Why “PH” is so important
You probably wonder why your hair stylist asks you, “Are you using a professional hair care product at home ?” Well it all comes down to where the PH levels ( potential hydrogen) of shampoo and conditioner fall on the scale from 0-14. If we understand that 7 is in the middle then we should also understand that our hair will be in optimum condition in that area of the scale. Here is some interesting info on that….
Because your hair is primarily protein, it tends to be very strong. Chemical processes, however can weaken your hair causing it to break off.
Your hair consists of two parts. The outmost layer is the cuticle and inside of that is the cortex. When your hair is damaged, the scales on the cuticle stand out and break off. This exposes the cortex which makes your hair feel harder. This can make it difficult to brush your hair.
The cortex is what gives your hair its strength and its elasticity. For this reason damaged hair does not return to its original shape and may even snap when it is stretched.
Melanin is on the inner section of your cortex. Melanin is what gives you your original hair color. That is why when coloring your hair, the hair colorant must penetrate the cortex in order to change the color of your hair.
As you may already know, pH is based on a scale of 0-14, and for illustration purposes, we’ll point out that pure water has a PH of 7, while your hair and skin have a pH of 5. You should avoid both strong acids and strong alkalis, as they will both burn your scalp.
Most shampoos will have a pH balance of around 7. On the other hand, lemon juice and vinegar have a PH balance of 2 or 3 and baking soda has a pH of 8 or 9.
Now that we know all that, let’s get into the hair products. Hair colorants are usually more alkaline. Alkaline means that the product has a pH level of 7 or over and it is a non-acidic product. The cuticle opens up when an alkaline substance is applied to it. This is what allows hair colorant to penetrate the cortex. There, it reacts with the hairs pigmentation to produce the color change.
Strong acids are not usually present in hair care products. Conditioner has a mildly acidic pH. These mild acids have the opposite effect on the alkalis, and they cause the cuticle to flatten. In turn, this makes your hair easier to comb, and it will look shinier.
So, now that we know that alkalis will open the cuticle, and acids will flatten it, we can decide on which types of products we want or do not want to use on our hair. Naturally, we’ll not want to do anything that causes damage, so we’ll avoid the extremes one way or another. That is not to say however, that coloring your hair on occasion is a bad thing. Just know that because of the pH differences, we’ll not want to use them too often.
The key to keeping your hair healthy and manageable, is to use products that work to keep your hair as close to its normal pH and avoid long term use of anything that doesn’t.
Thanks till next time,
Thomas
