Where to look at the pH level in shampoos. Shampoo pH measurement

We've already discussed how pH can affect hair health. If you have problems with your hair, especially if it is chemically treated, then pH may be the cause of these problems.

Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to list pH on product packaging. A recent study found that 38% of 123 shampoos studied had a pH below 5.5. The rest are more than 5.5. If you remember, the pH of the scalp is 5.5. Ideally, you should ensure that the pH of the shampoo is approximately the same to avoid imbalance.

Low pH is great for hair because it brings hair closer to its isoelectric point at approximately pH 3.67. This flattens the cuticles and prevents hair from swelling in water, resulting in a more flattering, smooth look.

High pH levels, on the other hand, can cause hair to swell too much. Cuticles become weak and very easily removed or damaged during grooming procedures. Hair looks dull and weak.

There are cases where raising the pH closer to neutral (7.0) is beneficial. For example, some baby shampoos have a pH of around 7, which allows the shampoo to not cause eye irritation.

Testing the pH of your shampoo (or other products)

Special test strips can be used to measure pH. If you are using liquid shampoo, pour a small amount onto the strip. Wait a minute for the color change to finish.

If you are using a cream shampoo, apply it to the strip as well, but leave it there for a few minutes. Typically pH is measured in liquids. This takes longer for thicker products and is less accurate. But such a test can give you a rough idea of ​​the pH level of your shampoo.

Use the chart on the box to compare the color the strip produces. Each color corresponds to a pH number.

Since you don't even know the approximate pH of your shampoo, take strips that can help you determine the entire range

Also, do not dilute your shampoo before using pH strips. from 0 to 14.

Why do your hair products contain acids and alkalis?

Ingredients can be misleading. Among the various ingredients, we often see acids and alkalis also used in the formulation of hair products. Many people worry when they see these chemicals in a product, likely because acids and alkalis are corrosive in nature. So why are they considered safe for consumer use and why are they used in hair products?

A little chemistry: what is pH?

When we talk about acids and alkalis in foods, we are indirectly discussing the pH value of them. We often hear that acid closes the hair cuticles (low pH) and alkali opens them (high pH).

pH is a way of measuring acidity and alkalinity and is related to the net amount of hydrogen ions (H+) present in a solution. Water itself can dissociate into hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions, which, when present in equal quantities, make the water neutral: pH = 7.

When other substances are added to water, the pH may change. Acids lower the pH (less than 7), providing more hydrogen ions. Alkalis raise pH (greater than 7) by removing hydrogen ions or adding more hydroxide ions.

Clearing up confusion about acids and alkalis

Some acids used in hair products are citric acid, HCl (perchloric acid), benzoic acid, etc. Some alkalis include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or even ammonium hydroxide.

These chemicals themselves are indeed corrosive in their pure form. Even citric acid, which is found in lemons or other citrus fruits, is dangerous if swallowed alone.

However, only a few drops of dilute acids and alkalis are used during preparation. They are not as corrosive as concentrated acids and alkali. In addition, once added to the preparation, these acids and alkalis will dissociate in water and instantly react to changes in pH.

Once the acid or alkali has dissociated, changingpH, they no longer act as acids or alkalis. They will form water and salt.

The pH is monitored using a pH meter to ensure that the final value is acceptable for skin and hair health.

By law, the packaging must list all the ingredients added to the drug. That is why you will see sodium hydroxide or citric acid in the composition. But the fact is that these acids or alkalis are no longer present as such in this product after they have reacted with other ingredients. (See image below).

Keep in mind that there are certain cases where alkalis can affect your hair. These may include chemical treatments such as hair dyeing or perming, for example where the pH of the hair must be raised using an alkali such as ammonium hydroxide. The amount of alkali used in these formulations is significant enough to irritate skin and damage hair.

So, what do acids and alkalis do in hair?

Some ingredients may need to be neutralized during product preparation. In other words, when added to water, they make the solution too alkaline or too acidic. Those. ingredients that lower the pH will require the addition of an alkali such as sodium hydroxide to restore the pH back to neutral levels.

