The Power of Hydrogen (pH) in COMPEL

As formulators of COMPEL, we talk a LOT about moisturizers.  Maybe it’s because we’re accustomed to dry winters here in the Midwest, or maybe we’re particularly sensitive to hand sanitizers and all the necessary handwashing.  What it really comes down to is the health of our skin.  As we chose ingredients for COMPEL, we selected natural products, clearing each of them with the FDA.  We searched multiple cosmetic databases to ensure that ingredients were tested extensively and had a clean history of safety.

While conducting all that research, I discovered something about antiseptic and cosmetic skin products that is often overlooked:  The pH level.  pH stands for potential (or power of) hydrogen in an aqueous solution and ranges on a scale of 1 to 14.  On the scale, 1-6 is acidic and 8-14 is alkaline or basic.  Seven is considered neutral.  The skin’s ideal pH is slightly acidic or between 4.5 and 5.5.  This acidity helps the skin to combat free radicals that lead to aging along with dangerous microbes that can cause infection.

The products we use on our skin, such as detergents and cosmetics, the environment, such as air pollution and sun exposure, even antibacterial cleansers like soaps and hand sanitizers have a notable impact on the skin’s pH level.  While most of us aren’t going to keep those paper strips handy to test throughout the day, there are some signs that may be observed to be about to guess what your skin is trying to tell you.  With balanced pH levels, skin is soft and moisturized. If pH begins to become more alkaline, you’ll notice redness, irritation, dry spots and acne.

You can visit a dermatologist for specific pH level concerns.  For maintaining balanced pH on your own, dermatologists recommend the following:

• Use a gentle cleanser. Alkaline-based cleansers may cause irritation with healthy skin but help with eczema and psoriasis.  More acidic cleansers can help clear up acne.
• Consider a toner or astringent to neutralize alkaline levels. Astringents are helpful to cleanse, tighten pores and dry out oily skin types.  Toners are preferred for dry, sensitive or combination skin.
• Determine whether your skin will benefit more from oils and serums or lotions and creams.
• Exfoliation removes dead skin cells.  Chemical peels, microdermabrasion products and scrubs should be used no more than once per week.

We pay close attention to COMPEL’s pH levels due of the impact on our skin.   At a 6 on the scale, the slight acidity of COMPEL helps skin to fight dangerous microbes and free radicals while moisturizers keep skin from drying out.  The care we’ve taken translates over to surfaces as well, making it safe to apply to even sensitive textiles like vinyl and leather.  

Rest assured that as we formulated COMPEL, we dotted all the i’s, crossed all the t’s and even capitalized all the h’s to make sure our solution is as safe as it is effective.