Let’s Talk pH

The term pH stands for the potential of the hydrogen atom to be acid or alkaline. Skin and hair do not have the same pH. A scale from 0 to 14 is used to measure acidity and alkalinity of solutions, and pH 7.0 is neutral. Acidity is a low pH number (0 to 6.9). And alkalinity is a high pH number (7.1-14). The pH of cosmetics will not change the pH of the hair or skin because the hair and skin contain keratin, fatty acids, and other substances that adjust the pH.  As long as a pH is not unusually high or low there is no pH problem. The high pH of cold wave solutions and hair straighteners damage the hair and skin. There is no such thing as a “pH balanced†product because a product’s pH will change while it is on the shelf in the store, and change when applied to the hair and skin. If you would like to know more about this subject or many more topics, you can read The Textbook of African Holistic Health by Llaila O. Afrika.