OK so trust me I know what you are thinking. Why do I need to understand pH levels when it comes to my hair? Didn’t I leave this stuff in chemistry class? Well yes, you did but if there was ever a topic you needed to understand pH balance and natural hair is one of them. As one girl stated, I just learned about porosity and hygral fatigue…I’m pretty overwhelmed! No worries, it’s my job to break down these topics so it is easy for you to understand.
So what is PH?
The potential of hydrogen, also known as pH, is the measurement of how alkaline or acidic a substance is and significantly controls how the cuticle layers of the hair react to products. Measured on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14, substances with a pH between 0 and 6.9 are acidic, 7 is neutral, while substances between 7.1 and 14 are alkaline. For example, relaxers rank higher on the scale with a pH normally around 13, pure water is neutral at 7, and apple cider vinegar (undiluted) is on the opposite side of the scale around 3. What does this mean for you? A higher pH substance or product on the scale opens the cuticle and lower pH closes the cuticle.
Why do I need to know this?
Cuticle layers play a very important role in the health of your strands since it is the first barrier of protection against the inner cortex of the hair shaft. To further explain the importance of pH balance I contacted chemist and CEO of Obia Natural Hair Care Obia Ewah to lend professional and scientific knowledge about the importance of pH in hair care products.
Read the my full interview with her here on NaturallyCurly.com.
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Charlene Walton McCraney is a Dallas beauty and lifestyle blogger. After years of styling her and several friends’ hair as a hobby, offering advice and tips, she decided to combine two of her favorite things…writing and talking about natural hair!
TexturedTalk.com was created to promote healthy hair care for women of all textures and has since evolved into other beauty and lifestyle topics. Charlene loves teaching other aspiring bloggers on how to take their passion and turn it into amazing content to provide value.
Charlene is a previous beauty contributor to NaturallyCurly.com, CurlyNikki.com, and 21ninety.com.
When she’s not blogging she is probably crunching numbers as a Senior Financial Analyst, dancing or figuring a way to meet Beyonce in person. :)
