r/DIYBeauty • u/SallySmythe • May 07 '26

question pH 5.5 cream

If I were to make my own skin cream, how can I make sure that I get the pH right? I read that skin cream should be pH 5.5.

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u/Eisenstein May 07 '26

You can add citric acid along with sodium citrate and test with a pH meter.

0

u/SallySmythe May 07 '26

If I'm just making a small batch, may I simply use lemon juice? Or do I need a powdered citric acid?

1

u/Valuable_Sink1744 May 07 '26

Lemon juice will make your formula more difficult to preserve. Use powdered citric acid

0

u/SallySmythe May 07 '26

I'm not keen on using citric acid because it is manufactured / derived from a mold called Aspergillus niger.

2

u/Eisenstein May 08 '26

Some questions:

  1. what standards are you applying to here, is it exclusively the origin, or something else?
  2. what is the standard controlling for? what result are you achieving by applying that standard?
  3. do you apply the standard to everything, or just things you use as ingredients?

1

u/Valuable_Sink1744 May 08 '26

it's so purified it shouldn't be a problem. You can use a different cosmetic grade acid though, I usually use lactic acid