By Sarah Kinonen, Allure
When used properly, acids like alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids
can be great for your skin. They penetrate deeply into pores to whisk
away dead skin cells and give skin a radiant, lit-from-within glow.
However, when improperly applied, acids can do major damage to your
visage. Which is why when we discovered people of the Internet are
topically applying literal acidic ingredients like lime juice to their faces — as a cleanser — we had to step in to offer our expertise.
Deep in the subreddit forum for skin-care fanatics, aptly named SkincareAddiction, Redditor potatomyteries shared a story of sheer skin-care horror:
[post_ads]"Overheard
'natural skin care' conversation at work: 'I wash my face with lime
juice.' I couldn't help immediately crying out 'NO' from across the
room, which caused a lot of defensiveness. He proceeded to try and
school me on the fact that 'most [skin-care] products are too alkaline'
and 'acids are great for your face,'" wrote potatomyteries. But it
didn't stop there. They continued, "He also informed me that he follows
up the lime juice with an 'abrasive sponge' to really 'scrub the top
layer of skin off.' I wanted to poke my eyeballs out."
Eeeeeeeeeeek,
no. Please, just no. When we reached out to New York City dermatologist
Joshua Zeichner for this story, he basically had the same sort of
initial reaction — he was more or less frightened for the state of
someone's skin. But before we dive into the lime juice cleanser debacle,
let's quickly go over what we mean by "alkaline" and "acidic."
The
pH system, which stands for "power of hydrogen," runs from zero (the
most acidic) to 14 (most alkaline), with 7 considered to be neutral. So
that means pH levels less than 7 are said to be acidic, while those
above 7 are alkaline, or basic. According to Zeichner, the pH of the
skin is slightly acidic, which is "why it is commonly referred to as the
'Acid Mantle.'" "A pH of 5.5 is ideal for skin cells to function
optimally to maintain hydration and protect itself from the
environment," he explains.
And as Zeichner points out, traditional
soaps and cleansers are alkaline in pH, which can strip the skin of
essential oils, disrupt the skin barrier, and lead to inflammation.
Which is why our Reddit friend's coworker avoids products in lieu of
"natural" options, like the lime juice. But see, here's where they're
wrong.
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"Just as an alkaline pH is harmful to the skin, extremely
acidic pH products can cause skin damage as well," explains Zeichner.
"Using acidic products, even natural juices, can significantly irritate
the skin. Abrasive scrubbing, even from sponges, can make it worse."
A
gentler, safer solution? AHAs- and BHAs-based products, as we mentioned
above. "We take advantage of some specialized acids to peel the skin
cosmetically to improve tone and texture," says Zeichner. "We refer to
these as peels, because the acid creates controlled damage to the skin
that leads to peeling afterward." We like the Best of Beauty-winning Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging Nightly Purifying Micro-Peel.
So, as if it weren't obvious enough, please refrain from washing your face with lime — or any other type of juice.
More about DIY skin care:
