pH - Measured value for health
pH: scale of acid and base
The abbreviation pH stands for "potentia Hydrogennii". The term comes from the Latin language and can be translated as "concentration of hydrogen ions". By means of the pH value, one thus measures the content of hydrogen ions in a solution.
The scale
The scale for measuring the pH ranges from 0 to 14. The higher the value, the more basic the solution. The lower the value, the more acidic it is. If the pH value is 0, the solution is very acidic. If it is 14, it is very alkaline. At 7, the value is neutral. So far the theory.
pH in the blood
The pH of the blood is ideally at 7.4, so slightly basic. In this area, the vital metabolic processes in the body can run optimally. Because even small fluctuations can disrupt these vital processes, the body does its utmost to keep its value stable. Really an ingenious system that we have in our body.
Buffer systems for regulating the pH
For a healthy acid-base balance especially provide buffer systems, which are located for example in the blood and urine. These are usually proteins which bind the excess hydrogen ions when the pH is too acidic, or give oxonium ions to the blood if the value is too low.
Organs to balance the acid-base balance
In addition to the buffer systems, the lungs, kidneys and liver help the body to find the ideal balance of acids and bases. The lungs exhale excess carbon dioxide, which makes the body acidic. The kidneys excrete hydrogen ions when the body is acidified and also excrete the bicarbonate or bicarbonate bases through the urine when the pH is too alkaline.
Test pH yourself
Test strips for determining the pH value are available in the pharmacy without prescription. Using the test strip, you can easily find out your own pH value - with a self-administered urine sample. The best way to determine the pH value is to use the center jet because it contains the least amount of external bacteria and therefore provides the most accurate results. So first let some urine and then just keep the indicator paper in the urine.
On the test strip is a color scale ranging from light yellow (very sour) to dark blue (very basic). If the indicator paper is kept in the urine, it will discolour depending on the degree of acidity. So you can directly compare your result with the color scale. For a reliable result, you should perform the measurement at different times of the day and for several days. Leave at least two hours after meals, otherwise the result will be falsified.
Fluctuations in the pH in the urine
Normally, the urine's pH should be slightly acidic in the morning. This is a sign that the acids that the body has formed at night are also excreted in the urine. Generally, the pH should be in a curve throughout the day. This is an indication that the acid-base balance works well.
pH of the skin
The skin also has its own pH value. It is 5.5 on average and is slightly acidic. The slightly acidic pH is caused by horny cells, sweat and sebum. They contain acidic substances. The slightly acidic property of the skin is called the acid mantle. It helps to protect the skin from harmful environmental influences and to counteract infections, allergies, skin irritation and the drying out of the skin. In addition, the acid mantle acts as a natural deodorant: It ensures that bacteria that decompose the sweat and are responsible for the unpleasant body odor are kept as low as possible.
Protect the acid mantle
In order to protect the acid mantle of the skin, you should make sure that the pH of the soap does not deviate too much from the pH of the skin. Cleaning products with an extremely basic pH of 8 to 12 should never be used to cleanse the skin, as they attack the acid mantle. Even neutral soaps with a pH of 7 can already damage the acid mantle.
These products lower the pH
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These products lower the pHWhat significance does the pH have for our skin?
"A slightly acidic pH makes the hydrolipid film on the skin surface one of its most important protective mechanisms," explains cosmetologist Dr. med. Sabine Gütt, who also advises the beauty company Reviderm. Acid is acidic, and pH indicates the ratio of acids and bases in liquid solutions. The acidic environment repels negative environmental conditions - such as pathogenic germs that can cause changes in the flora, skin diseases and irritation.Therefore, the hydrolipid film was formerly called acid mantle. While a pH between 7 and 9 is considered ideal inside the body, the measured value on the skin should be much lower and well acidic. "So far, it has been assumed that the average value of healthy, functional skin on the face is at pH 5.5," Dr. Gütt. "But recent studies, including from the neurodermatitis research show that the ideal value is obviously much acidic - in the terminology acider - located at about 4.8. In this area, not only the protective mechanisms of our skin are particularly pronounced, but the epidermis also regenerates better. "If the pH is above that, more and more lipids and salts are flushed out of the skin, parallel to the increase in its value," explains Dr. med. Katrin Kipper, scientific director of Vichy. And that harms the skin for several reasons:
1. If the salts of the hydrolipid film dissolve, it becomes porous and permeable, so that environmental influences can penetrate more easily.
2. Because salts bind moisture, the skin dries up when deficient.
3. Lack of lipids, softening and smoothness of the skin. But how do you determine if everything is ok with your own pH? Unfortunately, this can only be determined by symptoms such as scaling, pimples, itching and an unpleasant skin sensation. An exact examination can only be done in the laboratory. It is now certain that the pH can change due to certain circumstances: age, gender and also skin diseases, such as: B. eczema.
What causes the pH to rise?
