Health Products Guru writes: I can tell you that without a doubt there is a huge difference in the quality of most and I say most shampoos that salon versus the drug store level. My own hair and scalp issues are the proof of this. The pH of grocery store shampoos is too high 99% of the time.
The Left Brain responds:
I respect your preference for salon shampoos, if you want to spend your money that way thats your choice. But your supposition that the pH of mass market brands is higher 99% of the time is simply false. But before I prove why, let me explain about the pH of shampoos.
What is a good pH?
Shampoos tend to be fairly neutral so they fall around the middle of the scale between 5 and 8. Shampoos that contain cationic conditioning agents are generally formulated a little lower and deep cleansing shampoos designed to get rid of styling residue are formulated at slightly higher pH to neutralize styling resins. But overall you should expect your shampoo to have a pH between 5 and 7.
Are salon shampoos different?
Salon shampoos do not employ any special technology that makes their pH different from mass market products This is not a matter of opinion, it is a fact that I easily verified. I took samples of ten different shampoos, some from salons and some from grocery stores and then I measured their pH using a standard laboratory pH meter. Here’s what I found:
Grocery Store Brands (Average pH = 5.95)
Dove Intense Moisture = 6.05
Fructis Moisture Works = 6.64
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration = 6.20
Tresemme Antibreakage = 5.40
White Rain Extra Body = 5.35
Yes To Carrots = 6.07Salon Brands (Average pH = 6.14)
Matrix Amplify = 6.76
Redken All-Soft = 5.59
Samy Salon Systems Smooth and Shine = 6.08
The Beauty Brains bottom line
As you can see from this data the premise that 99% of all grocery store shampoos have a higher pH is simply not true. In fact in the samples I measured the salon products had the highest pH. The pH will vary by brand and doesn’t depend on where you buy it.
What do you think? Do you buy salon products because you like the way they feel on your hair or because of some sciencey sounding nonsense that you’ve been told? Leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
To be fair, it might have been nice here to see a slightly larger sample. Given the number of brands out there, and then the number of individual products each brand produces, ten individual products (and only three from salons) seems *really* small.
Not that I really doubt the conclusion, I’m just really picky about statistical evidence.
I highly doubt doing a larger sampling of more brands would change the fact that the salon shampoos and grocery store ones have pH that is not related to its price/brand.
And the claim that “grocery store shampoos is too high 99% of the time” seems more preposterous than scientific.
When I was in high school, I used to use drug store brands because that’s what I could afford. Every single time I went to get my hair cut, the hair stylist would ask what shampoo I used. When I would mention a drug store brand (Pantene, Salon Selectives, Herbal Essences, etc.) they would always say how anything you buy in a drug store is high in pH and is basically not good for your hair. I figured out pretty early on they were just saying this to sell their products. It was very annoying! I never asked for their opinion, and they would keep bugging me about it. Now, out of personal preference, I use hair stuff from Arbonne and Bath & Body Works. I haven’t used drug store brands in years, though I haven’t been bugged about what shampoo I use in years either. Not sure if that’s a coincidence or if the stylists can really see a difference. I vote coincidence!
I love posts like this.
People seem stunned that things like pH and other scientific words actually mean things that can be tested by them right under their noses.
BTW, anyone who’s curious — google “litmus strips” and you can get a whole ton of little bits of paper that can be used by you with almost no training at all to do rough pH testing yourselves at home. If you’re into making your own shampoo or conditioner, you should probably have them anyhow.
They’re just bits of paper that you dip in things, and they turn pink or blue to varying shades depending on the pH of the stuff you’ve dunked them in. This is the sort of kitchen science that anyone can do, seriously.
Hi! Do you know where can I buy the pH meter ‘coz I want to test which shampoos and conditioners are the most acidic so it can intensify the shine of my hair? And my other question is that if will I add lemon juice to a shampoo or conditioner it will help to lower its pH? It is because I want a more shine to my hair. Thanks!
It does depend on the brand. I used Pureology for some time (5.5 pH) and now use EnJoy products (4.5 – 5.5 pH for moisturizing shampoo.) Does it make a difference? Less breakage, softer hair, less frizz – yes.
BTW, I did learn all this from my stylist, who is a rad chemist. Do I buy product at the beauty supply store if they sell it for less? Of course.
Dreniva – many of the big brands will tell you the pH of their products on their website. Have fun! The reconstructing products will have a low pH to lock in the cuticle. If you color your hair, try Zerran Chemical Modifier pH 2.5 – 2.5 to lock in color and bring up the shine. (But don’t use it every day – it will dry out your beautiful hair!)
The important thing here is, i guess… What’s the deal with the pH of shampoos, and why do they recommend you use a low pH one?
