We often hear that we should respect our skin\u2019s pH, without always knowing what that means. And we imagine that the skin of the face, the body and the eye contour are completely different. The reality is more subtle, and understanding it helps to better choose one\u2019s skincare, and above all to stop overdoing it.<\/p>\n
At its surface, your skin is protected by a slightly acidic film, known as the hydrolipidic film or acid mantle. Its pH generally sits between 4.5 and 5.5, within a range from 4 to 6 depending on the person and the area. This acidity comes from sebum, sweat and the skin\u2019s own flora.<\/p>\n
This acidity is no detail. It plays three essential roles. It lets the enzymes that repair the barrier work properly. It maintains a healthy skin flora and keeps unwanted microbes at bay. And it ensures the skin\u2019s proper renewal, by helping dead cells shed correctly.<\/p>\n
When this pH rises \u2014 that is, when the skin becomes less acidic \u2014 this whole system is disrupted. The barrier weakens, the skin loses more water, it becomes more sensitive and more prone to redness.<\/p>\n
The skin of the face is acidic, like the rest. Measurements show a pH of around 4 to 5.5 on the forehead, a little more variable on the cheeks. Nothing extraordinary in itself.<\/p>\n
What changes everything is its fragility in the face of what we apply to it. A classic soap is very alkaline, with a pH around 9 or 10. After washing with soap, the skin\u2019s pH can stay disrupted for up to several hours.<\/p>\n
This is why we advise against soap on the face, and more broadly any stripping cleanser. We cleanse gently, with a product that respects the skin\u2019s pH, precisely so as not to break the acid mantle we are trying to preserve.<\/p>\n
The skin of the body is overall thicker and more resistant than that of the face. It tolerates richer textures and stronger cleansers. But its pH is not uniform everywhere. Fold areas \u2014 such as the underarms, the groin or under the breasts \u2014 are naturally more alkaline, as they are less aired and more humid. This is precisely why they are more prone to irritation.<\/p>\n
The idea to remember is simple: a product designed for the body is formulated for thicker, more tolerant skin. It has no place on the face, which is finer and more reactive.<\/p>\n
This is where the difference is clearest, and it lies not so much in pH as in the skin\u2019s structure. The skin of the eye contour is the thinnest of the body, about 0.2 millimetre. It has very few sebaceous glands, and therefore very little sebum to protect it, and almost no fatty tissue beneath.<\/p>\n
As a result, this area retains water less well, its barrier is weaker, it dehydrates and shows marks more quickly, and it reacts more easily. It is also right next to the eye, which demands perfect tolerance. This is why an eye-contour treatment is not a marketing gimmick. This skin truly needs gentle, well-tolerated textures suited to its thinness. Applying a face cream that is too rich, or an active that is too strong, risks discomfort or even puffiness.<\/p>\n
There is another, more technical reason. A formula that is too rich or too heavy, with large molecules, does not penetrate properly on such thin skin. Instead of being absorbed, it stagnates on the surface, congests and can clog the pores. This encourages the small white bumps known as milia, and as drainage is naturally weak around the eye, this accumulated weight can sustain puffiness and fluid retention. A good eye-contour treatment is designed precisely for this: light textures, suitable molecules that penetrate without overloading. It is not a pricier version of a face cream \u2014 it is a different formula.<\/p>\n
A few simple principles follow from all this. We do not wash the face with soap or shower gel: we choose a gentle, pH-respecting cleanser to preserve the acid mantle.<\/p>\n
And we favour a cleanser that rinses off with water. This is a point we often repeat. Milks, lotions, micellar waters and oils left on the skin without rinsing deposit a film and residues. A surfactant left in place increases water loss and can irritate over time, and a greasy film prevents the treatments applied afterwards from penetrating and being truly useful. The skin, meanwhile, has not been cleansed in depth, merely coated. Micellar water is handy on the go, but ideally it should be rinsed off. A cleansing oil is useful for removing make-up, provided it is then rinsed or followed by a cleanser that rinses off. The rule is simple: cleanse, then rinse \u2014 do not leave a film on the face.<\/p>\n
We do not transpose a body product onto the face, or the reverse: the needs and the resilience are not the same. We reserve for the eye contour products designed for it, gentle and well tolerated, rather than spreading there what we use on the rest of the face. And in general, we avoid anything stripping: the best way to respect your skin\u2019s pH is still not to assault it.<\/p>\n
To know precisely what your skin needs, area by area, a Skin Diagnosis<\/a> is the best starting point; the Cosmetic Coaching<\/a> at Maison Androm\u00e8de, in G\u00e9nissac near Libourne, then helps you choose the right gentle cleansers and treatments suited to each area.<\/p>\n Toute votre peau partage un m\u00eame manteau acide, pr\u00e9cieux pour sa barri\u00e8re et sa d\u00e9fense. Les diff\u00e9rences entre le visage, le corps et le contour de l’\u0153il tiennent surtout \u00e0 l’\u00e9paisseur de la peau, \u00e0 la quantit\u00e9 de s\u00e9bum et \u00e0 la fragilit\u00e9 de chaque zone. C’est ce qui justifie des soins adapt\u00e9s, et non un m\u00eame produit partout. Respecter le pH de sa peau, ce n’est pas acheter plus, c’est choisir juste et ne pas la d\u00e9caper.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On entend souvent qu’il faut respecter le pH de sa peau, sans toujours savoir ce que \u00e7a veut dire. Et on imagine que la peau du visage, celle du corps et celle du contour de l’\u0153il sont totalement diff\u00e9rentes. La r\u00e9alit\u00e9 est plus subtile, et comprendre cela aide \u00e0 mieux choisir ses soins, et surtout…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"pH de la peau : visage, corps et contour des yeux","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Le pH de la peau, son acidit\u00e9 protectrice, et pourquoi le visage, le corps et le contour de l'\u0153il n'ont pas les m\u00eames besoins. Explications simples et fond\u00e9es.","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soins-spa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKey takeaway<\/h2>\n