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Your hair is the most prominent aspect of your appearance and should be cared for accordingly. It is no wonder then that hair care is a multibillion-dollar industry that is constantly coming up with new and innovative solutions for hair issues.
One of the latest trends to hit the market is neutralizing shampoos. Neutralizing shampoos have been around for a while but has recently started to gain traction among users and hair care experts alike. Let us take a deeper look at their benefits and side effects. (1)
What Are Neutralizing Shampoos?
Most shampoos are used for cleansing purposes. Neutralizing shampoos help clean the scalp and also maintain the pH of your hair between 4.0 and 6.0.
Chemical treatments such as hair dyeing, hair spas, or keratin treatments are usually highly alkaline and can disrupt the natural pH of your hair and raise it to levels above 10. Neutralizing shampoos, as the name suggests, help neutralize this effect with their acidic nature. (2)
What Are the Benefits of Neutralizing Shampoo?
Here is a list of the potential benefits of neutralizing shampoos:
1. Promotes scalp health
A healthy scalp leads to healthy, well-nourished hair. It is important to maintain the natural balance, pH, and sebum levels, of the scalp to achieve this. (3)
Neutralizing shampoos help cleanse your scalp and hair. Moreover, they soothe scalp irritation caused by using alkaline products and hair treatments (hair dyes, hair spas, etc.).
Treating your hair with a neutralizing shampoo can help make it softer, shinier, and more manageable. These effects are particularly beneficial for people with curly hair. (4)
2. Reduce hair dullness and greasiness
Maintaining hair at its proper pH levels helps keep it smooth and lustrous. A healthy pH range of hair varies between 4.5 and 5.5.
Neutralizing shampoos help preserve this pH, thus keeping your hair cuticles closed and preventing greasy hair.
3. Reverse the damage caused by coloring and bleaching
Bleaching and dyeing your hair disrupts its natural pH levels and chemical balance. These practices expose the cuticles to alkaline chemicals and cause loss of moisture. The result is frizzy, dry, and brittle hair.
Therefore, it is better to avoid the use of highly alkaline products such as triethanolamine and sodium hydroxide. Neutralizing shampoos have a very low pH and help reverse these harmful effects of hair dyes and bleaches.
4. Prevent hair breakage and split ends
The pH of water is 7.0, while the pH of your hair is maintained between 4.5 and 5.5. Thus, rinsing your hair with water disturbs this pH and causes water to penetrate the hair cuticle, weakening the keratin bonds and making your hair prone to breakage. (5)
5. Neutralize brassy undertones
Neutralizing shampoos also help neutralize brassy, purple undertones on your hair to prevent or slow down graying of hair. It also helps maintain lighter hair color on bleached hair and reduces fading.
Why Should You Use Neutralizing Shampoos?
The natural pH of hair is slightly acidic – usually varying between 4.5 and 5.5. It has been reported that using shampoos and other chemical hair care products with a pH higher than that opens the cuticles makes the hair frizzy.
Hence, it is important to use conditioners or shampoos with a good pH balance. Not only do they have a balanced pH, but they also help negate the harmful effects of artificial hair dyes and bleach. (6)
Studies conducted on the effects of neutralizing shampoos on chemically treated hair have shown that these shampoos help reverse hair damage. (7)(8)
Note: Shampoos for children usually have a pH on the higher side. This is because most pediatric shampoos are meant to be very gentle and usually have a ‘no tears’ requirement – that is, they do not sting a baby’s eyes if some shampoo accidentally gets in. (3)
pH Ranges of Various Hair Care Products
Everyone’s hair is different, and it is important to find the right hair products for your hair type.
Most chemical hair styling products like hair dyes, bleaches, perms, and hair-straightening agents are highly alkaline – with a pH varying from 7.0 to as high as 14.0. Hence, they tend to cause dryness, frizz, and hair damage in the long run.
When it comes to hair care products, there are many different shampoos and conditioners available. Their pH usually varies from 3.0 to 9.0 depending upon the ingredients. Most dermatologists recommend using a slightly acidic shampoo that is somewhere between 5.0 and 5.5 on the pH scale.
Most-Asked Questions About Neutralizing Shampoo
When should I use a neutralizing shampoo?
Neutralizing shampoos are particularly beneficial for people with dyed or chemically treated hair as they help restore the hair’s natural balance and pH. (6)
Do I need a neutralizing shampoo after coloring my hair?
Yes. Artificial hair colors have an alkaline pH that disrupts the chemical balance of your hair. Neutralizing shampoos, being slightly acidic, help restore the normal pH range of 4.5 to 5.5 and reverse the effects of these treatments.
Is a neutralizer good for my hair?
Yes. It helps promote a healthy scalp and softens your hair.
Final Word
The pH range of natural hair is between 4.5 and 5.5. However, chemical treatments and hair care products often have an alkaline pH range that can disturb the balance. Neutralizing shampoos help reverse hair damage caused by styling and hair products and restore the natural chemical balance of your hair. (8)
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