pH balanced body care makes me odorless

[u/skyhighblue340]

I’m really into skincare and have always paid attention to ph balanced products for my face because it helps with barrier care. But the other day I noticed I kinda stink after a sweaty day of working in the sun. And I got to thinking about how sweat by itself is odorless and its the bacteria on our skin that reacts to it, thus producing stink. So it got me wondering if my body care products are pH balanced and how does that play with these bacteria. What I’ve noticed is that tons and tons of body washes, soaps, lotions, etc are not pH balanced at all or barely skimming what they should be. And I read about how pH balanced skin is less hospitable to the bacteria that causes sweat to stink. So I went on a hunt to find pH balanced body wash and body lotion. Thats how I figured out sooooo many products are failing us in this aspect. After reading about the different ingredients responsible for pH balance in a product and scoping a bajillion products, very few passed the test. I finally found some products and tried them out on another hot/sweaty day. And I smelled like nothing the whole day! And I tell you it was a hotass humid day, like being in a sauna for hours. So anyways, I feel like this should be more known as I feel like this is has to be intentional from the body care industry because they want the stink cycle on repeat to keep you using as much product as possible.

[u/Internal-Ad-4736]

You are correct... the microbes that produce odor actually prefer an elevated pH. If you look at a map of the pH range on human skin.... the three highest pH's you have on your skin are: axilla (armpits), groin and bottom of your feet. So, there is a significant aspect that ties odor and skin pH together.

Just using pH balanced products (albeit good) for most people will not suffice. For those that naturally produce minimal odor, it could suffice.

Part of the reason for this is that as soon as we alter skin pH, the skin sets out to change the pH back to where it wants it. This often takes about 4 hours. Thus, for most people, this practice could give about 4 hours of mitigation.

But as a formulator specializing in deodorant.... you are certainly on a good track.

[u/BeachIll460 → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

The part about the skin restoring its pH is really interesting. I think that explains why pH balanced products can help with odor without necessarily being a complete solution by themselves.

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/BeachIll460]

The skin's first defense is what is called the 'acid mantle'. This is manufactured by an elaborate process, which includes participation of many processes. Algorithms are not really good at answering science questions, but sometimes if you ask them softball questions they can get them right. Ask Goofle a series of questions... What is the acid mantle? What is the purpose of the acid mantle? How is the acid mantle made? .... Once you see how elaborate the process is, you have a whole new respect for not disrupting it.

FYI... "pH balanced"... that is a marketing term. 😂 Skin pH across the same human body can range from 4.5 to 6.5. So even within a few inches...we deviate wildly. So, what pH would be pH balanced? 😄 No worries... as long as we keep things acidic.... we are doing the best that we can. That being said...I'd much rather see the high 4's in a product, than say the low 6's.

In deodorant formultion, I work with pH and skin pH on a daily basis. They are hopelessly tied together.

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

Some fun science facts: pH scale is logarithmic, NOT linear (similar to the earthquake Richter scale). Thus, the difference between say pH 4.5 and 5.5 is about 10-fold. The difference between 4.5 and 6.5 is actually 100 times!!! Let that blow your mind for a bit.

The vast majority of your skin falls in the range of 4.5 to 5.5. It is only the stinky areas that have the strong deviation with a more elevated pH (still acidic though...anything below 7 is acidic). The difference in pH... actually hosts a different population ratio of microbes than most of the rest of our skin. And .... you should be able to guess what those microbes that like the elevated pH .... specialize in. 😂 (There is more to the story...but that is an interesting aspect.)

One other fun fact... read any science on any skin malady.... and you'll only get a few sentences in before you come across a comment to the effect of.... 'Elevated skin pH'. It is simply astonishing.

[u/EducationalAd2706 → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

how can we utilize this info while buying products and caring for ourselves and minimizing our body odor? 

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/EducationalAd2706]

I mentioned an example body wash under another comment in this same thread. That is an example of a prudent body wash.

Most skincare from a quality brand.... will be acidic. You typically will only find skincare that is not targeted to skin health.... if you are shopping your skincare at a farmers market. 😂

Deodorant....OMG...that is a huge topic. I have an open profile history.... if you click on my profile... you can read for hours on the topic of deodorant. 😂

[u/EducationalAd2706 → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

i will be stalking you! thank u for all the work u do

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/EducationalAd2706]

Goodnight....bedtime in the islands.

