pH is an important factor in a skin care product and also in how our skin responds to products and behaves in general.

pH stands for 'potential hydrogen' and measures the acid-alkaline ratio of something (skin, a product, water, etc). 0 is the most acidic, and 14 is the most alkaline. Our skin's acid mantle is considered the barrier protecting us from toxins such as pollution, germs, bacteria, etc. and locking in things we need like lipids and natural water levels. Acid mantle is essentially made up of our natural lipids and amino and lactic acids.

pH is only possible to measure on water based ingredients (or a combination of). So lipid based products (skin quench, face balm as examples) are 100% lipid based, therefore have no pH. pH of less than 7 is acidic. pH above 7 is called 'basic' or alkaline. 7 is considered a neutral pH.

Skin that is too alkaline can be dry, irritated, and feel fragile. As a result this can break down its ability to support cell renewal and break down collagen production, resulting in wrinkles and lines. Skin that is too acidic can break out, as pimples are comfortable in more acidic environments. Overly acidic skin will also feel very sensitive to the touch and redness is common. So finding that balance is important. In fact skin at a pH of about 5.5 will look plump and look glowing. (Think skoah-glow-ah).