“pH ” is an acronym or abbreviation for the potential Hydrogen of a liquid. It is the degree of acidity or alkalinity in a substance and is measured on a scale from 0, (strongly acidic) to 14 (strongly alkaline). Most everything in your body that is moist has a pH including skin, hair, and water. Water has a pH of 7 and the pH of skin ranges from 4 to 5.6.
Therefore, skin that is slightly acidic and above the mentioned pH range of 4 to 5.6 helps protect the skin from the ill effects of the environment such as wind and pollutants, and also inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. If the skin loses its protective pH level or acid mantle it becomes prone to damage and infection. The loss of the acid mantle is one of the side effects of washing the skin with soaps and detergents that have a high pH.
On every pH ADVANTAGE product label*, the pH level is listed to indicate how it approximates the skin’s pH according to the function of the product. For example, the glycolic acid products have a lower pH in order for them to perform more effectively; while products like the sunscreens and sun blocks have a higher pH to insure the efficacy of protection from UVA and UVB radiation of the sun. In the product section of this website, you can find the pH of each product.