Alkaline cosmetics
Alkaline Skin Care
Alkaline cosmetics are not a new discovery. The Ancient Egyptians had already embraced the idea of alkaline cosmetic treatments by bathing in soda lakes; they had discovered that the special water quality had a regenerating effect on the skin. Hundreds of years later in our great grandmothers´ time, alkaline cosmetics had a role to play. Soft soaps with a high pH and curd cheese compresses were proven home remedies with many applications.
Alkaline skin care and alkaline cosmetics: So that our skin feels good
In the 1950´s, in spite of this knowledge, the cosmetic industry began to produce acidic cosmetics. This was partly due to the newly developed chemical emulsifiers meaning formulations in an acid environment were easy to produce. So what does „alkaline cosmetic“ mean? And what does „acidic“ mean? An alkaline fluid has a pH value between 7.0 -14.0 anything lower is called „acidic“. Interestingly the natural fluids in our body are almost always alkaline. For example the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn child has an alkaline pH of 8.0-8.5, human blood pH 7.35-7.45, our tears pH 7.35, our saliva pH 7.5. Unfortunately fungi and other pathogens love an acidic environment. This means that modern skin care with a characteristically low pH doesn´t really make sense.
What happens when the body is hyper acidic?
Our body usually reacts to hyperacidity quickly. If our blood pH were to sink below 7.2, we could die. In order to avoid this, our physiology has evolved an emergency plan. Should hyperacidity occur, the superfluous acid is stored for the interim in the connective tissue, which in the worst case can cause the connective tissue to go slack. Depending on the circumstances, the result could be stretch marks or even the notorious cellulitis.
How can alkaline cosmetics help?
In order to prevent hyperacidity and other unpleasant side-effects, experts recommend an alkaline cosmetic that can tighten the skins tissue. Eventually alkaline cosmetics can help the skin to eliminate contaminants and acids via sweat and sebaceous glands. The so called „acid mantle“ is considered today to be a misinterpretation of medical facts. Since our body continually tries to eliminate acids via the skin before they can be stored, it was believed that an acidic mantle was a natural protection. In the meantime specialists have recognised this error as the acidic mantle is not found in new-borns and babies. The acid mantle consists mainly of deposits of excreted toxins and acids. If we then use acidic cosmetics, we prevent the skin from effectively excreting and eliminating acids. The result: the skin becomes stressed, irritated and over sensitive – the start of a vicious circle. Alkaline cosmetics on the other hand calm stressed skin and help regeneration. An alkaline skin care routine including for example a shower gel with a high pH is also a real kindness to the skin.
Alkaline skin care and cosmetics: For the good of our skin
If you want to do something good for your skin, and if you have one of the skin conditions we have mentioned, you should avoid the acidic products in the cosmetic store and instead look for lotions, creams and shower gels with a high pH value. Alkaline cosmetics can calm stressed skin and alkaline skin care can help to firm slack connective tissue. In the end it is not a coincidence that our own body fluids generally have a high pH value: Mother Nature knows that excess acidity can harm the human organism.
Optimally developed alkaline cosmetics can be recognised in that the INCI ingredients list contains no Sodium, Potassium, -amine or acid.