Likewise, certain ingredients can raise the pH of the overall solution. They need to be neutralized with acid to reduce the pH to neutral.

The image illustrates a simple neutralization reaction:

In other cases, changing the pH can change the property of the material. One example is the use of Carbomer acrylic polymer. This ingredient becomes acidic in water. When neutralized with lye, it swells to a gel consistency (often used in hair gels).

When it comes to hair products such as shampoos, stylers, etc., the finished products usually have an acid-neutral pH range (5-7) to help keep hair healthy.

The beauty of hair depends not only on fashionable haircut and coloring, but also from the shampoo you use most often. When choosing hair cosmetics, you should definitely pay attention to pH. Why do this and what does this indicator affect?

What does shampoo pH mean?

Surely you have noticed that when choosing a shampoo recommended by friends or advertising, you are faced with the fact that it does not suit you. For example, the hair roots become greasy the next day, hair dye is washed off quickly, or dandruff appears. If this is the case, then it’s time to figure out what acidic and alkaline shampoos are.

Shampoo and mask Bonacure pH 4.5. Neutral shampoo Natura Siberica.

Normal pH level

It is important to know that such an indicator as pH affects not only the hair, but also the scalp. The fact is that the normal pH of healthy skin is 4.5-5.5. And shampoos with this indicator are only suitable for normal and sensitive hair. Their “trick” is that they help normalize the acid-base balance of the hair. For example, the Natura Siberica line.

Alkaline pH

If the number exceeds 7, then the pH balance of the scalp is shifted to the alkaline side. This helps to open the hair cuticle, making it porous and fluffy. Dandruff may also appear due to the proliferation of fungi.

Most often, a shift to the alkaline side occurs after dyeing, hair straightening and perm.

Alkaline shampoos are recommended for oily hair In addition, they are used for detox procedures - deep cleansing. Again, due to the fact that they contribute to the opening of the hair cuticle scales. Hair Detox popular in Lately a procedure that can be performed at home (once a month). It not only cleanses the scalp, rids hair of styling residues, but also facilitates absorption nutrients. Therefore, detox shampoos usually have a pH above 7, but are not suitable for continuous use.

Acidic pH level

Why do you need acid shampoo? If we talk about acidic products, they help smooth the cuticle scales. Therefore, acid shampoos are used after hair coloring, which allows you to close the color inside the hair. As a result of using “acidic” shampoos, hair looks healthy, smooth and shiny.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYySuhKDXyp/

• Most often, shampoos with an acidic pH are good for those with damaged and dry hair.
• After a radical change of image. For example, the procedure for changing from dark to light is very aggressive, the pH balance becomes higher than normal.
• After unsuccessful chemical exposure.
• It is equally important to choose the right shampoo for those with curly/wavy hair structure.
• They will also come in handy after highlighting and coloring.
• If you have dandruff. In this case, you should use products with an acidic acidity level - less than 7.

How to find out the specific pH of a shampoo

Unfortunately, in the Russian Federation this task is not an easy one. The thing is that this is not necessary. But there are manufacturers who indicate the pH on the packaging. For example, Subtil, Bonacure line, care level 4.5.

There is a solution: purchase indicator test strips. They are sold in pharmacies and even on AliExpress. Such litmus tests are useful not only for shampoos. They are indispensable when checking the pH level of balm, hair mask and even facial cosmetics. Conclusion: it is advisable to know the pH level in order to choose wisely for yourself cosmetical tools, maintain the color of the dye longer and do not suffer from brittle ends.

• We recommend

Where does the choice of shampoo begin?

Before you go shopping for care products, you first need to determine what type of hair you have and the condition of your scalp. For dry, thin, thick, split ends, porous, brittle hair you will need different shampoos. It is imperative to pay attention to the condition of the scalp: whether it is oily, normal, prone to irritation or seborrhea.

The beauty and health of hair depends on the condition of the hair follicles. Therefore, when choosing a shampoo, you need to focus first on the type of scalp, and only after that - on the condition of the curls themselves. The wrong shampoo can cause a lot of trouble, causing itching and flaking, dryness, stiffness or increased greasiness of the hair.

