There is an acid mantle on the skin that is stripped away when you use soaps. That's why there so irritationg. It's also one of the reasons why apple cider vinegar is great for the skin and helps dandruff, it restores the skin to it's proper acid balance so that candida or other toxins no longer need to be there. This is what I always knew and understood. Why would you think that the skin is supposed to be alkaline??? Are you taling about the makeup of the skin or just the exterior? I'm talking about the exterior of the skin. Haven't you ever noticed that skin has an astringent taste? It doesn't taste like anything alkaline to me.