Glossary · Formulation
What Is pH?
pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline a water-based product is, on a scale from 0 to 14. It matters in cosmetics because it affects preservative performance, the stability of active ingredients, the behaviour of thickeners and, in some cases, how the finished product interacts with skin.
Why it matters when you source
pH is a formulation constraint with commercial consequences: a preservative that works at pH 5 may fail at pH 7, and a retinol formula outside its usable range loses potency. Ask for the batch pH and its specification range, not just a target number.
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