pH and skin care

The role of the skin as an interface between the body and its environment attracts the interest of researchers from many different fields. In recent decades, increasing incidence of skin diseases, together with a growing interest in aesthetic aspects has encouraged such researchers to have a closer look at skin pH. The so-called acid mantle of the skin surface has turned out to be the product of a complex system of physiological reactions, which are important for the homeostasis of the skin. Several skin diseases are associated with changes in pH or instability of the acidic milieu of the skin surface. Skin contact with a wide variety of external agents has been shown to modulate skin pH and the resulting regulatory pathways. pH has proven to have an important role for the development of skin cleansing agents and skin-care products, in particular. In this monograph, the expertise of numerous scientists is put together to present a comprehensive view of the subject on the basis of recent research.