How to PH Balance a Homemade Shampoo
PH balance is an indicator of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. Hair and skin has a PH range of 4.5 to 5.5. The PH of a shampoo can be manipulated to obtain specific results. Clarifying shampoos are slightly alkaline, whereas conditioning shampoos are slightly acidic. If you make your own homemade shampoo, it is important to pay attention to the PH level and adjust it according to the type of shampoo you are making. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Home made shampoo
- Litmus or Nitrazine paper
- Lemon juice, lime juice, or lactic acid
- Dropper or pipette
Instructions
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How to PH Balance at Homemade Shampoo
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1
Mix the home made shampoo according to your favorite recipe.
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2
Use a litmus paper or nitrazine paper to determine the PH of the shampoo. Shampoo is naturally alkaline and you may need to add acid to reduce the PH to that of hair, between 4.5 and 5.5. If you would like a clarifying shampoo, allow the PH to remain slightly higher than the 4.5 to 5.5 range.
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3
Fill a dropper or pipette with lemon juice, lime juice or lactic acid. Acid is added to the shampoo if the PH level is high and you would like a shampoo with a PH balance similar to that of hair.
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4
Drop one drop into the shampoo and mix thoroughly. Test the PH of the shampoo again with litmus or nitrazine paper.
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5
Continue adding drops of lemon juice, lime juice or lactic acid until desired PH is reached. A PH between 4.5 and 5.5 will be in balance with the PH of hair. A slightly lower PH will condition hair, whereas a slightly higher PH will act as a clarifying shampoo.
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Tips & Warnings
One recipe for making homemade shampoo is to add 1 ounce of grated gentle bar soap to 8 ounces of boiling distilled water and allow to simmer for five minutes.