Hope you brains can clear that one out
7 pH is neutral, below 7 is acidic, below 7 will be alkaline. The more alkaline the shampoo, the more likely it will open up the outside cuticle of the hair (made up of protein substance, keratin) leading to frizz. The inner cortex of the hair is also more fragile and prone to damage – dryness, breakage, etc. So lower pH shampoos are promoted to help seal the cuticle, maintain the structure of the hair and also some acidity breaks up soap scum and accumulated gunk in your hair. That’s the deal.
correction to my posting – above 7 is alkaline
These postings are really interesting and it is surprising how many people are uninformed. Yes, a pH of 7 is considered neutral on the pH scale, but that doesn’t mean your shampoo should be a 7. That is much too high! Normal healthy hair is a pH of 4.5-5.5, so for a shampoo to be good for the hair and not open up the cuticle and cause damage, it should fall within that range. Anything outside that will pull hair color and cause damage to the cuticle. Unfortunately, a lot of the so-called “color safe” shampoos are way above 5.5.
Have you considered that you dilute your shampoo with water while using it in the shower? The pH of that water really depends on where you are, but it’s generally around 7. Therefore, the resulting solution on your hair is much higher than 4.5-5.5. It is much closer to pH 6 or 7.
Also, I’ve kept up on the latest research literature in cosmetic science and am not aware of any study that says shampoos with a pH above 5.5 will damage the cuticle. Could you please site your source?
One more thing, technically hair has no pH as it is a solid. pH is a measure of the concentration of H ions in a solution. Solids do not have pHs.
Plastic surgeons recommend Johnson’s Baby Shampoo after surgery. What is the Ph level this product — A hairsylist told me it was 14. I know it leaves the hair feeling coated and unclean.
I know you can adjust pH levels by adding citric acid/lactic acid etc. to make it more acidic (less than 5.5). On the other hand you can add TEA/EDTA etc. to make it more alkaline (above 5.5).
My question is, will it affect the performance of the conditioning agents and other actives in the shampoo or conditioner?
@Carlo – It really depends on the specific system and how much you adjust the pH. Typically, a lower pH will be better for conditioning ingredients. This will increase their tendency to “stick” to the negatively charged sites on the hair protein.
But practically, you would not be able to notice any measurable differences between a shampoo at a pH of 4.5 versus one at pH of 7.
Having a higher pH level is better in the acidic table because it means it is closer to the neutral, water, which has a pH of 7. Thus, your store-bought shampoos are healthy for you. You have to see it as a two part table.
Acids Neutral Bases
^^^^^
You want your shampoos between 4 and 6 to provide the maximum results. As you travel up the pH scale, it does not always mean your shampoo is bad. Be aware. If you go up to the bases, you’ve gone too far. Haha.
Regard less of High PH! As a 10 yr hair stylist I can feel the difference in a persons hair when they are not using a salon quality shampoo & conditioner! There hair has major build up from the store bought shampoo/cond.(and they wonder why there hair is so flat & doing nothing)!! With salon Shampoo’s & Conditioners use will only need to use a small amount in your hair which will be saving you money in the long run compared to using a store brand shampoo/Cond which is watered down & you need to use more!
Yourself & your hair are worth it! I guarantee if you use a salon Shampoo & Conditioner for a few weeks you will majorly feel & tell a difference in your hair!!!! And you don’t have to spend a fortune there are many different brands & prices in salon products, look for the litter sales too!
@Lynn: anyone who told you that the pH of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is a 14 is a MORON. 14 is as high as the pH scale goes and for reference, sodium hydroxide (LYE) is a 14. Ammonia is about a 12. Have you ever seen what lye can do if it touches the skin? It BURNS. Its what is in most hair relaxers. Do you think that something like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo that has a tag line “no more tears” would put something as alkaline as LYE in it?
I have always thought that for the most part, the pH of cleansers, shampoos were a bit moot since you’re using water to rinse them off/away from the skin or hair. So if water is a 7, but your shampoo is “pH balanced” to mimic what the pH of hair should be (in an acqueous solution, that is) and is about a 5, does that mean that the pH of water cancels out the pH of the shampoo or do you just get an average of the two, leaving you with about a pH of 6?
I’m more concerned about the types of surfactants and other fillers/additives used in a shampoo over bickering about the specific pH of it. The sulfate family surfactants are very harsh and not only leave a film on the hair but have a higher probability for causing irritation to the scalp than other types of surfactants.
Drug store shampoos are MORE LIKELY to utilize very cheap surfactants (like the sulfate family surfactants) because those surfactants are VERY VERY CHEAP. You DO get what you pay for in this regard. This isn’t ALWAYS true (as there are lots of salon shampoos that use sulfates as opposed to other higher grade surfactants) but check your ingredients. I would much rather spend a bit more on a shampoo if I knew it had decent surfactants in it and wasn’t laden with a ton of fillers and silicones. I’m less concerned with the actual pH of the product and more concerned with what is IN the product.