Types of shampoos

Modern hair cleansers can be divided into four main categories:

Caring shampoos. Designed to maintain healthy scalp and curls.

Neutral. Perform cleaning functions.

Shampoos with peeling effect. They are used for deep cleansing.

Tinted. Provides light coloring effect.

Shampoo is designed to care for and treat the scalp. And the condition of the hair is mostly taken care of by masks, balms, oil sprays and other products.

Now let's figure out which shampoo is suitable for each scalp type.

Oily skin

Choose shampoos for frequent use with a mild effect. They can be alternated with products for sensitive skin. Nourishing shampoos and products are not suitable for colored curls: they weigh down the hair, make it dull and unruly, and often cause seborrhea.

Dry skin

Moisturizing shampoos with low level pH containing vitamins, as well as nutritional and herbal components: honey, lanolin, proteins, olive oil and so on.

Shampoos with aggressive substances, excess fragrances and dyes are not suitable for deep cleaning.

Sensitive skin

Suitable soft cleansing and moisturizing shampoos marked “for gentle care”, containing phytocomponents that relieve irritation: chamomile, valerian, mint. Shampoos with aggressive effects and active substances, such as hot pepper, burdock, and mustard, are not suitable.

Mixed skin

Here you need to use a combination of shampoos and care products after washing. Sets of shampoo with a peeling effect and shampoo for sensitive skin, or an anti-seborrhea remedy and a mask that normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands are suitable. Shampoos are not suitable for one specific skin type - only oily or only dry.

For normal hair, choose a neutral, balanced shampoo that will carefully remove impurities and maintain healthy curls. Oily skin requires a product that cleanses well and also contains ingredients that have a soothing and antimicrobial effect. Dry hair is best suited to a product with moisturizing and nourishing additives: oils, keratin, vitamins, plant extracts.

Shampoo for combination hair, extracts seaweed. Thin hair You need a shampoo with a thickening effect with the addition of keratin, silk proteins, calcium, wheat germ, almond milk. And if you have colored and damaged hair, use a shampoo that will help preserve color, with a UV filter and nutritional additives - glycerin, keratin, proteins, and so on.

Since the scalp and hair get used to the effects of the same active substances, it is necessary to change the shampoo every three to four months - so its effectiveness will not decrease.

Subscribe to WMJ.ru pages on Odnoklassniki, Facebook, VKontakte, Instagram and Telegram!

Good day to all!

The CARETECT HB COLOR line is the second hair washing and care product I have tried from the Japanese brand Napla.

Looking ahead, I will say that today the CARETECT HB series shampoos are the best for me, I mainly use them only.

This particular line, with the prefix “color”, is intended for colored hair and has 2 types of products according to the type of effect, designated by letters S(softness, smoothness) and V(volume).

I chose type V, purchased it complete with a mask.

Napla CARETECT HB color is a shampoo with a low pH level. To what exact value is not specified, but the Japanese write “slightly reduced.” That is, slightly acidic. I heard that there are test strips on sale for determining pH levels. Alternatively, you can test it experimentally.

WHY AND WHO NEEDS LOW-PH SHAMPOO AND HOW IT WORKS

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of an environment. pH is measured in the range from 0 to 14. A value from 0 to 6.9 means an acidic environment, 7 is neutral, and 7.1-14 is alkaline. The acidity of hair and sebum is 4.5-5.5. This acidity in the hair prevents the development of fungus and bacteria on the scalp and hair and also keeps the cuticle closed. A large number of The hair products we use disrupt the normal acidity of the hair. Alkaline solutions help open the hair cuticle, while too acidic solutions cause them to shrink.

Acidic shampoos are primarily needed by people with weak, brittle, dry hair, damaged hair coloring and other chemical influences. The alkali contained in dyes opens the hair cuticle like a bump. As a result, the hair begins to lose moisture, splits and breaks. A lower pH is also suitable for curly hair, which is porous by nature. In addition, acidic shampoos can prevent and eliminate dandruff.

