pH Balancing 4 Healthier Hair

So I ran across Kimmaytube from the YT the other day and my eyes have been GLUED to all her videos. This lady is good….REAL good. She doesn’t endorse products but she breaks down the “science” that it takes to promote healthier hair. One of the things stressed was knowing the pH of a product and how it can affect your hair. I noticed that some of us (including myself) use Dr. Bronners to shampoo hair, but we didn’t know it has a pH of 10! That is high! If you want to learn more read my notes below that I took from watching her videos or you can do a search for KimmayTube on YouTube.

When it comes to relaxed hair, pH balance is an important, but often overlooked, It is the element to ultimately achieving healthy hair. Relaxed hair at the ideal pH has closed and smooth cuticles, which gives the hair strength and shine, prevents excessive tangling, and allows the hair to retain moisture. Relaxed hair at the wrong pH is dull and dry, tangles and mats, and breaks easily. I believe this may also be the reason for my hair snapping and breaking for about 3 weeks.

Choosing products that are too high or too low in pH will affect our skin and hair by either nourishing it or irritating it. So it is extremely important that we know the pH of the products we put in our hair. Not knowing this can cause all kinds of issues ranging from dandruff to burning of the scalp.

Quoted from Paul BEGOUN & Kimmaytube:

· If a hair care product is too alkaline (PH 8 and over) it can cause the hair shaft to swell and damage the cuticle and cortex. (pg 77)

· Apply a substance with a pH greater than 7 (more alkaline than hair) decomposes the hair’s acid mantle and begins eating away at the hair’s outer cuticle layer (pg45)

· A product with a PH less than 2 (more acidic than hair) also decomposes hair. Therefore, anything with a pH greater than 7 or less than 3 is bad for the hair.

·A pH of 3 is quite acidic and can theoretically denature hair

And any product with a pH of 4.5 to 7 works great for the hair, either by complementing

the hairs natural acid mantle or by leaving it alone and not disturbing it

· The goal of any hair care product should be to leave the pH of hair alone or to move it slightly in the acidic direction (to help the cuticle lie flat) and that’s about it.

Acidifiers for closing your cuticles and retaining moistures in your hair after washing it.

Apple Cider Vinegar = 3.0ph (safer when diluted to at least 4.0

· Aloe Vera Juice = 4.0 – 4.5. It is good for a leave in conditioner ingredient or your water bottle spritz. Aloe Vera juice is a great hair acidifier.

· After wetting your hair, use an acidifier within the pH range of 4.0 -6.0 to close your cuticles. Water is more alkaline than our hair.

· You can mix your acidifier with a leave in conditioner product of your choice or make your own with jojoba, coconut or castor oils.

· Acidifiers close the cuticles of all hair types, but afro textured hair needs them the most. Our hair is often times more porous due to its flat shape. Keeping your pH in check will close your cuticles and help to lock moisture in.

· Be careful with Lemon Juice. It is highly acidic and can eat through hair

My Closing Remarks & Important Stuff 2 Remember:

When an alkaline substance is applied to hair it opens up the cuticle.

So, we know that an alkali will open up the cuticle and an acid will flatten it, we can decide on which types of products we want or do not want to use on our hair

Aloe Vera juice is a great hair acidifier

At a time I was using Dr Bonners soap to shampoo by hair with and it has a = Ph of 10! I was REALLY damaging my hair

And any product with a pH of 4.5 to 7 works great for the hair.

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 alkali 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 off topic: pH & Our Skin

Did you know this?

When it comes to cleansers, look for products that are mild and have a pH of 5.5. Bar soaps normally have a high pH, around 9 to 10. This means that bar soap can change the pH of skin and promote overgrowth of certain types of bacteria which increase acne outbreaks and duration. Use alcohol-free toners to help restore the skin’s pH after cleansing. Avoid over washing as water has a pH of 7. Avoid cleansers with harsh chemicals as these cause major pH imbalances that are difficult to restore.