When you’re out shopping, you might come across terms like pH-balanced on hair care and skincare products. But do you know what it means? Well, the pH of hair determines the overall look and the feel of your hair and needs to be taken seriously. Not only does the pH of hair affect the feel and look, but it also affects the scalp health.
The pH of your hair depends on several factors, such as your diet and hair care regimen. The pH level of hair is also determined by the type of hair care products you use, the water quality where you live and the weather. Today, we will be talking about the pH of hair and how to balance the pH level of hair naturally.
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What Is The pH Of Hair & Scalp?
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How to Check the pH Level of Hair?
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How Do You Maintain The pH Of Your Hair?
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How To Check The pH Level Of Your Hair Products?
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How Does The pH Value Of Products Affect Your Hair?
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Conclusion
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FAQ on balancing ph level of hair
What Is The pH Of Hair & Scalp?
The pH level basically determines the acidity level of an object. For instance, if the pH level of your hair is over seven, it is considered to be alkaline, and if it is below seven, it is considered to be acidic. The number seven denotes a perfectly balanced pH. The natural hair and scalp pH is on the acidic side between 4.5-5, which is comparable to our body as well.
If your scalp pH is more towards the alkaline side, chances are you have dry skin and might be suffering from dandruff or oily scalp. However, if you have a lower pH level, you might be experiencing extensive hair fall and inflammation on your scalp.
How to Check the pH Level of Hair?
As mentioned earlier, the ideal level of pH for your hair must be between 4.5-5. However, if your scalp pH is not at the ideal position, you can maintain the level by following simple steps, which we will talk about in this blog later. However, first, you need to check the pH level of your hair for a better understanding of the right procedure for you.
The first and the most important step is to assess the pH level of hair before figuring out the right hair care regime for your hair. You can check the pH level of your hair by determining the overall quality of your hair in the following ways:
- If you have scalpy, itchy, flaky or dry hair and have constant infection problems, chances are your hair is alkaline. Hair generally turns alkaline when you use hair products with a higher pH than 7, which strips away the natural acidic oil required to fight bacteria. If you use hair care products with lower pH levels, such as 5-6, then you will experience less frizzing and breakage with more moisturised hair.
- If your hair is permanently dyed or relaxed, your hair was treated with a highly alkaline substance such as bleach before colouring your hair. Bleach changes the hair’s cuticle, which is treated with a highly acidic substance for hair pH balance.
- If your hair is curly, that suggests your hair cuticles are partly open, which suggests a more alkaline state. However, to ensure a scalp pH balance, you should keep your pH level more acidic.
While straight hair generally does not require the use of extra products, if you have curly or coloured hair, you need to use different products and remedies to maintain an ideal pH level.
How Do You Maintain The pH Of Your Hair?
Now that you have a better understanding of the ideal pH level for your skin, the next step is to maintain the pH level of your hair to have healthy and damage-free hair. Here are some ways to ensure you have an ideal pH level of hair.
Understanding the pH of your hair
After understanding the present pH level of your hair, the next step is to figure out the right course of action for your particular hair type. For instance, if you have an itchy scalp with dryness, you should use a mildly acidic shampoo, which will help you to relieve your hair problems.
However, if you have naturally curly hair, your hair cuticles tend to be slightly open, which can make your hair look dry and fizzy. Using a mildly acidic shampoo will help in closing the cuticles and make your look smoother.
Moreover, if you recently underwent hair treatment, then your hair might be damaged due to repeated processing with alkaline and acidic solutions. To maintain a scalp balance, even in this case, you should use acidic hair products.
If you have naturally straight hair without any notable damage, you should use a pH neutral shampoo as your hair pH balance might already be ideal.
There are several other measures that you can incorporate in your daily hair care regime. For instance, you can make a DIY pH-balanced pack using rye flour shampoo, use baking soda followed by acid as an occasional cleanser, or spray some aloe vera juice on your hair to lower the pH.