For normal straight hair, it is better to use shampoos and conditioners with a neutral pH level, as acidic ones can make hair greasy.

COMPOUND

Water, methylaminopropionate, cocamide DEA, cocamidopropyl Betaine, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate 2 Na, TEA cocoyl glutamine acid, Zoran acid PEG-120 glucoside, ceteareth-60 miristylg glycol, sodium lauroyl hydrolyzed silk, hemline, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, Na gilauroyle glutamine acid lysine , trehalose, polyquaternium--61, methylsilanediol hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen PCA-Na, betaine, Camellia, cocoilargininethyl PCA, sorbitol, serine, glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, lysine, arginine, threonine, PROLINE, St. John's wort extract, chamomile extract, Linden extract, calendula extract, cornflower extract, Roman camomile extract, peg-20 sorbitancocoetho, polyquaternium--10, oxybenzone-4, glycerin, BG, sodium chloride, citric acid, sodium benzoate, EDTA -2Na, Ethanol, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance

The washing base is very soft (as in other Napla shampoos from the CARETECT HB line) is perfect for people with sensitive skin heads suffering from itching. A large amount of moisturizing ingredients. The composition is excellent. Parabens personally don’t bother me.

TEXTURE and SMELL

The texture is quite liquid, one might say watery. Consumption is not the most economical. Tea color. Foams perfectly, the foam is soft and dense. It smells like gentle baby soap, you can feel a slight sourness in the aroma. But the main smell is soap.

IMPRESSIONS and RESULTS

The first thing I want to note is its softness. The shampoo does not lather the first time. In order to rinse your hair, you need to apply 2-3 times. But with subsequent applications it produces abundant foam. Cleans well without drying out.

Everything that the manufacturer promises is fulfilled. The quality of the hair is excellent. Hair to hair. The hydration is simply incredible, smoothness, density. Hair does not frizz, porosity is eliminated. After washing the dye from the hair and washing it with this shampoo, the ammonia smell is actually neutralized, the hair does not smell of dye at all.

This shampoo is one of my favorites. There is volume. The shampoo really smoothes, perfectly moisturizes and thickens the hair! I use it during the first week after coloring. The scalp feels very comfortable.

If you constantly dye your hair, especially blonde, I recommend taking a closer look at these products. Suitable for people with porous curly hair who would like to “nail” the fluff and structure the texture of their hair.

A product similar in its effect is acid balm pH neutralizer from Joico.

About other Napla hair products I use:

If you have a problem with sensitive scalp and dye-weary hair with all the accompanying consequences, I recommend trying this shampoo.

Thanks for stopping by!

The quality of the shampoo directly affects appearance and hair condition.

An incorrectly selected product can lead to their loss, disrupt the secretion of the sebaceous glands of the scalp and even ruin the result of coloring.

Types of shampoos

Among huge selection It's easy to get overwhelmed with hair care products. To understand which shampoo is right for you, you need to take into account individual characteristics.

Determine your hair type:

1. Fat. They get dirty quickly, the styling loses its effect after just an hour. original appearance, and by the evening it looks clearly not fresh;
2. Dry. Characterized by increased fragility and lack of shine. During the day they become confused and electrified;
3. Combined. Oily at the roots, dry along the length. The problem of split ends.

Structure also plays an important role:

If your hair has been chemically treated, be sure to take this into account when choosing a shampoo:

1. Afterwards, you can’t do without intensive hydration and nutrition;
2. If you did, perm , or shielding, a sulfate-free shampoo is a must;
3. After staining A product that prevents the pigment from being washed out of the hair structure is suitable.

For each individual case there is a specific type of shampoo:

Neutral

RN – neutral shampoo suitable for both natural hair, and for damaged ones, after dyeing or perm.

These products contain useful additives - vitamins, oils, herbal extracts. pH level of neutral shampoo no more than 7. This is a hypoallergenic, soft product that will not harm the skin or dry out the hair.

Medicinal

There are a number of special shampoos designed to combat various hair diseases And scalp. These are not the “pharmacy” series that are actively advertised. They contain decoctions of herbs and roots and are gentle. But they are useless against seborrhea or hair loss.