Well PH does make a big difference when buying shampoos. Shampoos need to have a ph between 4.5 and a 5.5 to maintain the hair. A chemist whent to talk to our school and its kinda sad what he told us. Out of all the shampoos that exist out there, there is only 4 shampoos that actually help the hair and they are Joico, Zerran, Enjoy, and Lanza. All the other shampoos may seem like their working but all their doing is coating the hair thats why it looks smooth and shiny, but the shampoos I listed above actually get into the cortex of the hair and help the hair from the inside out. All the other company’s just care about money they don’t care about the consumer. The shampoos listed above are the only ones that actually have the ph number on their bottle. One more thing Head and Shoulders is the worst shampoo that exists. Why? Because its main ingridient is Zinc Pyrithone which is used on Rat repellent and Cockroach spray. If you don’t believe me get a spray bottle and fill it up halfway with water and then halfway with Head and Shoulders and have fun killing the cockroaches. The only reason why the FDA approved Head and Shoulders was because it was topically applied not ingested, but the chemist told us that this lady is in the hospital because she had a cut in her scalp and when she washed her hair with Head and Shoulders the Zinc Pyrithone got into her blood system and now she is dying. He said he cant wait until someone dies (not in a rude way) from using this product that way they could remove it from the store shelves.
Although pH levels of shampoos and conditioners are very important it is not the only thing that determines the quality of a shampoo. For instance, purified water has a pH level of 7. Now that wouldnt be a very bad rating for a shampoo pH level. So what? Now i can bottle water and market it as being great for hair simply because it has a pH level of 7. NO! The fact of the matter is that other chemicals such as proteins, silicone, biotin, keratin, etc. play a major role in the quality of shampoo. Anything with water in it has a pH level. It is an important factor in choosing a shampoo but is far from being the only!!
Oh by the way ”LEFT HER BRAINS” ( at home apparently) skin and hair have water in them, without it you would die from dehydration. I was joking about your name by the way!!!
Baby shampoo has the same ph as your eyes… That’s why it doesn’t hurt. You can use baby shampoo as a clarifying shampoo but shouldn’t be used everyday. It’s hard on your hair. Babys and kids have different hair than adults.
I am using the volumizing and mosturizing shampoo line from Bath and Body Works. Would you let me know if these shampoos are low, medium or high as far as the ph? Also, would you please provide the ph balance rating? Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
Jeremy, hair is dead. Looks like you left your brains at home. Hair is actually made up of dead cells. So how does it die again genius?
Hello! i found your article quite interesting, but there is some things you say that i can’t understand quite well:
“Shampoos that contain cationic conditioning agents are generally formulated a little lower and deep cleansing shampoos designed to get rid of styling residue are formulated at slightly higher pH to neutralize styling resins.”
If i understood this right, it means that lower ph are usually the most conditioning shampoos, and so the deep cleansing shampoos are the ones with higher ph levels.
So, i used to wear yes to carrots shampoo and as you show in test results, it’s one of the highest ph levels comparing to others from the grocery list.
But this sounds contratictory for me, because yes to carrots shampoo is more like deep conditioning type, because it makes my hair get greasy one day after washing. It feels like it doesn’t clean so well – like a higher level ph shampoo should do.
Anyway don’t take me bad, it’s just my opinion and i’m not doubting about anything you say.
Anyway,i used to wear cheap brands before and my hair would get very dry and frizzy. I started to use salon brands around 5 months ago and now my hair looks much better.
I think that ph level might not be the most damaging agent in a shampoo.
But alcohool is one of the worst, that i can assure you by my own experience.
And overuse of products with wheat protein, mostly indicated for damaged hair can make it get way to dry. I’m not saying that wheat protein is bad,it’s really good to recover damaged hair. But it has to be used moderately and trying to balance protein with conditioning is the best way to keep your hair healthy.
The best shampoo i ever used is Self-Absorbed from Bed head (tigi) – salon brand. it contains SLS.
I’ve been told many times that SLS is highly damaging for hair. So far, the only shampoo i’ve found that does not contain it, was yes to carrots. But this last one doesn’t seem to clean very well, as i mentioned before.
I guess that finding the perfect shampoo is a hard task. Most of them has way to many chemicals and its hard to figure out which of them is putting your hair in a mess.
So,PH level might be a point to consider when getting a new shampoo, but it’s not the only thing to concern about.
And i apologize for my basic english and some grammar mistakes, this is not my native laguage.
Thank you!!
If the normal ph to be used on skin and hair is 4.5-5.5, doesn’t it make sense that you need a ph of at least that or stronger (lower) on the ph scale to clean your hair? There are more serious concerns than ph, the 1st ingredient on the bottle,( if it’s listed at all) should be water or aqua and the product needs to be sulfate free (SLS).If they don’t list the ingredients, I don’t buy it. If you get sores on your head or your lymphnodes swell up on the back of your head and neck, it might be a good indicator that you are allergic to the sulfates. Switch and see!
i still wanna know the pH scale in baby johnson shampoo
Thank you so much for testing the pH on salon vs. store brands. I’ve always been curious ever since I could afford to buy my own “good” shampoo. Store brands for some reason make my head itch after a 2-3 days of use, and they dry out my hair. Pantene is the worst on my hair. It looks like a broom after I dry it. I guess I still don’t have my answer on why Salon brands are better for me, maybe its the ingredients?