your skin to lose moisture. In return, your skin sends a signal to your brain ,"help!" and the brain signals for the skin to produce even MORE oil to compensate. That's why those of you who have oily skin types that wash their face a lot, actually seem to make the problem worse! With that being said, the cleansers that we use are generally on a more alkaline scale, this is used to help neutralize some of the oils and acidity and remove dirt and debris. This is perfectly fine as long as you aren't using too much.  That's why it's really important to use a toner or other products within your regimen to achieve balance.  So moral of this paragraph : STAY AWAY FROM REGULAR BAR SOAP! If you're dry, this could be your culprit and if you're oily, it can make you even more so.


Another thing that consumers don't really consider is when they "cherry pick" their favorite skin care products. A rule of thumb is to usually use the same brand of products of a regimen for at least a month to test it's efficacy. Sure, you may like certain products in other lines BUT you have to take into consideration that all of the products in professional lines are tested and pH balanced with one another. This is ideal when looking for results in skincare, especially if you have challenged skin like acne.

pH is also important when you are looking into AHA's and BHA's or receiving chemical peel like results! Whether you are looking at products are talking to your esthetician about your next treatment, pH plays a part. For example, over the counter skin care products that have AHA's/BHA's usually contain about 15% where as professional products that you can use at home usually have 11-15%. In your head you may think that you are getting the better deal with OTC, however the percentage of these are ingredients only tell you how MUCH of the ingredient it contains. The pH of the product will tell you how effective or "deep" the ingredient will penetrate. OTC usually have a pH of 3+ whereas, estheticians can use a lower pH. And as we visited in my other post, All Acids Aren't Your Friend, these ingredients work better at a lower pH to give to you benefits whether you have acneic, dry, or aging skin!

So whether you are a nerd or not, this little piece of chemistry advice can help you tweek your regimen and can even give you some health benefits ( drinking pH water can help balance your internal pH and therefore help you fight diseases!). To test your pH and the pH of your products look for pH testing kits usually found in the area of your grocery store in the water aisle or online! Maybe there will be another post on pH balancing your body but until then...remember, balance is key!

All Acids Aren't Your Friend

So as I was mentioning in the skincare regimen post,  the use of AHA's and BHA's ingredients as a part of the exfoliation process. As an instructor, I've been a witness to many courageous students (and their even more courageous partners) test out chemical peels...sometimes against my wishes and knowledge. Because of what I know and experience, I understand that different acids are going to benefit different skin types/conditions. Sometimes, it takes seeing to believe. I've seen scarring, I've seen hyperpigmentation (excess melanin which darkens the skin), and even hypopigmentation (lack of melanin which actually means loss of color) all because of choosing the wrong acid.  So there are a couple of things to think about when choosing an acid for a professional treatment and even for your take home recommendations.

Buzzworthy AHA's and BHA

The most common AHA's are glycolic and lactic and BHA is salicylic. These ingredients are very similar in that they are used to eat the protein or "glue" that holds skin cells together. They stimulate cell turnover/encourage cell reproduction, which means that they can kick start the production of elastin and collagen and "thicken" the skin. However, all three are going to be best utilized by different skin types and their challenges.

Glycolic is derived from sugar cane and in some instances, unripe grapes. It has the smallest molecule which allows it to penetrate the deepest. The benefit is that it can reach the damaged cells that deeper down in the layers. So this would be great for scars, stretchmarks, acneic/oily skin. The downside is that it is the least controllable. It's like the earring that falls in the couch cracks vs. the shoe that falls into the couch cracks. The earring will get deeper into the crevices because it can get past many layers. So glycolic penetrates deeper which could actually cause inflammation (which when experienced in extended amounts of time causes free radicals) and trauma to the skin. That being said, people that fall in the Type 5 of the Fitzpatrick Scale could be vulnerable to hyperpigmentation.

Lactic is also an AHA but has the largest molecule. So lactic is kind of like the shoe, only getting so far within the skin. So sensitive skin types and higher Fitzpatricks would be good candidates for this acid. Lactic also lightens and brightens the skin and binds moisture to the surface- dry, prematurely aging, and aging skin CHECK! Remember Cleopatra and her milk baths? Yeah, that's because lactic comes from sour milk products. So her skin stayed silky smooth and healthy!