If you have dandruff, psoriasis, symptoms of fungal infections of the scalp, allergic phenomena, you need to go to the doctor - trichologist. He will prescribe complex therapy, which, in addition to medicinal shampoo, will include other medications. Basically, such products contain antibacterial, antifungal additives. IN special cases Even hormones are included.

Natural

In the wake of high demand for ECO - products, the market is filled natural cosmetical tools. Soap factories and manufactories have appeared that do not use chemical additives or preservatives in their production.

The natural foaming base consists of saponified oils, natural extracts, hydrolates. In the production of IVF products they use healing mud, herbs, honey, royal jelly.

Their advantage in the undoubted benefits of natural ingredients and unique recipes. This is an ideal option for allergy sufferers. The only obstacle to the use of such products is individual sensitivity to individual components.

The disadvantages are the fairly high price. In addition, you cannot buy natural shampoo in any store. Nowadays you can find absolutely everything on the Internet.

No sulfates

Many well-known manufacturers produce lines of cosmetic detergents no sulfates. Advertising blocks in magazines, the Internet, and on television talk about their harm to the condition of the hair and scalp. Is it so?

On the shampoo label, sulfates are designated as SLS, SLES, SDS, ALS. These are the notorious sodium lauryl sulfate and its derivatives.

Such chemical compounds are called surfactants. Found in most cosmetic products.

Sulfates used to enhance cleansing properties and good foaming. This is where their “advantages” end.

The "disadvantages" are as follows:

1. May call allergic reaction;
2. Dry scalp;
3. Lead to dandruff;
4. Promotes the appearance of split ends;
5. Provoke hair fragility;
6. They interfere with the natural process of forming the protective barrier of the epidermis.

IN sulfate-free shampoos used as a soap base soft surfactants, glucosoids and their derivatives.

Reviews about them are mixed. On the one hand, they have no harmful effects. But on the other hand, they are not suitable for scalps prone to oiliness, since they are too gentle and do not wash the hair well.

Tinted

Tinted shampoos use to maintain hair color after dyeing or giving them the desired shade. They are unstable, the effect disappears completely within two weeks.

These products contain coloring pigments and emollients. For blondes there are separate series tint shampoos which help remove unwanted yellowness after dyeing.

They are easy to use. You can mix it with regular shampoo and wash your hair. To get a more lasting result:

• apply to wet hair, as hair dye;
• wait a quarter of an hour;
• wash off.

Professional

Each brand that produces products for beauty salons and hairdressing salons has a line professional shampoos. Not all of them are suitable for home use. For example, a technical deep cleaning product is intended to prepare hair for subsequent procedures - chemicals, coloring, lamination and others.

You can use not only masks to restore and grow hair.
Find out from our article what it is - who can and should do it, how the procedure goes.

In order to pick up professional shampoo for daily use, you need consult a hairdresser. The specialist will select a product that is ideal for your hair type. It is important to use other cosmetic products from the line to achieve maximum effect.

The benefits of horse shampoo: myth or truth?

In recent years there has been a boom around horse shampoo for hair growth has subsided a little, but still very often this remedy is discussed on forums on the Internet as a panacea for hair loss. Many people use dog products that groomers use to make their coat shiny and smooth before the show.

The main argument of supporters of such products is the naturalness of the ingredients. In fact, this is wrong. Hygienic products for animals contain the same surfactants and silicones, only in tripled quantities. So, first you will experience an amazing effect, and then bitter disappointment.

Silicones accumulate in hair make it heavier them, which leads to loss. In addition, after stopping use of horse shampoo, a “withdrawal effect” is possible.

Shampoo composition

For people, there are a lot of products suitable for any type of hair: professional, natural - for every taste. But if you want to experiment, then carefully read the composition. A level pH must be neutral.

Any shampoo consists of a soap base and additional components.

Harmful additives

In ordinary industrial means used superficially as a base - active substances (surfactants) And sodium lauryl sulfate or its derivatives. They provide rich foam and good cleansing properties, but at the same time dehydrate the hair and scalp.

