How Handmade Soap Helps Maintain Your Skin’s Natural pH Balance

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Maintaining your skin’s natural pH balance is crucial for healthy, vibrant skin. Many commercial soaps contain harsh chemicals and additives that can disrupt this balance, leading to dryness, irritation, and sensitivity. In contrast, handmade soap pH balance is generally much closer to the skin’s natural levels, making it a better choice for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. In this article, we’ll explore why pH balance matters, how handmade soap supports this balance, and why choosing natural options is better for your skin.

What Is pH Balance and Why Does It Matter?

Understanding pH is the first step in caring for your skin’s health. pH refers to how acidic or alkaline a substance is, measured on a scale from 0 to 14. For reference:

• pH of healthy skin: The skin’s natural pH level typically falls between 4.5 and 5.5, slightly acidic. This acidity helps protect your skin from harmful bacteria and environmental stressors.
• The acid mantle: This protective layer is key in retaining moisture and defending against irritants.

When your skin’s pH balance is disrupted, it can become prone to issues like acne, dryness, and irritation. Maintaining this balance with the right skincare products is essential for overall skin health.

How Commercial Soaps Disrupt Your Skin’s pH

Commercial soaps often have a higher pH level, typically between 9 and 10 or higher. While they cleanse your skin, they can strip away natural oils and disrupt the skin’s acid mantle. Here’s why this happens:

• Common ingredients in commercial soap: Sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and detergents raise the soap’s pH, making it more alkaline than your skin.
• Impact of high-pH soaps: When your skin’s pH is thrown off balance, it struggles to retain moisture and may become more vulnerable to bacteria and environmental damage. This is why many people experience tightness or dryness after using conventional soap.

How Handmade Soap Helps Maintain pH Balance

One of the biggest advantages of handmade soap is that it’s crafted with natural ingredients that better align with the skin’s natural pH. The pH balance of handmade soap tends to be around 8 to 9, making it gentler and more nourishing than commercial soaps.

• Natural oils and butter: Handmade soaps often include ingredients like olive oil, shea butter, and coconut oil, which help moisturize and protect the skin without disrupting its pH balance.
• Lack of harsh chemicals: Unlike commercial soaps, handmade soaps avoid synthetic chemicals and detergents that raise the pH. Instead, they use plant-based oils and lye, resulting in a soap that cleanses without stripping the skin of its natural oils.
• Glycerin retention: Handmade soap naturally retains glycerin, a byproduct of the saponification process. Glycerin is a humectant that helps draw moisture to the skin, further supporting the skin’s ability to maintain its pH balance.

Using handmade soap, you help your skin stay within its natural pH range, preserving its protective barrier and keeping it hydrated.

The Benefits of Using pH-Balanced Handmade Soap

Switching to handmade soap can have significant benefits for your skin’s health, especially if you’ve experienced issues with commercial soaps. Here’s how using pH-balanced handmade soap can improve your skin:

• Reduced irritation: pH-balanced soap is less likely to disrupt your skin’s acid mantle, which can lead to fewer flare-ups of conditions like acne, eczema, or rosacea.
• Improved moisture retention: Handmade soap is full of natural oils and butter that help your skin lock in moisture, preventing dryness.
• Better texture and smoothness: With regular use, you’ll notice that pH-balanced handmade soap can help smooth your skin’s texture, leaving it softer and more supple.

How to Choose the Right Handmade Soap for Your Skin

Not all handmade soaps are the same, and choosing one that suits your skin type is important. Here’s how to find the perfect handmade soap for you:

• Dry Skin: Look for handmade soaps with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, or avocado oil. These ingredients are excellent at providing moisture without stripping the skin.
• Oily Skin: If you have oily skin, try soaps with activated charcoal, tea tree oil, or clay, which can help absorb excess oil while maintaining your skin’s pH balance.
• Sensitive Skin: Soaps made with gentle ingredients like chamomile, calendula, or aloe vera are great for sensitive skin, as they soothe irritation and protect the skin’s pH without causing flare-ups.

When buying handmade soap, look for products that emphasize natural, pH-friendly ingredients, and avoid those with added fragrances or synthetic colours, which can alter your skin’s balance. Check out this ultimate guide for more in-depth guidance on choosing the perfect soap for your skin type.

Conclusion

Handmade soap isn’t just a luxurious, natural alternative to commercial soap—it actively helps maintain your skin’s natural pH balance, promoting healthier, more hydrated skin. By switching to pH-balanced handmade soap, you protect your skin’s acid mantle, reduce irritation, and improve moisture retention. If you’ve been dealing with dryness or irritation from conventional soaps, now’s the time to explore the benefits of handmade soap.

Browse our collection of pH-balanced soap bars and experience the difference for yourself!