Lesson #1 - Frizzy Unruly Ends

The above picture is a pH scale. The further to the left the more acidic. The further to the right, the more base, or alkaline. Just about everything has a pH rating, and some common items are listed on the scale.

A typical hair relaxer is somewhere between 10 - 14 on the pH scale (This is why it's important to use the neutralizer shampoo after relaxing. It brings your hair back down the pH scale to a more comfortable rating. This is also why your salon results are so much better then at home. ALL of there products are pH balanced)

Typically, hair likes to be around the 4.0 - 5.5 range, which is much lower then pure water (neutral rating of 7.0), FYI.

Below are pictures of a hair strand magnified for detailed. The picture on top shows a hair strand with the cuticle layer tightly closed (ideal). The picture under it shows the hair strand with the cuticles raised. The cuticle of your strands directly determines whether your hair will be shiny and easy to detanlge or dull, super frizzy (Some frizz with natural hair textures is expected) and tangled.

Hair products that rate high on the pH scale (1-6) close the cuticles tightly around the hair strand. Hair products that rate low on the scale (8-14) will raise the pH of your hair lifting the hair's cuticle layer.

You have to experiment to find out where your hair is most comfortable between the ideal 4.0 - 5.5. My hair does well with pH 4.0 and of course I'll be sharing with you all my products and methods...in another post.

For a long while I couldn't figure out why the ends of my hair would frizz out like a knappy little fur ball. But now that i've been educated on pH, the ends of my hair are soft, elastic and curl nicely with water and a little gel.

How do you determine your products rating on the PH scale? You can purchase pH balance testers from WWW.LUVNATURALS.COM or if you're feeling adventurous, experiment with how your hair feels with the following method:

- Adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to your hair products (or to water) will lower the pH (this is my method)

- Also, adding small amounts of apple cider vinegar or aloe vera juice will work.

You know you hit the jackpot with your experiment when this occurs: after you wash and condition your hair, the flat iron glides right over your hair. Or your natural hair feels like the softest cotton ball.


****PLEASE....NEVER add these acidic products directly to your hair without mixing it with a moisturizer, a Leave-in or at least water because it will make your hair horribly hard and brittle. The same could occur if your mix is too acidic. Use caution and see how your hair reacts after adding 1 teaspoon, and build on this small increment****

Ok ladies! Take this knowledge and apply to get the soft untangly hair you deserve


Until next time,
Tanisha
XOXO