Caring for your skin can often feel like a guessing game. Are breakouts caused by excess oil or underlying dryness? Is redness due to irritation or an allergic response? In the search for solutions, many turn to aggressive treatments that may inadvertently make things worse. According to Marisa Vara Arredondo, the answer to healthier skin may lie in a more overlooked factor: pH balance.
Why pH Matters for Your Skin
The pH scale—ranging from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline)—plays a vital role in skin health. Most healthy skin falls between pH 4 and 6, maintaining a slightly acidic environment known as the acid mantle. This natural barrier is essential for keeping harmful bacteria out and locking moisture in.
As dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman explains, harsh skincare products like strong cleansers and chemical exfoliants can disturb this balance. The result? A compromised barrier that can lead to irritation, dryness, and breakouts.
Marisa Arredondo's Path to Skin pH Awareness
Marisa Vara Arredondo, founder of Phace Bioactive, knows the consequences of pH imbalance all too well. As a teen dealing with severe cystic acne, she experimented with everything from antibiotics to harsh alkaline cleansers—many of which worsened her condition. It wasn't until her 20s that she discovered the importance of respecting her skin's natural pH. This insight eventually became the foundation of her skincare brand.
Phace Bioactive was created with a singular mission: to support the skin's natural protective layer through pH-optimized formulations. One standout product is the Detoxifying Gel Cleanser, which maintains a pH of 3.0–3.5 and uses coconut-derived surfactants and fruit enzymes to cleanse gently—without stripping away vital oils.
Can Probiotics Boost Skin Health?
Maintaining an acidic pH not only strengthens the skin barrier but also supports the microbiome—the healthy bacteria that live on our skin. Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist, notes that probiotics can further enhance skin resilience. They've been shown to help restore an acidic pH, calm inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and repair the acid mantle.
Brands like Aurelia are incorporating probiotic technologies into their formulas. Their Cell Repair Night Oil, for example, uses nourishing fatty acids to rebuild and fortify skin overnight.
Marisa Arredondo agrees: integrating both pH-balanced and probiotic-rich products helps support the skin's natural defenses and leads to a healthier, more radiant complexion.
A Balanced Approach to Skincare
Rather than overcorrecting with harsh treatments, Arredondo encourages a gentler, more holistic approach to skin health. Supporting the skin's pH and microbiome allows products to work with the skin rather than against it. Through Phace Bioactive, she champions skincare that is both effective and respectful of the skin's natural rhythm.
Because when it comes to skincare, balance isn't just important—it's everything.
