Taking care of your skin is essential to your overall health. When people think of skincare, they think first and foremost of taking care of their face. Body care is mostly overlooked, but who wouldn't want healthy skin from head to toe? Taking good care of your skin can help prevent sun damage, keep your pores free from debris and prevent blemishes, and slow down the aging process. Body care basics start with moisturizers and knowing how to balance your skin's pH.

The Important Ingredients of Moisturizers

Moisturizing is the key to healthy skin, but it's just as essential to ensure your moisturizer has the essential ingredients to hydrate and protects your skin from the elements that slow down the process of aging.

Emollients 

Moisturizers can contain various ingredients, all of which work differently to help treat dry skin. In moisturizers, emollients are superior to achieving smooth, softer skin. Emollients can be butters, esters, oils, lipids, and fatty acids. They work to repair the cracks in the skin barrier to prevent water loss, keep your skin hydrated, and act as a lubricant in products. Using products like Jojoba & Apricot Emollient Body Oil routinely can help repair your skin barrier and keep your skin generally healthy.

Humectants 

Humectants take moisturizing your skin to a whole new level. They draw moisture from the environment around you or moisture from the underlying layers of skin. Not only do humectants pull moisture to your skin, they also help your skin shed dead skin cells. With their dual purpose, humectants can stimulate the skin's ability to produce moisture and encourage the growth of new skin cells in the epidermis. The results leave you with protected, healthy, moisturized skin.

Let's Talk About Skin Mantle pH

The skin mantle pH refers to your skin's acid mantle and the thin film covering your skin's surface. It is vital to protect your skin against bacteria, pollution, and other contaminants. A healthy skin mantle pH should be between 4.5 and 5.5 for women, which is slightly acidic (neutral pH is 7). Skin that is too acidic or below a 7 will be oily and more susceptible to irritation. Anything above a 7 is considered alkaline, appears dull, and is more dry and less elasticity.

How do you restore and maintain pH? 

Balancing your pH on your skin mantle can be as simple as checking the pH of your skin cleansers. Using products specifically for balancing your pH or with a pH level between 4.5 and 5.5 (like our Rose & Yogurt Intimate Cleanser) is the key to aligning your pH to healthy levels. Use natural products rich in vitamins and minerals and check their pH levels.

Body care doesn't have to be complicated and is made simple by understanding what your body needs and why. Use a good moisturizer daily on your skin, and be sure to use products designed to keep your skin mantle pH balanced.