Your hair’s pH levels are the key to keeping it shiny and strong. We’re telling you why your hair pH matters and how to maintain it ahead. Plus expert tips and products to keep your strands healthy.

Your hair pH plays a major role in how it looks, feels and acts, so if your hair’s been misbehaving, your pH might be out of whack. So what is the pH of hair? Healthy hair has a slightly acidic range of 4.5 to 5.5. This balance promotes shine, moisture retention, and overall strength. It’s normal for your hair’s pH to sway a bit, when it’s consistently knocked out of balance, it can become unmanageable, susceptible to damage, breakage and even scalp infections. So to keep your hair healthy, it’s crucial to maintain your hair’s pH. Not really sure what any of this means? That’s ok, we’re about to break it all down. Get ready for a quick chemistry refresher because here we go!

Understanding your hair’s pH is a must for shiny, healthy strands. But what does that mean? Let’s start by explaining pH, which translates to the potential for hydrogen. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is at a range of one to 14; anything over seven is considered basic, or alkaline, and anything below is acidic. The natural pH of hair is slightly acidic at 4.5 to 5.5, meaning this is when it’s at its healthiest state. But lots of things can disturb your hair’s pH balance. For example, if the pH moves too far to one side, the result can be hair damage. Move too far to the other side of the scale, scalp naturally-occurring bacteria and oils can cause dandruff and irritation. Things like coloring or bleaching your hair, excessive heat styling, using products with harmful chemicals (like sulfates, silicones and parabens) and pollution can all wreak havoc on the pH of hair.

So keeping your hair’s pH balanced is kind of a big deal. How do you do this? With the right hair care routine for your hair.

Understanding your hair pH starts with understanding your hair type. This will help you determine the best products to keep your hair and scalp balanced. Let's take a closer look below.

Straight hair has no natural curl. Hair strands may be fine or coarse, thick or thin. Because sebum flows easily from the scalp to the ends without being obstructed by curls, straight hair tends to become oily.

Wavy hair falls between straight and curly, from loose and undefined to s-shaped waves. Wavy hair can range from barely noticeable to full-on waves. Wavy hair is more prone to frizz than straight hair. 

Curly hair is defined as having an S or Z-shape. People with curly hair usually have many types of curl patterns growing from wavy to coily and everything in-between. Curly hair is often frizzy and prone to damage. 

We can’t dive into the pH of hair without getting into scalp pH. A healthy pH balance on the scalp is 5.5. This slightly acidic environment keeps the scalp microbiome in check, preventing the overgrowth of yeast and bacteria, leading to dryness, irritation and damage. Maintaining scalp health with a balanced pH is especially important for preventing conditions like eczema, dandruff or infection. If your scalp is dry and itchy or you’re experiencing flakes, that’s a good indication that your scalp pH is out of whack.

Maintaining a balanced pH is an oven-overlooked, but extremely important part of a good hair care routine. If the pH of hair and scalp is too acidic, hair cuticles will contract. This leaves strands dry, frizzy, tangled and susceptible to damage and color fading. A high acidity also disrupts the scalp microbiome causing irritation, itchiness and flaking. On the other hand, excessively alkaline hair causes the cuticle to swell, making hair more porous and increasing frizz and dryness. A highly alkaline environment also leads to scalp irritation, hair breakage and premature color fading. 

These tips will help you maintain the right pH balance for a healthy scalp and happy strands. 

Use a pH-balanced shampoo and conditioner

Lots of cleansers are alkaline, which isn’t great for your hair. Choosing a neutral pH of shampoo or a clarifying formula like our PURIFYING Shampoo will help to keep your hair and scalp healthy and flake-free. Rich in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial polyphenols and sugars, the dandelion in PURIFYING helps to cleanse and balance without causing irritation. Purifying Shampoo fights microbial attacks and dandruff, establishing a healthy environment for hair growth.

Try an ACV rinse

If you do use an alkaline shampoo, following with an apple cider vinegar rinse (ACV) can keep your strands balanced. Using a cleanser with a very high pH and then a very acidic solution right after will be harsh on your hair, so it's better to use a pH-balanced formula to begin with.

Spritz your hair with aloe vera

Grab some whole-leaf aloe juice from your local health store and put it into a spray bottle. Wash your hair before misting roots to tips with the aloe juice. Aloe is a mild acid that will help bring down your hair’s pH, closing cuticles and fighting frizz.

Deep condition

Your hair is healthiest when the pH is low, so if it starts to feel weak and dry, your hair has likely gotten too acidic. A healthy pH of hair conditioner is between 3.5 and 5, and although it won't do much to change the pH of your hair, a deep conditioning mask will help restore its moisture and shine. Our NOURISHING Hair Building Pak is perfect as its restructuring formula with anti-split end and repairing action uses natural active ingredients to restructure and nourish the hair shaft.

Balance your diet

Your diet and the foods you fuel your body with directly correlate to your hair’s pH, so pay attention to the foods you eat. Things like poultry and dairy are alkaline, so if you eat them often, try adding in more acidic foods like yogurt and berries to keep your pH balanced.

Exfoliate regularly

Exfoliating helps to keep the scalp clear of buildup that can alter the pH. Keep it balanced with a weekly scalp scrub like our DETOXIFYING Scrub Shampoo. It uses gentle surfactants and scrub particles to gently but deeply cleanse the scalp protecting it from free radicals.

by Jaclyn LaBadia, featured contributor