Balancing Your Hairs pH Can Be as Easy
Can you believe that just like our bodies our hair has a pH as well? The shampoo that you choose can make a huge difference in the overall appearance and health of your tresses. For those of you who may not know the general understanding of pH, it is found in most compound products and can either be acidic or alkaline. Any shampoo that claims to be pH balanced should be on the slightly acidic side, whereas the average conditioners are more on the chemical side. If you want to
maintain your curls vibrant color, shine, texture, and overall health it is essential to know how the pH levels in your shampoo or other products can affect your locks. You don't have to be a wiz at chemistry to understand how pH works, and thankfully you have us to help you out every step of the way. If you want to have the healthiest hair, I suggest you sit back and dive into this impressive list of all the reasons why you should start
using pH balanced shampoos.
The Basics of the pH Scale
If you were never a fan of chemistry, I understand entirely. But if you remember a little about pH balances, then this will be a significant flashback for you. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 and in the middle, seven is neutral. The lower numbers between 1 and six would be acidic, and the higher numbers 8 through 14 are alkaline. The amount of hydrogen in a solution will determine if it is more alkaline or acidic. Many people do not know that shampoos have varying levels that can be healthy or damaging to your tresses. Most shampoos don't list its pH levels on the back of the bottles, and if its pH higher, the content will be harsher. The best level for any shampoo would be between 5 and 7 and trust me any product that would promote the health of your hair would have these numbers on their bottle. Now You may be wondering how does pH levels encourage and establish a healthy mane? Well, allow us to explain.
How Does pH Levels Promote Healthy Hair?
So, there are many reasons how pH levels affect our tresses. Our hair consists of tiny shafts that we call our cuticles. Water and a chemical product would cause these scales to open and expose the inside of the hair shaft. You do not want your cuticle shaft to open, ideally because it will show your scalp and there will be nothing to protect it from harmful elements like the sun or chemicals. To avoid anything terrible from happening you would want to
choose a bottle of shampoo that is more acidic or at a lower pH level so that it can keep moisture in the hair shaft. So, now that you know how different levels of pH promote healthy hair let's get into the reasons why you all need to invest in pH balanced shampoo's.
They Help When You Have Color Hair
So, for any of my ladies who love to dye their hair, buying a pH balance shampoo will be a huge lifesaver. When you dye your mane, the coloring opens the small shafts so that root or cuticle can absorb the color. Our scalp naturally produces oil that is slightly acid, and that is to prevent our hair from drying out. When this process takes place, it will, in turn, close those hair shafts, but if you frequently dye your curls your scalp will produce too much of this oil, and it will
make your locks look greasy. If you are suffering from oily or dry tresses due to hair coloring then this is where pH balance shampoo comes into play, it helps close the cuticles and keep them that way. And if that is not a plus, it also prevents the scalp from producing too much oil after excessively exposing your tresses to harsh chemicals. At the end of the day who knew that you could have healthy looking strands after you dye them repeatedly? Well with this fantastic product the sky is the limit, so we would suggest you invest in this shampoo if any of these cases apply to you.
Closes the Cuticle and Helps Prevent the Common Cold
Do you ever wash your hair and hours, or days afterward realize that you have the sniffles or the common cold? Well, it could be due to the shampoo you are using. The outer part of our hair, we name it the cuticle, consists of overlapping scales. Alkaline products cause the scales to open and exposes the shaft of our hair. Since the exposing cortex is now open, it takes a while for it to close causing the cold air to encounter our scalp and make us sick. The only way to shut these shafts is to have a slightly acidic shampoo that can return it to its natural state. I know that no one probably thinks that the products they're using would have any direct correlation with getting the cold. But, nothing new should surprise you. The other benefit of having the cuticle close is that it will seal in the color of your hair keeping a shiny coat and a healthier appearance. I hope that now after reading this information, you feel the urge to go out and invest in this fantastic shampoo.
