Comments on: Do Salon Shampoos Have Better pH? http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/ Cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions! We are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:04:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jeremy http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/comment-page-1/#comment-51073 jeremy Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:11:20 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=2652#comment-51073 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!!! 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!!!

]]> By: jeremy http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/comment-page-1/#comment-51071 jeremy Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:00:19 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=2652#comment-51071 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!! 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!!

]]> By: karen http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/comment-page-1/#comment-47587 karen Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:43:48 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=2652#comment-47587 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. 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.

]]> By: Melissa Lyn http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/comment-page-1/#comment-46658 Melissa Lyn Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:49:19 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=2652#comment-46658 @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. @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.

]]> By: Meg http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/08/18/do-salon-shampoos-have-better-ph/comment-page-1/#comment-40004 Meg Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:02:40 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=2652#comment-40004 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! 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!

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