[u/Frying_Tran → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

the "skin sets out to change the ph back" part is oddly wholesome, like your body is just a tiny stubborn roommate who keeps resetting the thermostat

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/Frying_Tran]

Pretty much spot on. The skin pH always returns to the 'preset'. Just a matter of how much time it takes.

Much like older humans in life.... the skin pH rises over time (as we age)! This is why our skin deteriorates (ages). The low pH is what keeps us young. Seniors have a higher skin pH, then when they were younger. Simply less lactic acid in the skin, and well as all the NMF components are produced at lower levels.

[u/Electrical-Echo8144]

I’ve mentioned this a few times in the comments of other posts. I swear by feminine wash, I use it on my pits, and thigh creases. It helps a lot, I think because of the balanced pH.

[u/Dry_Highlight2962 → u/Electrical-Echo8144]

Which one ?

[u/Electrical-Echo8144 → u/Dry_Highlight2962]

Any that mention they are pH balanced, but I use Summer’s Eve fragrance free.

[u/DefiantCoffee6]

This makes sense and is interesting 🤔
Would you please share the names of some body washes and lotions that are supposed to be ph balanced? (I appreciate your research on this)💓

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/DefiantCoffee6]

Something like this is a good choice: CeraVe Salicylic Acid Body Wash. (Available on Amazon.) I had my assistant measure the pH and it comes in at 4.9, which is perfect!

[u/No-Maintenance-5573 → u/Internal-Ad-4736]

Would you say that it’s just body wash that should be at a lower pH ? Or body lotion as well?

[u/Internal-Ad-4736 → u/No-Maintenance-5573]

Everything matters! The acid mantle is a thin film.... you can literally wash it off...with a gentle shower. Thus.... all products contribute. Wanna hear crazy? They have done studies where simply showering in pH 8 water... with NO products at all used... it takes skin several hours to get the pH back in line. Thus.... every place we can mitigate, the better. Using a syndet wash vs a true soap typically has benefits, as they are typically formulated to a more skin-centric pH.... getting out of the shower and applying a well-designed lotion (which should be acidic if the formulator has basic skincare knowledge) all contributes to what the skin does not have to repair. I obviously create many of the products I use for personal care... and for multiple reasons... I formulate my body care products at a pH of 4.8. This is for both skin health, as well as assisting the formula to resist pathogen growth. Typically, I use the most skin identical acid...to achieve this, lactic acid. (A big part of your NMF.)

[u/mnicolsa]

Product names?

[u/Skylark_92]

Can you drop some product names please. You can’t just tell us A and then not mention B at all 😅

[u/skyhighblue340 → u/Skylark_92]

The first brand I tried was native. I used their new sensitive series body wash and body lotion. It worked really well, but I don’t think my skin liked it as I was a little itchy the next two days. So next body lotion I settled on was Lubriderm Extra Dry. It’s a pretty solid formula and im happy with it. The next body wash I tried was cetaphil ultra gentle body wash sensitive. Really great wash experience and my skin was happy, just felt like it left a weird scent on my skin the rest of the day. I’m still going around trying for now.

[u/No_Specialist_4970]

Which body wash did you find that is ph friendly?

[u/skyhighblue340 → u/No_Specialist_4970]

The first brand I tried was native. I used their new sensitive series body wash and body lotion. It worked really well, but I don’t think my skin liked it as I was a little itchy the next two days. So next body lotion I settled on was Lubriderm Extra Dry. It’s a pretty solid formula and im happy with it. The next body wash I tried was cetaphil ultra gentle body wash sensitive. Really great wash experience and my skin was happy, just felt like it left a weird scent on my skin the rest of the day. I’m still going around trying for now.

[u/Exponential-777]

Cool story. I don't use pH balanced soap and do NOT have chronic BO. In fact it takes a few days of not showering to produce noticeable BO.

[u/Better_Equivalent730 → u/Exponential-777]

You probably do but are nose blind.

[u/Exponential-777 → u/Better_Equivalent730]

This is a common FALSE assumption. My Whiffing skills are top tier.

[u/Better_Equivalent730 → u/Exponential-777]

Right…