Aside from feminine hygiene products and diet, you don’t hear too much talk about pH in beauty, but it’s a very important part and not all products are created with pH optimization in mind (and it’s possible that some are and some aren’t, so by using them together you can be throwing your pH off). Phace Bioactive is the first luxury brand to have pH optimization in every one of their products. I met the founder, Marisa Vara Arredondo, a few weeks ago and was blown away by her skin (you’d be surprised how many people who start skincare brands have bad skin…). Arredondo actually mentioned that it wasn’t always the case that she had a clear complexion however, and, in fact, her acne-prone skin is what inspired her to start her brand (seriously her skin is amazing now…). After graduating from Stanford University she worked as an analyst on Wall Street for 12 years doing research and investing in the cosmetic, drug, and biotech companies that helped lay the foundation for her own brand. In a very gutsy move, she quit her job and spent the last four years developing this line.
It’s very pure because Arredondo didn’t want any possible irritation or breakouts to come from using her products, but the lack of synthetics etc doesn’t have a negative effect on the texture (with the exception of the SPF day cream, but I’ll take a bit of chalkiness without the fear of a breakout any day). Furthermore, they’re fragrance-free (the #1 skin irritant is fragrance). More impressively, however, is that everything in each one of these products is clinically backed…there are no fillers, and the ingredients are clearly outlined on each package with an explanation of exactly why they were used. By far my favorite product is the brand’s clarifying serum which can also double as a spot treatment if you’re finding yourself breaking out. It’s not drying, and it’s lightweight enough to easily layer under both a heavy moisturizer and liquid foundation. The one downside is that if you truly want to be 100% sure that your skincare regimen is pH-optimized, you either have to use Phace Bioactive for every one of your products, or you have to measure the pH in your other products. If you feel like your skin is dull or you can’t seem to stop breaking out no matter what you try, though, it’s worth considering switching entirely to this brand (cleanser, day cream, night cream, and serum) because it very well might be that your pH is off and at the root of your problem.
It should be noted, and Arredondo is the first to say this, that it’s not only what you put on your skin, it’s about what you put into your body, especially now that research has proven that dairy and sugar can cause acne. To that end. she has a great blog that looks into how you can keep your pH optimal with an alkaline diet. Check it out!
