DMochelle Fashions Magazine
September/October 2017
What Does pH Balance Mean?
If you think back to high school chemistry class, you may recall
that pH is an abbreviation for potential hydrogen. A pH number
measures from 0 to14 how acidic or alkaline a liquid is -- anything
above 7 is alkaline and anything below 7 is acid. Water has a pH
level of 7 -- it's neutral, meaning it
has the same amount of acids and
alkalis, which balance each other
out.
When you're thinking about
liquids in terms of their pH levels,
going up or down one number on
the scale represents a tenfold
change in the acidity or alkaline
nature of a liquid. For example,
the pH level of milk is around 6.
Because the pH level of water is 7,
milk is 10 times more acidic than
water. Vinegar has a pH of about
3, making it 40 times more acidic
than water.
On the other end of the spectrum, milk of magnesia is a base with
a pH of 10, which is why it's soothing to an acidic stomach. Lye
has a pH of 13 and can dissolve sticky substances like fat. As you
can see, substances at either end of the pH spectrum can be
corrosive -- but if you combine these substances, they neutralize
and create salt water. They balance because they're at opposite
ends of the scale.
Now that you've had your general chemistry lesson, take a look at
the next page to learn what pH-balanced means for your skin
cleanser
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