Are You Using Hypochlorous Acid in Your Natural Beauty Routine?
Have you ever heard of hypochlorous acid? It’s an inorganic compound that acts primarily as a sanitizer and disinfectant. In over-the-counter household cleaners, it’s available at strong concentrations and is used to clean surfaces, disinfect, and kill bacteria. In diluted quantities, hypochlorous acid can also be used as a potent skin-care product, because it’s something that is already produced naturally by our skin—it’s created by your white blood cells to defend against infection and bacteria. When you’re purchasing beauty products at your favorite beauty suppliers, however, you’re often also getting a lot of other ingredients in your hypochlorous mists, including fragrances and synthetics designed to help maintain the acidity long-term. But when you take the 2.5 pH acidic water directly from your Kangen water machine? You have an unlimited tap into fresh hypochlorous acid for any need—whether at stronger quantities or gentler varieties suitable for your skin. Because Kangen water doesn’t include any additives, it’s safe to use to treat a variety of skin conditions.
Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid (a chemistry term for acid with a low pH level) with strong antimicrobial properties—as in 100-times-more-powerful-than-bleach strong. HOCl is commonly used in surface cleaners, pool cleaners, and facial cleansers. Yes, you read that right: this disinfectant can be found in your skin-care products. Hypochlorous acid is replicated by combining salt, water, and vinegar through electrolysis.
Hypochlorous acid is a powerful killer of bacteria, viruses, and even fungus. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it a great treatment for a variety of skin challenges, from cystic acne to sunburns. “Hypochlorous acid is a natural antibacterial byproduct of our white blood cells—so it has anti-viral and -bacterial qualities,” says board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. She says it can help prevent future acne breakouts and also reduce the signs of past breakouts. But it gets better. Hypochlorous acid combats redness and inflammation associated with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It calms puffy or angry skin and gently cleanses to prevent future flare-ups. "It's also really good to help reduce itching," says Dr. DeRosa, so you won't be tempted to scratch your skin and spread the infection. [1]
Skin experts recommend using products containing hypochlorous acid to fight common bacterial skin problems like acne, eczema, and psoriasis because it essentially disinfects your face, reducing inflammation and accelerating your skin’s natural healing processes. Because hypochlorous acid already lives in your body and is produced by it naturally, 2.5 pH Kangen water is safe for everyday use. You won't develop a resistance to it as you might with a prescription antibiotic, and it won't dry out your skin the way alcohol or benzoyl peroxide would.
So how can you use this water on your skin daily?
Use Kangen water as a Toner or daily mist
After cleansing the skin with your favorite cleaner, apply a fine mist of 2.5 pH Kangen water over your face to help calm inflammation, fight bacteria, and prepare your skin for the next stages of your skincare routine. Make sure you’re also using a good quality face oil or moisturizer to help keep your skin properly hydrated.
To treat acne or other blemishes as a spot-treatment
Bacteria on the skin often causes breakouts and spot blemishes on the face and other areas of the body. Hypochlorous acid can help reduce the bacteria in these areas and thus help treat acne. Spray HOCl directly on your breakouts 1-3 times daily for optimal results. This will also help reduce redness and inflammation.
After a workout or sauna session
After your workout, sweat buildup can block the pores on your face and lead to breakouts. It’s also important to cleanse the skin if you’re using shared equipment in a conventional gym to help prevent bacteria and fungus from causing irritation or bacterial growth. Plus, the fine mist is refreshing on your skin after a workout on a hot day!
Post-shave or post-wax
Hypochlorous acid can help prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps when applied topically to areas that are commonly shaved or waxed. Use a smooth reusable cotton round to dab HOCl onto the preferred areas or simply spray as a mist on dry skin. Again, this will help reduce inflammation and prevent bacterial growth, both of which can cause skin irritation on freshly shaved or waxed areas.
To treat skin wounds or irritated skin
HOCl is an effective anti-bacterial that can reduce healing time and reduce the risk of infection when applied topically to cuts, scrapes, bug bites, and even sunburns. I’ve found the most effective treatment for sunburns is a mist of 2.5 pH Kangen water followed by a gentle towel wrap with 11.5 pH Kangen water, as this helps to soothe the burn and pull the excess heat from my body. I’ve used this method to treat fairly severe sunburns on larger areas of my body like my back and thighs. I often wake to find that the redness and irritation is gone, and that the burn has begun to heal. Using 2.5 pH Kangen water on your cuts and scrapes is effective in preventing bacterial or fungal growth, and HOCl can reduce the likelihood of itchiness and redness in some bug bites, like mosquito bites.
As a mouthwash/rinse
2.5 pH Kangen water acts as an amazing post-brush rinse to help you ditch the alcohol-based mouthwash you’ve been using. HOCl is effective at eliminating or reducing bad breath, gum inflammation, and even mouth sores and ulcers.
Having access to this 2.5 pH water and this hypochlorous acid at home, without having to spend money on additional household cleaners and beauty products is just one of the many benefits of owning your own Kangen water machine. Want to learn more? Reach out to me here or read more about the science behind Kangen water here.