pH Levels of Handmade Soaps

Author: Balaji Shankar, Jun 1, 2024

In this article we will try and understand the role of pH value in determining if a bath soap is safe for our skin and what to expect from ph levels of handmade soaps

What is pH value?

pH is a measure of the hydrogen ions present in a substance (strictly speaking, pH is the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration in a substance, but hey we are not chemistry freaks here!) and it has a value ranging from 0 to 14. This value tells you if a substance is acidic or alkaline. The mid-point 7 is when it is called pH neutral . For your understanding, good RO water will likely have a pH of 7.0. The picture below shows different items in the pH range chart.

Understanding pH of skin and soap

The human skin has a pH value of 4.5 to 5. Dry skin may have a pH of 6+. A new born baby's skin has a pH of 7.0 - meaning it is neither acidic nor alkaline. But as we grow, our skin produces an acidic oil called sebum which protects us from a lot of things like bacteria, dirt, infections and the like. When we wish to clean our skin, it makes logical sense to wash away the acidic grime that our sebum has collected in the process of protecting our skin.

So the soap we use must be alkaline enough to properly clean our sebum but not too alkaline to strip away our skin. Which brings us to the natural question:

What pH of soap is best for your skin?

What we call as bath is nothing but washing our skin with water. If we use only water, the grubbiness and oiliness of our skin doesn't go away; same with our body odour. So we need a cleansing agent like soap that will react with the sebum, form a neutral mix and then get easily washed away.

So it is necessary that a good cleansing agent should have a ph over 8 to do its job well. But ideally it should not be over 9 for gentle skins. A pH over 11 may become a bleach instead of a wash. A soap with a pH level of 7 may be very smooth and gentle on the skin but it will not clean it. So the best pH value for soap is between 8 and 9.5

If you have dry skin then it is best to use a soap that has a pH of 8.0. If you feel that your soap dries your skin then you can apply a moisturizer or a skin care oil like sesame or almond oil after bath.

pH level of handmade soaps

Handmade soaps are made by blending fats with a caustic soda solution (or other alkalis like potassium hydroxide) to produce soap. Just because a soap is handmade does not gurantee that it is good or harmless. A lot of factors affect the outcome of handmade soaps like the recipe, the amount of super-fatting, choice of fats (vegetable oils or tallow or synthetic stearic acid etc.,). A bad recipe can result in an un-usably caustic and corrosive soap. A bad blending process can result in gooey and oily soaps that are highly acidic and won't clean at all! So care must be taken to investigate the ingredients and sample the soap before buying.

A well blended and well formulated handmade soap will have a pH range of 8.0 to 9.5.

Best pH level for soap

An ideal pH level for soap in our opinion as soap makers is 8.0 to 9.5

Is 5.5 pH soap good for skin?

It will not harm the skin but it will also not clean the skin well. So it is a harmless soap that does not do its job!

Is 9.5 pH soap good for skin?

It is our subjective opinion as handmade soap makers that this is the maximum value a handmade soap should have. This is after the curing time.

What is the best pH for handmade soap?

A well formulated and well blended handmade soap will have a pH range of 8.0 to 9.5. There is no "best pH value" for handmade soap - it is the value that is best for your skin.

What is the pH of safe soap?

A pH value less than or equal to 7 is of no use as a soap. Such a soap will be very safe for the skin but it will not clean very well, in our experience.

The safe value of pH for soap is between 8 and 10. Anything above 11 may bleach the skin and cause damage

At Doodle Soapery we make the finest organic, cold process, natural handmade soaps at an affordable price of Rs 95 for 100g.