In professional and higher quality shampoos they use soft surfactants that do not cause significant harm.

Lanolin and silicones The composition smoothes hair, provides a “mirror” shine and disguises split ends. With prolonged use, they tend to accumulate and weigh down the hair, which leads to hair loss. So, products with this composition are not for daily use.

In natural shampoos, soap nuts or saponified oils are used to provide the washing and foaming properties of the product.

Sulfate-free products contain cocoglucidide as a base - Coco Glucoside and its derivatives.

Some useful supplements include: oils:

• Castor;
• Burdock;
• Coconut;
• Macadamia;

Caring properties are enhanced by:

1. plant extracts;
2. vitamins;
3. lactic and fruit acid;
4. D – panthenol.

Natural shampoos may contain scrubbing particles (coffee, apricot kernel), blue and black clay, and medicinal mud.

Shampoo pH

Acidity level detergent for hair plays a big role. You can see pH markings on many shampoo bottles. The numerical value after these letters shows the balance between acidic and alkaline conditions in the product.

Undyed hair, which have not been subjected to any other chemical exposure, have pH 4.5 - 5.5. Cosmetic products with the same pH level do not contain alkalis, which can dry out the hair and cause damage.

For a regular mass-market shampoo, the pH varies from 6 to 8, and for cheap products it can even reach 14!

Choose a product with a low alkaline environment - pH 5.5 or neutral - pH 7.

Video: choosing shampoo based on composition

Here you can learn more about the composition of the shampoo - a cosmetic product technologist answers questions.

Shampoo brands

From professional means the most popular brands of shampoos for hair care Inoar, Concept, Loreal, Brelil.

From inexpensive domestic brands - Estel. It is advisable to use them in series, on the recommendation of the hairdresser. You can purchase it in a salon or in a specialized store.

Shampoos from the German brand are considered to be of high quality in the mass market category. Schwarzkopf & Henkel.

From domestic products - “Clean Line”, “Granny Agafya’s Recipes”.

Sulfate-free shampoos are available in many brands, but the most popular is. The products from this company contain organic extracts and herbs from Siberia and the Far East. All products are certified according to European Ecocert standards.

Natural and solid shampoos are produced by small enterprises. For example, a family manufactory "Krasnopolyanskaya cosmetics" located in the Caucasus Mountains region. For their products they use only natural ingredients, hydrosols and oil infusions.

How to choose the right shampoo

When choosing a shampoo, you need to focus, first of all, on individual indicators - hair structure and scalp type.

For normal hair

Any product is suitable for both women and men. You can choose a shampoo with neutral pH and plant extract in the composition. For example, with chamomile, aloe or calendula.

For dry hair

You need to choose a product with low pH, a sulfate-free shampoo is suitable. Moisturizing additives are required - oils, D - panthenol, lanolin, vitamins.

For oily hair

In this case, it is ideal to cope with the task shampoo - scrub. It not only rinses your hair well, but also cleanses your scalp. Sulfate-free and moisturizing products are contraindicated, as they will make the hair even heavier.

For combination hair

Will do any shampoo, the main thing is to use additionally balm or mask to moisturize dry ends.

For colored hair

There are a huge number of products that are designed to protect color from external influences (fading, washing out, etc.), for food damaged hair and tinted shampoos.

Anti-dandruff

We recommend purchasing this product at the pharmacy. The company's products cope well with the problem "Sulsenna". The shampoo should be used in combination with a balm and a special paste. Better yet, visit a dermatologist and find out why your scalp problems are occurring. Perhaps the cause is fungi or internal factors.

For thin

Worth using shampoo - conditioner, which will increase hair volume without weighing it down.

For gray hair

Exist special gray-disguising shampoos for both men and women. Such products should only be purchased from a professional cosmetic line to avoid unwanted effects.

Video: choosing dry shampoo

In this video you will learn in detail how to choose dry shampoo.

Among modern means Choosing the shampoo that is right for you is not difficult. If in doubt, you can always use consultation with a specialist– hairdresser or trichologist.