Tuesday, May 18, 2004
More Shampoo Information
Valerie posted to the groomers list about shampoo pH:
Here's an article from Proctor & Gamble's website about shampoo PH. It explains it rather well, and debunks many of the myths about PH in shampoos. BTW a couple years ago Bbird conducted a study of shampoos/conditioners/dish soaps with several members of the TNT list. I was among the members that did testing in my shop. We found Ph ranges in
PET shampoos from 4.2 to 7.0 and they were all made for pets!
Many shampoo products stress pH balance. However, the language used to explain pH is often confusing. We've compiled some basic answers to the most frequently asked questions consumers ask when calling about our Pantene, Pert Plus, Prell, VS Sasson and Head & Shoulders products.
What does "pH" mean?
"pH" is an abbreviation for the potential Hydrogen of a liquid. It is the degree of the acidity or alkalinity in a substance and is measured on a scale from 0, which is strongly acidic, to 14, which is very alkaline. Anything moist - skin, hair, scalp, water, even tears - has pH. Pure water, for example, has a neutral pH of 7, whereas most
people's skin has a pH ranging from 5 - 6.5. Therefore, skin, hair and scalp - when damp - are slightly acidic, while tears are alkaline.
What about "pH" in Shampoo?
Most shampoos fall in the normal pH range of 4 - 9, which is close to the pH of the natural substances mentioned above. Even when the pH levels of shampoos differ slightly from the pH of your hair and scalp, they are not damaging. This is because your hair and scalp have the ability to quickly return to their normal pH levels after the shampooing
process.
When a shampoo with a different pH factor is applied to the hair, the pH levels of the hair and scalp are altered temporarily. However, as soon as the shampoo has been rinsed away and the hair and scalp are dry, they return to their normal pH, usually within minutes.
It is only when the pH of a shampoo does not fall within the normal range of 4 - 9 that it can affect the hair. If left on for a long time, highly acidic products with a pH under 4, or highly alkaline products with a pH over 9, can break down the bonds which hold the hair shaft together and cause permanent damage.
A good illustration of this would be lemon juice, which some people use as a final rinse. Although it has a pH of 2, lemon juice rinse left on for a few minutes will not harm the hair. However, lemon juice could cause damage if the hair were soaked in it for several days. Similarly, the pH rating of a shampoo would be crucial only if the shampoo were to be left on the hair for a long period of time.
Then you're saying that the "pH"in the range of levels of existing shampoos has nothing to do with the shampoos harshness or mildness?
We can go further than that and say that none of the major shampoos can really damage the hair. The purpose of a shampoo is simply to clean the hair and leave it manageably attractive. Judging a shampoo's harshness or mildness because of its pH is just a modern misconception, yet many people consider choosing a shampoo for its low pH factor, rather than considering its main performance benefits. When choosing a shampoo, it is best to just forget about pH and instead select a product that does a gentle, basic job of getting your hair clean.
Thanks for that, Valerie! And also for this link, too.
Here's an article from Proctor & Gamble's website about shampoo PH. It explains it rather well, and debunks many of the myths about PH in shampoos. BTW a couple years ago Bbird conducted a study of shampoos/conditioners/dish soaps with several members of the TNT list. I was among the members that did testing in my shop. We found Ph ranges in
PET shampoos from 4.2 to 7.0 and they were all made for pets!
Many shampoo products stress pH balance. However, the language used to explain pH is often confusing. We've compiled some basic answers to the most frequently asked questions consumers ask when calling about our Pantene, Pert Plus, Prell, VS Sasson and Head & Shoulders products.
What does "pH" mean?
"pH" is an abbreviation for the potential Hydrogen of a liquid. It is the degree of the acidity or alkalinity in a substance and is measured on a scale from 0, which is strongly acidic, to 14, which is very alkaline. Anything moist - skin, hair, scalp, water, even tears - has pH. Pure water, for example, has a neutral pH of 7, whereas most
people's skin has a pH ranging from 5 - 6.5. Therefore, skin, hair and scalp - when damp - are slightly acidic, while tears are alkaline.
What about "pH" in Shampoo?
Most shampoos fall in the normal pH range of 4 - 9, which is close to the pH of the natural substances mentioned above. Even when the pH levels of shampoos differ slightly from the pH of your hair and scalp, they are not damaging. This is because your hair and scalp have the ability to quickly return to their normal pH levels after the shampooing
process.
When a shampoo with a different pH factor is applied to the hair, the pH levels of the hair and scalp are altered temporarily. However, as soon as the shampoo has been rinsed away and the hair and scalp are dry, they return to their normal pH, usually within minutes.
It is only when the pH of a shampoo does not fall within the normal range of 4 - 9 that it can affect the hair. If left on for a long time, highly acidic products with a pH under 4, or highly alkaline products with a pH over 9, can break down the bonds which hold the hair shaft together and cause permanent damage.
A good illustration of this would be lemon juice, which some people use as a final rinse. Although it has a pH of 2, lemon juice rinse left on for a few minutes will not harm the hair. However, lemon juice could cause damage if the hair were soaked in it for several days. Similarly, the pH rating of a shampoo would be crucial only if the shampoo were to be left on the hair for a long period of time.
Then you're saying that the "pH"in the range of levels of existing shampoos has nothing to do with the shampoos harshness or mildness?
We can go further than that and say that none of the major shampoos can really damage the hair. The purpose of a shampoo is simply to clean the hair and leave it manageably attractive. Judging a shampoo's harshness or mildness because of its pH is just a modern misconception, yet many people consider choosing a shampoo for its low pH factor, rather than considering its main performance benefits. When choosing a shampoo, it is best to just forget about pH and instead select a product that does a gentle, basic job of getting your hair clean.
Thanks for that, Valerie! And also for this link, too.
