Why pH balanced cleansers can harm your skin.
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The pH Myth: Why "pH Balanced" Cleansers Aren’t Doing Your Skin Any Favours
You’ve probably seen it stamped across shower gels and face washes like a badge of honour:
“pH balanced.”
It sounds scientific. Reassuring. Like something your Year 9 chemistry teacher would nod approvingly at. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s mostly marketing fluff.
In fact, that little phrase often hides a bigger problem—formulas packed with synthetic detergents that strip your skin, forcing you to buy more moisturiser, more product, more everything.
Let’s unpack why natural soap, like ours at Smelly Men, beats so-called pH-balanced cleansers hands down.
1. What does pH balanced even mean?
Let’s start with basics. The pH scale runs from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). Your skin sits slightly acidic at around pH 5.5. "pH balanced" simply means the product has been adjusted—often using chemical additives—to match that level.
Sounds harmless. Until you realise...
2. It’s often a distraction from what’s in the product
Most pH-balanced cleansers are made with synthetic surfactants—chemical detergents designed to mimic the cleaning action of soap. Things like SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) or cocamidopropyl betaine.
They're “balanced” because these detergents are too harsh on their own, so labs have to fiddle with the formula to make them tolerable.
In other words:
pH-balanced is often damage control, not a badge of honour.
3. They clean by volume, not by efficiency
The reason many pH-balanced washes need big blobs and generous lather is because they’re less effective at lifting oil and dirt. That squeaky-clean feeling? It's detergent residue.
Natural soap, when made properly (like ours), works with your skin’s oils to cleanse deeply with just a small amount. No residue. No stripping. Just clean, soft skin.
You’ll often find yourself using less product and getting better results. Funny that.
4. Healthy skin isn’t a number on a pH strip
Skin isn’t static—it regulates itself. It naturally adjusts its pH after washing, especially if you’re not assaulting it with synthetic gloop. Your acid mantle (that thin protective layer) can bounce back just fine with real soap and water.
If your cleanser leaves you tight, flaky, or suddenly reaching for aftercare—it’s not the pH. It’s the formula.
5. Natural soap doesn’t need the disguise
At Smelly Men, we don’t play lab coat dress-up. Our soaps are made using traditional methods with plant-based oils, essential oils for scent, and zero artificial surfactants or plastic packaging.
The result?
- Skin that feels clean, not chemically blitzed
- Scents that come from real ingredients, not mystery “parfum”
- A product that does its job and then gets out of the way
TL;DR – What’s the issue with pH-balanced cleansers?
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| “Gentle and pH balanced” | Often contains synthetic detergents that need buffering |
| “Mild on skin” | Requires more product to clean effectively |
| “Dermatologist approved” | Still leaves residue and strips oils |
| Natural soap | Cleans thoroughly, uses real ingredients, supports skin’s natural balance |
Final word
We’re not here to scare you with science or wag fingers in the shower aisle. We just think you deserve better than a plastic bottle full of diluted detergent pretending to be skincare.
Real soap. Natural deodorant. Zero nonsense.
That’s Smelly Men. You'll smell better, naturally.