Acne and skin acidity: to the question of the relationship

The free fatty acids of sebum are partially involved in the creation of the acid mantle of the skin. Given the excess sebum in acne patients, one might expect acidification of the surface of their skin, but the scientific and medical literature suggests otherwise. Therefore, bearing in mind the activation of the growth of P. acnes with light skin alkalinization, we can assume the importance of maintaining normal pH values ​​of the skin surface to restrain its colonization and, at the same time, the manifestation of acne.

The relationship between the acid mantle and the resident flora is already well understood today. At the same time, some biological activity of the stratum corneum depends on variations in the acidity of the skin surface. The functional capacity of the corneal layer requires the combined action of many enzymes that are produced in the granular layer and are mostly localized in the intercorneal space.

Increased activity of sebaceous glands, excessive growth of residual microflora, as well as hyperkeratosis are the main pathogenetic mechanisms in the development of acne vulgaris. An increase in the pH of the skin surface can affect not only the growth of microorganisms in the infundibular part, but also the fine-tuning of the local activity of enzymes of the stratum corneum. Thus, the pH of the skin surface may be involved in the pathogenesis of acne.

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