Is the pH of my soap important?
Soaps vary in their pH depending on how they are manufactured. Natural saponification usually results in a soap which has a pH in the range 10 to 11.5. This is very alkaline and can cause some irritation to sensitive skin. Common mass market toilet soaps, laundry soaps and even some ‘baby soaps’ can fall into this category. Soaps that are based on milder saponification techniques or are ‘superfatted’ have a much lower pH of around 8.5 to 10. While this is still alkaline it is much less alkaline than mass market soaps. Any soaps that have a pH around 5.5 (the pH of normal skin) are...