Acidification of the Skin and Maintenance of the Physiological Skin pH Value by Buffered Skin Care Products Formulated around pH 4

Abstract

Each biological system possesses a widely unrecognized buffer system to maintain acid-base balance to a specific pH. The skin pH is crucial for physiological skin function. In aged or diseased skin, pH increase is observed and may negatively affect skin health. Skin care products with a pH that is slightly more acidic than the average normal skin pH and have an adequate buffering capacity, are considered beneficial for the skin. However, the buffer capacity of these products also plays an important role. In the present study, a possible normalization or acidification of skin surface pH and influence on skin hydration and skin barrier function was assessed via application of buffered skin care products that are formulated with pH ≤ 4.5. 48 subjects aged above 50 were treated with three different skin care products (Vitamin C Spheres, Collagen Spray, and Collagen Mask) and skin surface pH, skin hydration and barrier integrity were assessed before treatment start and after 4 weeks. The results show that after 4-week treatment with Vitamin C, the skin pH is acidified. Treatment with Collagen Spray and Collagen Mask showed maintenance of a physiological skin pH. Subgroup analysis of subjects that had a higher than average skin pH at study start demonstrated that all three tested skin care products were able to acidify the skin surface. In addition, skin hydration was also increased for two of the three tested products, whereas skin barrier is not significantly changed. This demonstrates that buffered skin care products formulated to a pH ≤ 4.5 are able to acidify and maintain physiological skin pH and may contribute to a physiological skin function.