Evidence indicates that maintaining skin acidity with pH-balanced or low-pH cleansers helps preserve the skin barrier, microbial diversity, and stratum corneum integrity compared to harsher, standard cleaning agents.
The retrieved literature consistently emphasizes the importance of skin surface pH in maintaining barrier function, lamellar lipid organization, and microbiome stability. Studies and reviews (such as those concerning infant skin care, low-pH cosmetics, vulvar hygiene, and skin aging) support the premise that using pH-appropriate or slightly acidic cleansers prevents the barrier disruption and microbial dysbiosis associated with alkaline standard soaps.