Salicylic is a BHA and is oil-loving. It's also a component in aspirin. So if you have allergies or sensitivities to aspirin then that could cause a problem. Salicylic helps regulate oil production, neutralize bacteria, and treat acne in turn. Salicylic's molecule is larger than glycolic and smaller than lactic, putting it right in the middle!

The Fitzpatrick Scale

A lot of you might be wondering about this Fitzpatrick Scale I keep referring to. Well this is a way of measuring how UV rays affect your skin and your sensitivities.

If you are Level One on the Fitzpatrick Scale then your body doesn't respond as quickly with the production of melanin to protect your skin as quickly as a higher level. Level Five and up are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation because their body responds quicker and produces melanin for UV protection. Higher levels have a higher melanin count to create the pigment of their skin tone.

This graph shows the levels and the characteristics that describe the effects. Common Nationalities describe the possible geography of which clients are from or possibly their ancestry was from. It's been said that Fitzpatrick level can be influenced by your relatives and where they came from. This isn't to say that the darker the skin tone, the higher Fitzpatrick you are. You could be African American and still burn, it would be based on how your skin reacts when out in the sun. And you could be as pale as I am, but still be a Level Three because you tan quickly rather than burn! Just take the test here to see what level you are.

Back to peels...

Since higher Fitzpatricks are more prone to hyperpigmentation, glycolic acids at a high percentage could cause this to occur. The best candidates for these types of peels would be low Fitzpatricks, higher Fitzpatricks are going to have a better result with lactic. And since lower levels don't have as much protection it's going to be very very VERY important to use sun protection, especially if you are using products with AHA's in them.

Knowing your skin means smart decisions in skin care...so get to it!

Is Your Skin Care Regimen the Problem? Part Dos

I know we've all been on pins and needles...but no worries!

So about exfoliants-

These little boogers, if not used correctly, can cause some damage. There are two types of exfoliating ingredients- chemical and physical. Let me just make a note by saying that people LOVE their exfoliants, so much so that they use them every day. This is a problem. The most commonly used exfoliant used is a the physical scrub...to be specific it's a "fruit seed scrub" (name was concealed for those who might inbox me hate mail should I specifically name it) . (Using any type of product where you can physically feel scrubbing is considered a physical exfoliant) You are only meant to use a physical exfoliant one to two times a week. So you could be doing damage to your skin if you are overdoing it. Using it more than the designated time could compromise your barrier and allow dirt and debris to penetrate deeper AND allow moisture to escape PLUS cause sensitivities. Even then, I would only use a physical exfoliant if you are normal to oily skin. Dry skin could handle it but too dry could allow micro-incisions to worsen and take longer to heal. For oily skin types chemical exfoliants are fine but I would steer more towards a salicylic acid because it's a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) and therefore is OIL-LOVING, meaning it's attracted to oil.

If you're a dry or sensitive skin type, chemical exfoliation might be more your style. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are considered chemical exfoliants because they dissolve the glue that holds keratin (aka skin cells)  together. Once they are dissolved then skin cells can slough off. AHAs are WATER-LOVING meaning that they attract water and one of the common AHAs, lactic acid actually helps bind moisture to the skin. I can go on and on about these acids but I think that's going to be saved for another post.

Another alternative would be enzymes. Enzymes found in papaya and pineapple, for example, will actually "eat" superficial dead skin cells. This is going to be the best for sensitive skin types and for those who are contraindicated to other types of exfoliants.

Masks..dun dun dunnnnn!

These are the products most associated to your beauty and skin care regimens. When you see a chick flick, what's the most common night ritual you see them have? A bright green mask with cucumbers over their eyes. Ultimately, masks are customizable as well but you definately want to choose which one you use based on your skin type and possible challenges you might have. Clay and mud masks are setting masks. They dry and when you smile it cracks. This is what all setting masks do. Clay and mud masks are for detoxifying the skin and pulling out impurities from the skin. That being said, oily and acneic skin would benefit more from these types of masks. Non-setting masks are masks that do not harden and stay moist. These have different ingredients but are usually meant for my dry, aging, and prematurely aging skin because they are the types that need more moisture/hydration delivered into the skin. And what were the cucumbers for? They have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce puffy eyes and are very soothing.

This is looking more and more like it's going to have to be a trilogy post...oh well! The last three products coming up next!