Helps Treat A Flaky Scalp
Sometimes having a
flaky scalp is hereditary. Our scalps natural sebum oil has a pH of 2.5 if any product is higher than that it will dry it out cause our scalp to flake uncontrollably. Also, if too much of our sebum is dry, then it can cause dandruff and itching that can be extremely uncomfortable. You would think purchasing over the counter
dandruff shampoos would help the issue, but it is full of alkaline so while it does get rid of dirt, bacteria, and dandruff, it will also leave your hair shafts open for more damage to occur. If you or someone you know is suffering from a flaky scalp issue try to use products with a pH balance of 6 or 7. This helps to fight off flakes and cleanse the scalp without taking away too much of our natural oils, we naturally produce. In addition to purchasing these shampoos also make sure your hair care products have a sulfate-free formula. These products will not dry out your curls, and since they are gentle to use they will not strip away any hair color or dye that you are rocking. An excellent way to know if the shampoo you are using has sulfates in them is if they burn or sting when they encounter your eyes, they should not be painful or dry out your skin the process. So, be sure to keep all these tips in mind if you are dealing with a flaky scalp.
Prevents Hair Damage
If you are someone suffering from split ends, or damaging hair it could be due to the shampoo that you are using. When moisture is in the cortex of your hair shaft, and it remains closed it helps keep the flexibility in your strands. If by any chance moisture escapes from your scalp, your tresses will instantly become dry, look duller, and you are more likely to develop
split ends. Shampoo that has high levels of alkaline in it increases the negative electrical charges of the hair fiber surface, when this happens there will be an increase of friction between the strands, and in return will lead to cuticle damage and breakage. Investing in lower level pH shampoo's will cause less frizzing because it is generating less static electricity in the hair. So, spending a little bit more time and money now could add years of life to your hair later, if you have the time check out the labels on your shampoos to see what type of pH level they hold.
Beneficial For Frizzy Hair
Since we're talking about
frizzy hair, it's no question that investing in a pH balance shampoo will be amazing for those of you who deal with wild, unmanageable curls. Remember that alkaline pH increases the negative electrical charge of the hair fibers thus creating a frizzy effect. When you have curly hair, it is more likely that you will deal with excessive combing, loss of strands, and long nights styling up your locks. Try looking for a bottle of shampoo with a pH balance of around 5 or 6. This is just the right number of acidic compounds that will help keep your cuticles not open and have them producing an average healthy amount of sebum oils. This product is overall good on kinky hair as well. You will find that once you start using a pH balanced shampoo, you will have a more defined curl pattern and as a result. It'll make it a lot easier to style your hair in the mornings and throughout the day. There is no reason to succumb to the idea of unruly frizzy hair, you have products like pH balanced shampoo out there to help. So, if any of these circumstances apply to you ask you salon or hairstylist for further questions and advice.
Prevents Oily Hair
As you will hear me repeatedly say in this blog post, our scalp produces oil that keeps our hair shiny and healthy. Since this oil is acidic, it helps keep our hair shaft close. Unfortunately, most shampoos contain detergents that bond with oil, thus allowing that healthy sebum to wash away whenever we clean our tresses. If too much of our hairs natural oil strips away then our scalp will go into overtime to produce more to compensate the loss. And in the process will cause us to have oily hair, which is not attractive. If your locks are too greasy, it will become dirtier a lot faster. This is why choosing shampoo with an acidic pH balance will be extremely helpful. It's crazy to think that by our bodies trying to help us it an in a twist of events cause more damage than good. Thankfully creators have given us this fantastic product, because who knows how much longer we would have to deal with the inconvenience of oily hair. If these issues sound like something that you can relate to far too well, think about investing in these beneficial shampoos.
Will You Invest a pH Balanced Shampoo?
I hope now understanding pH levels doesn't feel like rocket science anymore. This information is vital because it has a direct correlation on the effects of the health of your hair. The next time you choose shampoo or see your stylist at your local salon I have a feeling you'll be asking tons of questions on the pH levels of the products that they are using. I believe that before you get any treatment on your hair that you should ask a specialist about the current health of your strands and what you can do to help them achieve their full shine and color. Remember that pH balanced shampoos are clinically proven to improve the overall health of your scalp and hair. Every choice you make when it comes down to the products you choose to use on your hair can have either a positive or negative consequence. Imagine using a bottle of shampoo that does not strip too much of your natural oil sebum away and in the process
reduces dryness, frizz, tangling, and breakage. If you don't invest in anything new this year, then let pH balance shampoo but the first thing that you try. I hope that this list has you feeling positive about the benefits of this product. If you have or are thinking of investing in pH balanced shampoo, please tell us all about it in the comments down below.
