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- Title
Why low pH does not necessarily mean skin irritancy.
- Authors
Grascha, Pierre
- Abstract
It is a perception of most end-users of cosmetic and skin hygiene products that low or high pH, as opposed to "neutral," is related to skin irritation or, even worse, of skin breakdown. The marketing claims, in favor of neutral pH, used for advertising cosmetic products have a lot to do with this situation. From a toxicological point of view, low or high pH cannot be considered as a single factor for predicting the innocuousness of a cosmetic formulation. Most end-users of skincare products focus on the pH. To them, a "good pH" is a "neutral pH" which is perceived as neutral to the skin but not necessarily as being the middle value (1) of the pH scale established from 0 to 14. Without describing all possible other factors that may truly be responsible for dermatitis, this paper should assist prescribers, infection control professionals (ICPs), and purchasers of microbicidal products in particular to understand this long-held notion on pH through a scientific examination of the effects of pH of microbicidal and cosmetic formulations on skin. Method Three foaming disinfecting hand soaps, with or without hydrogen peroxide and with or without perfume, were tested for skin irritation using an in vivo 48-hour patch-test on then healthy subjects (Laboratory Idea, France). The purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate their high level of skin tolerance despite the fact that their pH was about 2. Results All tested formulations were found to be non-irritating to the skin with Medium Irritation Index lower than 0.20. Conclusion In the experimental conditions of this study, it was demonstrated that properly formulated microbicidal products may be perfectly well tolerated by the skin even if they are acidic. The paper also demonstrates theoretically why pH should not be considered as the only predictive criterion in selecting skincare products.
- Subjects
BIOPHYSICS; HYDROGEN peroxide; HYDROGEN-ion concentration; RESEARCH methodology; OINTMENTS; SKIN care; SKIN tests; SOAP
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Infection Control / Revue Canadienne de Prévention des Infections, 2014, Vol 29, Issue 3, p161
- ISSN
1183-5702
- Publication type
Article