Why Your Body Wash Might Be Making Skin Problems Worse

Common Skin Issues Made Worse by High-pH Cleansers

Eczema: When Your Barrier Is Already Compromised

People with eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) already struggle with a weakened skin barrier. Research shows their skin has a higher pH than normal—even in areas that don’t look inflamed. Using high-pH body washes or traditional soaps can worsen this imbalance, leading to increased dryness, itchiness, and flare-ups.

Acne: Feeding the Wrong Bacteria

Acne-prone skin needs a balanced microbiome. Unfortunately, high-pH soaps disrupt this delicate balance. The bacteria that cause acne thrive in less acidic environments. When your skin's pH is elevated by alkaline cleansers, it weakens your skin's defenses and allows those bacteria to multiply, leading to more breakouts and inflammation.

Fungal Infections: Yeast Loves Alkalinity

Candida albicans, a common fungal pathogen, prefers alkaline environments. In acidic conditions, it remains in its harmless form. But when your skin becomes more alkaline due to harsh cleansers, this yeast can become pathogenic, leading to skin irritation or fungal infections.

Rosacea: A Barrier That Needs Extra Support

Many people with rosacea find that switching to pH-balanced, soap-free cleansers dramatically improves their symptoms. High-pH soaps can aggravate rosacea by damaging an already fragile skin barrier, increasing redness and sensitivity.

Skin Sensitivity: What If It’s Not Just "Sensitive Skin"?

If your skin often feels tight, itchy, or reactive, it might not just be "sensitive skin." It could be a sign of a compromised acid mantle—your skin’s natural, slightly acidic barrier that protects against moisture loss, bacteria, and environmental stress. High-pH cleansers damage this barrier, leading to increased sensitivity over time.

The Real Problem: Your Skin’s Acid Mantle

Your skin is naturally acidic, with a healthy pH between 4.5 and 5.5. This protective barrier, known as the acid mantle, plays a vital role in skin health:

• It helps keep moisture in and irritants out

• It supports good bacteria and suppresses harmful microbes

• It ensures key enzymes work effectively to repair and strengthen the skin

When you use traditional soap or high-pH body wash, it disrupts this acid mantle. That “squeaky clean” feeling? It’s actually a sign your skin barrier has been stripped—and it can take weeks to fully recover.

Why Soap Is Too Harsh for Daily Use

Most traditional soaps, even "natural" ones, have a pH around 9 or higher. That’s far too alkaline for your skin, which can lead to:

• Increased transepidermal water loss (dryness)

• Higher skin irritation and redness

• A weakened skin barrier

• Breakouts and flare-ups

You might love that soap is zero-waste or made with nourishing oils, but if it disrupts your skin’s chemistry, the result is often tight, uncomfortable, or reactive skin—no matter how many butters or oils are in the formula.

The Better-Than-Soap Alternative

That’s why we created Caley-Beth’s Better-Than-Soap Body Wash Bars: soap-free, sulfate-free, and pH-balanced body cleansers designed for both face and body.

Why You’ll Love Them:

• pH-balanced (4.5–5.5) to match your skin's natural acid mantle

• Soap-free and gentle, even for sensitive, acne-prone, or eczema-prone skin

• Made with mango butter, oat protein, and provitamin B5 for deep hydration

• Naturally scented with skin-friendly botanical blends to support a calming or energizing daily ritual

• Zero-waste, Canadian-made, and Leaping Bunny Certified

Many customers tell us their skin feels softer, calmer, and more balanced—without the tightness or dryness they used to experience with soap.

Shop pH-Balanced, Soap-Free Body Wash Bars for Sensitive Skin | Caley-Beth

Healthy Skin Starts Here

When you support your skin's natural pH, everything changes:

• Moisture stays locked in

• Irritation and redness decrease

• Breakouts become less frequent

• Your skin just feels better—and looks more radiant

Respect your skin’s natural chemistry. Ditch the soap.

Discover a more beautiful way to care for your skin, every day.

Explore Our Better-Than-Soap Bars

         Lavender & Bergamot                Rosemary & Mint            Pink Grapefruit & Palmarosa