You want the secret to eliminating acne and decreasing skin sensitivity? The answer: it’s all about how you treat your moisture barrier. Today I’m starting a series all about the moisture barrier and what we can do to improve it, in turn, helping to eliminate acne and decrease sensitivity.

What is the moisture barrier?

The outer most layer of the skin is the protective layer, also known as the moisture barrier. It is made up of cells which are continuously shed and replaced and acts as a waterproof barrier that keeps water in the skin. It also keeps bacteria, irritants, and allergens from penetrating the skin. 

When our moisture barrier is damaged we are susceptible to dryness, redness, flakiness, irritation, stinging, redness, and acne. A damaged moisture barrier may also over produce oil to try to repair itself. The moisture barrier can be damaged by over exfoliating, over cleansing, getting sunburned, or using skincare products with a pH that is too high. 

Why is the ph important?

Our moisture barrier has an acidic pH which ranges from 4.0-6.0. This low ph stops the growth of harmful bacteria and keeps our moisture barrier strong. When we use products with a high pH we are disrupting that. When we compromise our moisture barrier our skin becomes prone to infection, acne, roughness, flaking, irritation, and dehydration. 

The biggest culprit that compromises our low ph and disrupts our moisture barrier? A high pH cleanser! Our skin will feel it’s best when we use a cleaner with a pH of 6.0 or less. Hate to break it to you, but most rich, lathery, foamy facial cleansers have a pH of 8.0 or higher. I personally damaged my moisture barrier with overuse of a facial cleansing brush and have also caused harm by using too many new, strong acids in the same week. I have also heard a lot about people using baking soda as a facial scrub which makes me cringe. All of these examples are ways that you could be opening your skin up for some nasty infections.

My Picks for Low pH Cleansers

Hopefully you are still awake after reading all of that because now we are on to the good stuff. I think it’s important to understand why someone is recommending a product for you rather than it just being something they liked. So – here are 6 facial cleansers that I have personally used and love. I hope this helps you find one you like!

• Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser (My holy grail facial cleanser!) – pH 4.5-5.0 
• Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser – pH 5.0
• Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser – pH 5.5
• Hada Labo Hydrating Facial Cleanser  – pH 5.5
• Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser – pH 5.0
• Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser – pH 5.5

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Today I want to talk about acids! I know, it sounds scary and like I’m telling you you need to put chemicals all over your face. But, there are tons of benefits to using chemical exfoliants including clearing your pores, preventing acne and wrinkles, and keeping your skin smooth. So much better than the awful face scrubs on drugstore shelves! (Please don’t use a scrub on your face!)

First off – What is a chemical exfoliant? Chemical exfoliators are gentle acids that exfoliate your skin by deep cleaning your pores. They loosen and get rid of all the gunk hiding in your skin. They also help to keep acne away and smooth lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production.

The three acids I like to use in my skincare routine are AHA, BHA, and Vitamin C. AHA refers to Alpha Hydroxy Acid, BHA is Beta Hydroxy Acid, and Vitamin C typically refers to types of Ascorbic Acids. AHA’s are great for getting rid of acne and clogged pores you see on top of your skin, BHA’s clean deep in the pores to smooth the texture of your skin, and Vitamin C is great for brightening and anti-aging.

The first thing to remember when adding acids to your skincare routine is that they must be at the right PH in order to work. BHA and Vitamin C work best at a PH of 3.5 and below. AHA works at a PH of 4 and below. You want to use them in order of lowest PH to highest. I like to use Vitamin C in my morning routine and BHA and AHA at night. It is also helpful to use a PH adjusting toner to prep the skin and get it to the optimal PH before applying acids.

When starting out adding acids to your skincare routine you need to go slow. Add one acid at a time and give it two weeks to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions before adding another. You don’t want to damage your moisture barrier! Sometimes when I try out a new acid if I notice it is too strong I will layer it over a moisturizing toner or serum for a few days until my skin adjusts. Eventually I build up my tolerance to be able to use a PH adjusting toner before applying my acids so I get the maximum benefits.

My Favorite Acids

AHA: Mizon AHA 8% Peeling Serum, Drunk Elephant Babyfacial

BHA: Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting BHA, Cosrx 2 in 1 Poreless Power Liquid (more gentle option)

Combo: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos AHA/BHA

Vitamin C: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, Sunday Riley C.E.O.

PH Adjusting Toner: Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

One note – If you are pregnant you shouldn’t use any BHAs. Also, if you have sensitive skin you should go very slow. Layer your acids over a serum or moisturizer before slapping it on your bare face. Wouldn’t want anyone to damage their skin! We’re all about making our skin better here! 🙂

I hope you found some useful information here! What questions do you have about adding acids to your skincare routine?