Using Natural products such as Pure Sense - Rejuvenating Grapefruit Revitalising Hair Cleanser (Shampoo)
Another important thing to remember is to use products made of 100% natural ingredients as synthetic ingredients can actively mess up your hair pH balance. We suggest you try Pure Sense hair care products as it is a completely natural and toxin-free beauty products manufacturer.
Our recommendation: You can try the Rejuvenating Grapefruit Revitalising Hair Cleanser (Shampoo) by Pure Sense. It is a natural shampoo enriched with the goodness of grapefruit, an acidic fruit. Packed with vitamin C, the hair cleanser cleanses the scalp and hair gently, controls oil production and boosts collagen production.
Moreover, all Pure Sense products are free of sulphates, parabens, carcinogens, are cruelty-free and eco friendly. In addition, the shampoo has a naturally acidic pH because of the presence of citrus fruits and helps in maintaining the pH of your hair.
Trying Natural Acid
You can also use natural acids such as Aloe Vera juice to bring your hair from alkaline to acidic pH range. As aloe vera is slightly acidic and good for hair, you can dilute it with water and spray it over your hair to close the cuticle and remove frizz.
You can also use Apple Cider vinegar, another good mild acidic solution with a pH level of about 3. You have to mix the apple cider with water.
Healthy Diet
What you eat affects your overall body. Therefore, it is important to have a balanced diet that does not cause your body’s ideal pH level to fluctuate. Eating citrus-rich fruits such as lemons, oranges, Kiwis, etc., will help maintain the ideal pH level throughout your body.
These are some of the ways to maintain the pH of your hair.
How To Check The pH Level Of Your Hair Products?
When looking for a hair care product, always check the pH level of the product to ensure that you are choosing a product that is suited for your hair. Generally, the pH of the product is mentioned on the product itself. However, if you cannot see it on the label, you can test the product to check the pH level.
Ideally, you should use a product with a pH value of 4 to 7. The easiest way to test the pH is by purchasing Litmus test slips and putting them in the solution.
How Does The pH Value Of Products Affect Your Hair?
The pH value of a product affects the overall feel, health and look of your hair and scalp because of the following reasons:
A Healthy pH is vital for your Hair’s Health
The hair is built on the protein keratin, which is damaged by high alkaline products with higher pH. When the keratin gets damaged, the hair follicles become more susceptible to damage and breakage. Alkaline solutions also open the hair cuticles, making the hair porous and absorbent to chemicals and pollutants.
Ideal pH helps retain moisture
A pH-balanced product locks the moisture inside your hair without leaving any deposits or buildup on your scalp. However, as the sebum secreted from the scalp has a low pH naturally, it can be disturbed by higher pH products.
Protection from Germs
Bacteria and germs are only susceptible to grow inside a specific pH range. So if you maintain a healthy pH of your hair and scalp, you can ensure that your head does not become a hotspot for infections. Moreover, a healthy pH will help maintain normal skin flora naturally present on the hair to keep the disease-causing germs at bay.
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy pH level of your scalp and hair is extremely important to ensure healthy and moisturised hair. To ensure that your hair is at the perfect balance, you first need to understand the natural pH level of your hair, which you can do by following the steps mentioned above. Also, remember to always use only all-natural hair care products to ensure minimum damage to your hair and scalps.
FAQ on balancing ph level of hair
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How can I test my hair care product’s pH level at home?
Normally, all skincare and hair care products mention the pH level of the product on the label itself. However, suppose you cannot find the pH level of the product on the packaging, you can check the pH level using a pH level indicator easily available in beauty and medical shops.
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What pH level is good for hair?
The ideal level of your scalp should be about 5.5, while the pH level of your hair itself should be around 3.6 to have the perfect hair growth and health. However, the ideal pH level also depends upon the hair type. For example, curly hair has a more alkaline, natural pH level than people with straight hair.
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Can pH balance affect hair loss?
Yes, pH imbalance can cause hair loss as the pH determines the health of hair cuticles and the growth of bacteria. More acidic pH opens cuticles making them more susceptible to damage by pollution and dirt. Moreover, an imbalanced pH will also affect the production of sebum, the natural oils, which can also result in hair loss.
