pH Question for all shampoo users

[mstar]

Do any of you avoid castile soap/shampoo bars/other non-detergent shampoos because of the high pH?

I used Dr. Bronner's over the summer, but after I found out that soaps are alkaline, I stopped using it because I had a porosity problem.

Does anyone else only stick to detergent shampoos because they have a low pH? Is this even something I should be concerned about?

 

[shunemite]

Ur right. Alkaline shampoos open the cuticle, and acidic ones do not. However, I don't know anything about the pH of bars coz I never have used one.

 

[Leesh]

Your right, If You have a porosity problem like Myself, You want to try to seal Your cuticles, which is at the low end of the Ph scale, which in turn is acidic levels, alkaline is the opposite, which is at the Higher end of the scale, I must say Thank You So Much for this bit of information, I was just looking into getting some Castile Soap, now I don't believe I will.

 

[JaneinMarch]

Yes, I avoid shampoo or castile soap because my hair can't take it. I could do an ACV rinse afterward, but I think that combo would be more drying to my hair. I've been trying to stick with diluted lemon juice for washing my hair, I just have to be careful and not overdo it and dry it out because the solution is too acidic. I used to be able to use shikakai, it balanced my hair's pH perfectly, but now I'm allergic to it.

 

[poookie]

i don't avoid them at all. you can always dilute castile soap. in fact, for hair, i think you're supposed to dilute it, but i'm not sure :scratchch

and there's nothing wrong with correcting your ph at the end of your wash by doing an apple cider vinegar rinse

 

[mstar]

^^ Yes, you're supposed to dilute it for hair, but the pH of water is 7, so it's not going to turn an alkaline solution into an acidic one.

I do an ACV rinse usually once a week, but I think it makes better sense just to use low pH products, rather than trying to seal the cuticles back up after using high pH products. I read a really interesting thread by gymfreak where she talked about how the cuticles react to cleansing. One of the things she said was:

just the physical contact of basic solutions to your hair can cause a degradation in the integrity of the hair and scalp. The extreme back and forth of the cuticle layer from just the pH change alone is going to cause a slow breakdown of the quality of your hair, negating your whole purpose of taking care of it. Think about it like the hinges of a door. When you go through a door, you open it up as much as you need to get through. You don't swing it completely open until it is nearly flush against a wall just to swing it back hard to shut it.

I'm still not sure whether the shampoo is an important issue, but I don't want to take any chances. I'm really trying to keep my hair smooth and healthy.

 

[mstar]

Pookie, do you find that the castile/shampoo bars leave your hair feeling as smooth as a good salon-quality detergent shampoo?

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

I avoid them. They give me velcro hair.