Your Skin and PH levels

The Acid Mantle

The acid mantle is a sebaceous gland /oil/ and sweat glands /sweat/ production, which forms Natural Barrier to keep our skin at the correct pH.


The acid mantle act as a barrier to environmental pathogens and irritants as well preventing water loss from the inside. The pH range of our skin is 4.5-5.
Beauty products are formulated to be in the similar range like our skin so as of mild acidity pH 4.6-5, to help skin to look good and feel its best. The anti-aging products have formulation in lower pH range around 3-3.5. The lower pH of these products causes dead skin to be removed better and thus making your skin look younger with less wrinkles.
Maintaining this thin layer of acid mantle helps the skin remain healthier and free of  blemishes.

The pH Scale

Most of my clients associate a higher percentage  with its strength and its ability to clear skin. They forget the pH is what matters. My client stated: she is using 30% glycolic acid  every 10 days not knowing what is the pH. The pH is a measure for acidity and Alkalinity of the solution. The pH number represents the relationship between the Acid and Alkalinity /Basic/. As the chart above illustrates the higher the acidity the lower the pH, inversely the higher the alkalinity the higher the pH. When the two (acidity and alkalinity) are combined the solution can become neutral. Clearly a facial product that is neutral will be of no help to your skin. This is why the pH is important!
Doctors are able to perform medical peels that have  50%- 70% and resulting in pH levels as low as 1.7pH. Such a procedure results in a deep peel and would take the skin to recover and is not for everyone. In a spa a peel solution should be around a pH 3.0 and a percentage of 20-30%.

Acids and your skin
Different acids target different problems in the skin. Thus knowing the acid make up of products is critical to helping you solve your skin problems. Glycolic acid is the most popular because of its smaller molecular size and ability to penetrate deeper in epidermal layer. Very often formulations include a combination of two different acids. Salicylic acid is often use alone or combine with glycolic to treat acne. For hyperpigmentation (brown spots from sun damage) include kojic acid and Vit C or retinoic acid. A common favorite of anti-aging products is a combination of glycolic + lactic acid.

Age and your skin
As you get older your skin cells take longer to recover. This results that your skin can become dull, dry and having wrinkles. "The skin cell turn over rate for a client age 16-20 is, on average, 14 days. For every year a person ages beyond 20, it increases by one day per year. At age 30, it takes an average of 24 days for cells to turn over and reveal younger, healthier skin. At age 40 it takes 34 days and, at 50, well over a month at 44 days." (Linker, Elaine. How pH affects the formulation of a product, pg. 70. Skin Inc. October 2012) Acid treatments help clean the skin and make your skin look healthier and younger.
Talk to your esthetician about the right treatment for your skin.

PALM OIL – Skin Care Uses

Palm oil is a type of oil and edible vegetable derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the palm fruit; while palm kernel oil is derived from the seed
palm. Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because it contains a high amount of beta-carotene.

In late March and April of 2011, I had the chance to visit the country of Ghana, and tour a palm oil plantation. During this visit, I was able to see how palm fruit was harvested, how the oil was made and to discuss the use of this oil locally and abroad.

In the United States, we use or eat palm oil frequently, even though we may not realize it. It is found in many common food and cosmetics products. Palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil are three of the few highly saturated vegetable fats. Palm oil is semi-solid at room temperatures.
When trying to determine if palm oil in in your beauty product or food, look for ingredients such as palmalite and palmalite acid, or the derivative of palm oil, which is called stearic acid.

Health Benefits
- Palm oil is the largest natural source of tocotrienol, part of the vitamin E family. Palm oil is also high in vitamin K, carotenoids and dietary magnesium
- Red palm oil is known to be healthier than refined (discolored) palm oil
- Palm oil can be applied to wounds, just like iodine tincture, to aid the healing process
- Palm oil can be applied onto skin to aid in preventing stretch marks
- It’s beneficial in aiding dry skin, and helping heal dry cracked  heels
- It’s used as massage oil for the body
- Locally in Ghana, it is commonly applied to a baby’s umbilical cord to aid in the healing process
- In Ghana, it is also used as a remedy for each ache, by applying a small amount onto a feather and placing the feather into the ear.

Gertie (our guide in Ghana) demonstrating how oil is applied onto a feather and used to aid each ache. 

Dry Cracked Heels – Palm Oil Remedy
Palm oil can be used as an easy DIY remedy for dry, cracked heels.

It is not enough to pamper your hair and face, your feet also deserve your attention, and need to be soft, clean, and well taken care of. Giving a little attention to your feet at least once a week can make all the difference. During the summer months our feet need to look their best, as we showcase them while wearing fun sandals, flip flops and other revealing shoes.

In order to bring your heels and dry foot skin to proper “showcase” condition, follow this easy at home remedy:

Ingredients:

2 cups of palm oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Warm the palm oil in microwave until warm (1 minute or longer, depending on your microwave settings). Mix in lemon juice.

You can also add a couple spoons of sea salt if desired, for additional exfoliating benefits.

Rub oil into feet for a few minutes, or for as long as it’s convenient (while watching your favorite TV show or news program).

Wash off oil with water and mild soap.

An additional benefit to this DIY foot treatment is that it will also benefit the skin on your hands and your cuticles.

Benefits of Everyday Use

During our visit to the palm oil plantation and processing area, I noticed how soft and wrinkle free the skin of the workers was. Their hands were very soft, delicate and smoother than those of men half their age. This was even though the men spent most of their days in the open sun and did not use any sunscreen, hats or protective clothing.

Although it’s not a scientific determination, I would definitely predict that the every-day encounter with palm oil had a lot to do with this!



Thank you for reading!

Zofia