Scalp pH & Hair pH Balance: Why The pH of Hair and Scalp Is Important
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Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Summary: In this blog we learn all about the importance of the scalp pH balance and the hair pH balance. We'll learn what the healthy pH level is for hair and scalp, what happens when it's out of kilter and how to rebalance your hair and scalp pH...
Did you know that our entire bodies are made up of pH levels, all working together to keep us functioning at an optimum level?
Well, this is also the case for your hair!
Potential of Hydrogen – or more commonly known as pH – is a scale on which we categorise acidic and alkaline properties. Ranging from 1 to 14, this measure helps us understand how better to look after our bodies due to the different pH levels in our skin, organs, and hair.
This finely tuned balance needs to be managed carefully, otherwise, we can end up with irritable skin, infections or damaged, brittle hair.
When it comes to your hair, keeping and maintaining the perfect hair pH balance can help prevent problems such as hair loss, thinning and dullness, so it is time to learn and understand how to look after your hair and how to easily keep that all important hair pH balanced.
What Is The pH Of Hair?
The natural and healthy pH level of your hair ranges between 4.5 and 5.5 – meaning that our hair is naturally more acidic [1]. We need and want our hair to be between these two levels for optimum health, as the cuticles will naturally be closed and healthy, helping to support the strength and thickness of each individual strand and follicle.
Maintaining a natural scalp pH and hair pH level means that the acidic sebum produced by your scalp will help fight bacteria, keeping your hair from falling out or becoming weak and thin.
When you then introduce alkaline hair products or a chemical that is more alkaline, the cuticles on your scalp may then open up, which leaves you at risk to hair loss, dullness, weakness and thinning.
Unfortunately, when it comes to our hair pH levels, it can be sensitive to dramatic change. Combating too much alkaline with an abundance of acidic products will also result in some negative effects. This can potentially cause the cuticles to contract and leave the hair vulnerable to weakness and fallouts.
How To Strike A Balance
Through simple ph focussed hair care, you can make sure that the pH balance of your scalp and hair is in good condition. You see, there are lots of day to day activities and habits that can affect this finely tuned balance, so all it takes is a few changes and your hair will be in perfect condition.
First things first, you need to find out whether your hair is more alkaline or acidic. This can be determined by the current condition of your hair.
If you have an itchy, dry and flaky scalp, this would suggest that your hair has become more alkaline – probably caused by using a hair product that has a high pH (above 7). Not what you want for healthy hair!
While your scalp and hair are in this alkaline state, the natural sebum production will be off, making it unable to protect your scalp from infection, disease and hair loss.
Scalp pH & Hair pH Balance For Curly Hair
If you’re someone who has natural curls in your hair, your cuticles will be partially open. Unfortunately, this means that your hair will naturally sit higher on the pH scale, holding a more alkaline state.
It is important for anyone with curly hair to return their scalp and hair to a slightly acidic level. The open cuticles will prevent the scalps natural acidic sebum from keeping the head at a pH level of 4.5 and 5.5.
Scalp pH & Hair pH Balance For Straight Hair
Different from curly hair, if you’re someone with straight locks, you should aim to use products that are completely pH balanced (pH 7). Luckily, due to the way the hair grows, the natural acidic sebum will be able to move through the hair easily, creating a pH balance that will keep the hair healthy, strong and less prone to breakages and fallouts.
1. Use pH Balance Hair Products Like pH Balanced Shampoo And Conditioner
Once you know where your hair falls on the pH scale, you can begin to treat your hair and scalp to what they need to either keep acidic or to reduce the volume of alkaline.
The best place to start is to check what you’re applying to your hair – it’s time to start reading labels.
When buying a new product for your hair – whether it is a shampoo and conditioner or oil to soften your locks, you need to make sure that the pH level is between 4 – 7. The more neutral the products are that you apply to your hair, the easier it will be to stop your hair from dramatically going from one end of the scale to the other.
A duo set like Cel’s Microstem Shampoo & Conditioner are the perfect products to help keep the scalp and hair healthy and balanced. Our cutting-edge, pH balancing scalp care stem cell shampoo & conditioner set is a powerful biotin infused formula that works to improve the condition of thinning hair by encouraging follicle recovery.
Our natural, so therefore neutralising, shampoo and conditioner set are both suitable for all hair types, and will leave your hair feeling healthy, hydrated, smooth and manageable.
Is Cel the best pH balanced shampoo and conditioner?
Well, we’re obviously bias…!
2. Scalp pH & Hair pH Balance: Support Your Hair With The Right Routine
When your hair has returned to its natural acidic state, you will need to make sure that the pH stays corrected, otherwise, issues like hair loss and thinning will begin to happen.
Picking the right hair care products is key, like a high quality, natural pH shampoo and conditioner set that are completely neutral is quite frankly, necessary, but also using them when you’re meant to and not over doing it.
Unsure how often you should be washing your hair so not to throw off the pH level of your hair? Find out how often you should wash your hair according to your hair type here!
Introducing a serum or oil to your hair care routine (applied after washing your hair) will also help maintain your hair pH and scalp pH. It’s a great way of making sure you’re treating your hair correctly as well as supporting you in avoiding an imbalance in scalp pH and hair pH.
3. How To Restore pH Balance Of Hair: Try Natural Ways To Balance pH Like Acidic Hair Rinses
Putting natural substances on your locks is a fantastic way to balance any unhealthy pH. Natural acidic substances will bring you hair to a balance without having to worry about adding other harmful chemicals to your locks.
Apple Cider Vinegar: A pH Balancing Acidic Hair Rinse
Apple cider vinegar has a variety of important health benefits with its mild acid, supporting the correction of your skin and hair pH levels. Not only can it help fight an infection that your scalp may be a victim too, but it can also help eczema, UTIs and dandruff – arguably, a miracle ingredient to your hair care routine [2].
So, an apple cider vinegar hair rinse can help rebalance the PH level of the scalp and hair. But, how do you make an apple cider vinegar acidic hair rinse?
Simply mix together a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar (or even lemon juice) with 250ml of warm water. Pour through the hair and over the scalp, leave for a couple of minutes and rinse out with cool water. Ta-da!
Final Thoughts On Balancing Scalp pH & Hair pH
Finding the right hair care products that are naturally based can be difficult when you need to fix your pH imbalance. Start off with Cel’s Microstem Shampoo & Conditioner because it’s packed with powerful natural ingredients, including Ginseng and Biotin that will help restore the pH balance and help strengthen your hair.
Keeping your hair pH and scalp pH levels balanced can be hard in our busy lives and demanding hair care rituals.
It is believed that 75% of women in the US dye their hair [3], which will ultimately affect the pH levels in their locks! Dying your hair and using products that are either high or low on the pH scale can seriously affect your locks in a negative way, leaving you vulnerable to hair loss, dullness and thinning.
But, using the above tools to control and balance your hair pH and scalp pH levels can help you combat these undesirable effects and leave you with luscious, healthy locks.
