HairChemistry: pH Balance and Hair

The first time I ever heard of pH Balance and Hair was while watching kimmaytube'sYouTube video

Now, what is pH Balance?

pH or "Potential of Hydrogen" is the process of measuring the acid or alkaline levels of any liquid.  The liquid can be water or cream-based.

Acidic levels range from 0 to 6.9, while Alkaline levels range from 7.1 to 14.  Pure water is neutral; having a level of 7.0.

To find out what the pH level of the water that I use to wash my hair was, I bought some pH test strips. I got mine (Macherey-Nagel brand) from Amazon, after searching many stores in my area.

Why am I testing my water?  From my research, hard water can cause hair to become dull, dry, limp, and brittle. It also has the ability to make the hair more prone to breakage and tangles.  This is because of the high mineral content that is in the water. I wanted to find out if I have hard water. 

When I tested, my water was about 7.5. Not bad. Since surface water (normal water) has a range from 6.5 to 8.5. Hard water is considered as any water that has about 8.5.

So, I feel better now, knowing that any breakage or dull/dry/brittle issues I might have with my hair was not due to my water.

Now, lets about hair...

Hair has a pH level ranging from 4.5 to 5.5. My goal for this little experiment was to make sure that the water + conditioner spray I use daily on my hair and my girls' hair was not causing any damage. My goal was to have the solution be in the same range as the hair sebum ph level (4.5 to 5.5).

Earlier, I had tested the water and it was about 7.5, so I needed to test the mixture of V05 conditioner and water. 

My spritz bottle contains 1 cup of water (from the tap) and half a tablespoon of V05 conditioner.

As you can see, the level of this mixture is between, 6.0 and 7.0.  Not bad, but not my goal. Once again, I am trying to get it closer to the pH level of my hair sebum (4.5 to 5.5).

To only way to accomplish this would be to add an acidic liquid. Apple Cider Vineger is an acidic liquid that may people use on their hair, so I decided to use that.

I tested the pH level of my vineger, and it was about 2.5.

To bring the pH level of my spritz bottle mixture down, I started adding a quarter teaspoon of vineger at a time till the level was down to between 4.5 -5.5.



Now, I know that when I prepare my daily spritz water, I have a mixture of 1 cup water, 1/2 tablespoon V05 conditioner, and 3/4 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vineger.

If you don't like using Apple Cider Vinegar, try Aloe Vera Juice, which is suppose to have similar pH level to the hair sebum.

Try this out with other products and share your experience.