Chemistry & ElectricityQuestion 81 of 100
A product label states a pH of 3.5. What does this tell the esthetician?
a.The product is alkaline and will soften the acid mantle
b.The product is neutral, like pure water
c.The product is acidic, and because the scale is logarithmic it is significantly more acidic than a pH 5.5 product
d.The pH value describes the product's thickness, not its acidity
Explanation
A pH below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 is alkaline, and each whole number represents a tenfold change, so pH 3.5 is roughly a hundred times more acidic than pH 5.5. That difference matters because low-pH exfoliating products act more aggressively on the skin. pH describes hydrogen ion concentration, not viscosity.
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