Much has been written about the various ingredients of cosmetic products in the relevant literature. Most of the references, however, focus exclusively on the effectiveness of products in relation to the concentration of active ingredients. In fact, even more important than the concentration of the active ingredient is the pH or acidity level of the product.
The combination of active ingredient concentration and pH is called bioavailability. Bioavailability is a term used to describe the actual percentage of active ingredients delivered and available for exposure to the skin.
At estet-portal.com we will find out why the pH of cosmetics is as important as the concentration of active ingredients.
- Ideal pH value: for treatment and skin care products
- When a higher pH is preferred
- Why is the acidity of a product as important as the concentration of active substancesin
Ideal pH value: for treatments and skin care products
So, what is the ideal pH for a treatment product and when is a more neutral pH for a skincare product more appropriate?
In fact, many of the active ingredients known to be clinically effective in anti-aging are various acids:
- alphahydroxy acids;
- betahydroxy acids;
- ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
- retinoic acid (vitamin A derivatives).
All of these products have higher bioavailability and show greater efficacy when their pH approaches the therapeutic range of 3-4.
Creating a "micro-burn" causes an inflammatory process that contributes to the anti-aging effect of the product. For example, if two glycolic acid products are compared, each at 10% acid, one at pH 3 and one at pH 5, the product with the lower pH will be 100 times more effective.
However, it is important to remember that more is not always better, especially at first. If a patient starts using a product with an ideal therapeutic pH, it may cause significant initial skin irritation.
In fact, it is often advisable to gradually increase the bioavailability of the acid to allow the patient's skin to adjust to the more acidic environment.
Many of the more complex treatment regimens, have varying concentrations available as well as pH levels to allow the patient to adapt to increasing bioavailability. Most patients need 2-4 weeks for their skin to get used to a certain load. Therefore, redness and slight irritation at the beginning of therapy are good markers of its effectiveness.
In most cases, irritation is transient and requires only supportive care.
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When a higher pH is preferred
Firstly, not every patient can tolerate relatively acidic foods. The skin of some patients is particularly sensitive to acidic products. In these cases, there are alternatives. In particular, product categories such as peptides, cytokines, growth factors, and various moisturizers and sunscreens do not require an acidic pH to demonstrate effectiveness.
In particular, some peptides and cytokines show real promise in the field of anti-aging and can be used on even the most sensitive skin.
Of course, many mass-market products are deliberately buffered to more neutral pH values to reduce irritation and, as a result, increase sales.
The truth is that despite the higher level of acid concentration, the products have a limited therapeutic effect.
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Why the acidity of a product is as important as the concentration of active ingredients
One of the most common ingredients in skin care is alpha hydroxy acid – glycolic acid. Most products list the percentage of glycolic acid, but few will tell you the pH of the product.
Most consumers are unaware that the pH level of the final product is directly related to the effectiveness of the product.
Product with 70% glycolic acid can be as mild and harmless as water at neutral pH 7 thanks to buffers. At the same time, a relatively low concentration of 20% glycolic acid at pH 3 will be quite strong. Clearly, knowing both the concentration and the pH of the active ingredient in a product is critical to evaluating its potential effectiveness
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