There are other reasons for the increase in pH. Even if all causes of the so-called pH shift of the human skin, the shift into the alkaline range, have not yet been finally clarified. "For one thing, it's up to our current lifestyle," Dr. Gütt. Instead of being in the fresh air, we spend most of our time in air-conditioned rooms, we usually only start to sweat during sports. As a result, the horny layer, the uppermost skin layer, is only moderately moisturized with the acidic secretions from the sweat glands, which weakens their acid protection.
On the other hand, a genetic predisposition can be the cause. "In the grain cell layer of the epidermis (epidermis) there is a protein called filagrin, which is produced as part of the cornification process and acids as 'Natural Moisturizing Factors' (NMFs), the natural moisturizing factors of our skin," explains skin expert Gütt. "Eighth to tenth Europeans unfortunately have a gene effect and can not produce the filagrin, which reduces the amount of NMFs." If fewer and fewer acid suppliers reach the skin surface, the protective shield loses its effect.
In addition, the cosmetics company dr. Wolff recently presented scientific studies from the US University of California School of Medicine, which show that the pH automatically increases from the age of 50 years. An explanation why mature skin often suffers from redness.
How can you lower the pH value with care products?
Preliminary: Care products can only lower the pH for a short time. But more would not necessarily make sense, as an acid value can also irritate the skin. The US dermatologist Prof. dr. Howard I. Maibach, who owns the cosmetics company dr. Wolff advises, has been researching the pH value for about 45 years. He recommends for mature skin a pH 4 care, to permanently lower the increased value and to protect the skin. With "Plantur 49" Dr. Wolff developed a water-in-oil formulation.
But what about younger skin and other care? "Unfortunately, there are not many products on the market that remain on the skin and have an acidic pH without a peeling effect and that keep the skin in a good acidic pH range," explains Dr. med. Gütt. It is a challenge for companies to produce hyperacidating products. Gütt explains why this is so: "It's like baking cakes." Every ingredient, that is active ingredients, has a pH optimum, which is between 5 and 7 for most people eg in a very sour dough, the active ingredient breaks down or loses its effectiveness. " If a care has a pH below 6, this is usually on the pack.
But what works well for all ages, to lower the pH of the skin are creams and peels with acids, such as. For example, salicylic or fruit acid, which there are, inter alia, Charlotte Meentzen and Dermasence. The only drawback: A peeling effect that is not always desired and may not be used in some skin conditions such as acute atopic dermatitis.
For every skin type and condition are so-called buffer concentrates, which u. a. from Reviderm. "These are fat-free, very acidic special preparations with a sophisticated formulation that intercept pH shifts up to 9.5", explains Dr. med. Gütt. It is given after cleansing daily or as a cure on the face and wears the usual cream on it. If the skin surface or cream has a higher pH, it will be buffered. The thermal waters of Vichy also have a buffering effect, as it is even richer in minerals than many other thermal waters."Our water from the French spa Vichy can replace missing, washed out salts and salt compounds that are identical to the skin's natural moisturizing factors," explains Dr. Kipper.
Cleaning products can also provide a healthy pH. "The problem is that washing-active cleanser with tap water decreases, and that has in most cases a pH over 7 in Germany," says dr. Gütt. "As a result, the skin is immediately alkalized again." Therefore, it is important to use a pH-adjusted tonic (eg from Bioderma) after water contact, which acidifies the skin again.
Eczema: Can sour canned products help?
As a basic treatment for atopic dermatitis, moisturizing, acidic cleansing and care products as well as special buffering systems can help to stabilize unstable skin and prevent acute relapses. Although eczema has various causes, what is characteristic of the condition is the disruption of the barrier function of the horny layer: the skin increasingly loses water to the outside, leaving more germs pure. "If the pH of the skin of neurodermatitis is as high as or above pH 7, the activity of the skin's own enzymes shifts, for example, the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, which consists of a large number of amino acids, is approximately ten times less active than at pH 5 , 5 ", Dr. Gütt. This favors inflammation. Acidifying daily care products help stop the process of inflammation.
How can an increased pH in acne affect?
Acne is one of the skin diseases that are characterized by inflammation. "The acne bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, which triggers acne, reproduces ideally at a pH of 6.8", explains Dr. med. Gütt. Unfortunately, the changed flora is usually not recognized until it is too late. However, those who consistently stabilize the pH of the skin can prevent bacterial proliferation.
Can pH management also be anti-aging?
The effects of pH on the aging process of the skin are a major issue in research in two respects: first, the microbiome (the habitat of the microorganisms) on the skin, and second, the skin loosening due to inflammation aging (inflammation aging) ). It is now known that an acid pH can prevent inflammation by balancing the environment of the skin. "It also keeps important forces of the enzymes running, and that's basically the very first anti-aging measure in the outer skin layer," says Dr. Gütt. Buffer systems in acid leave-on special products ensure that the inherent acidity of the skin remains intact even in old age. Specifically, if the pH is at a slightly acid level, this slows premature skin aging.
