The Importance of pH in Baby Skincare
pH is a scale that measures how acidic or basic something is. But why do we need to consider it for skincare, and how is it different in baby products to our own?
What are the basics of pH?
pH can vary from 1 - 14, with 7 being neutral, an example of this is water. The closer you get to 1 on the scale, the more acidic (think lemon juice and vinegar) and the closer to 14, the more basic (think baking soda and soap).
What About Our Skin?
You may be surprised to learn that our skin also has a pH level that is important to maintain. Our skin's pH is slightly acidic and should range from around 4.5 - 5.5 to remain healthy. A pH in this range allows our skin to retain moisture and a healthy acid mantle, which is a thin layer on the skin that keeps bacteria out.
What About Our Baby's Skin?
Infant's skin requires a slightly different pH to remain healthy, which is around 5.5 and slightly more basic than your average adult's skin. It is incredibly important to maintain this skin pH for your bub as they have very delicate and sensitive skin. When their acid mantle is disrupted, effecting their natural skin pH, it can lead to dry skin and even eczema. This can be from environmental factors such as bacteria or pollution or due to unbalanced pH skincare products that are not specifically designed for baby skin.
How Can You Keep Baby's Skin pH Balanced?
Keeping baby's skin pH balanced can be as straightforward as using the right products.
- Don't use your products (made for adult skin) on bub, use products designed for babies.
- Don't use soap e.g. soap bars. We mentioned earlier that soap is basic, with a pH of over 9 this can disrupt their acid mantle, instead opt for a surfactant based cleanser like our Bubba's Wash
- Use products with a pH of around 5.5
- Use products with natural plant oils such as Vitamin E and Borage Seed Oil
Follow up bub's bath routine with a pH balanced moisturiser (Bubba's Moisturiser) or massage oil (Bubba's Massage Oil) to keep their skin feeling super hydrated and provide that little bit of extra care for their delicate acid mantle.