Why You Need Ph Balanced Shampoo- Low Ph + Hair Loss, Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate
- Posted on 18 April, 2021
- Hair Care
- By Anonymous
✖ FIND ME:
□ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbeyyung/
□ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abbeyyung
□ Business Inquiries Only: [email protected]
✖ MY MERCH & LIGHTROOM PRESET FILTERS: https://abbey-yung.myshopify.com/
✖ SHOP MY FAVES & SAVE:
□ Shop My Beauty Favorites: https://bit.ly/3r0YXE3
□ Shop My Amazon Favorites: https://amzn.to/3FIihKA
□ 20% off DRMTLGY: https://bit.ly/3oXB7X8
□ 10% off Amika w/ “ABBEY”: https://loveamika.com/
□ 10% off 1st Lights Lacquer Order w/ “ABBEY10”: https://bit.ly/3cFe11Z
□ 25% off Skin Store w/ “ABBEY”: https://tidd.ly/36mSiYP
□ Yesstyle Discount w/ “ABBEYYUNG”: https://ys.style/75XrM5HxZcb
✖ KEEP WATCHING:
1. Why Water Is Damaging Our Hair: https://youtu.be/bjanvAB3GJk
2. Hair Breakage 101: https://youtu.be/kJXRgR8i9Uc
3. Rice Water Update: https://youtu.be/q_7_cTaUlLQ
4. March Favorites: https://youtu.be/eVjzXf1xQ6E
✖ PRODUCTS MENTIONED:
1. Hard Water Filter: https://amzn.to/3ctPqh3
pH Balanced Haircare:
1. Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo (5.3): https://bit.ly/3s4Pfh3
2. Pureology Strength Cure Conditioner (4.5): https://bit.ly/3uO5Lnr
3. Kerastase Resistance Shampoo (5.5): https://bit.ly/3mC2Jzw
4. Ouai Detox Shampoo (Hopefully…): https://bit.ly/3mC2NPM
5. Amika The Kure Shampoo (4.75-5.25): https://bit.ly/3a5kmTv
6. Amika The Kure Conditioner (4-4.75): https://bit.ly/3g2FzRC
Acidic Haircare:
1. ACV by dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse (4.25-4.75): https://bit.ly/3fWK8gq
2. Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo: https://bit.ly/3lYczvr
4. Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner: https://bit.ly/39oUBNv
5. Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave in Treatment: https://bit.ly/39kn4UQ
✖ TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro
2:01 pH Scale Overview- Normal pH for Hair & Skin
4:05 How our Hair Reacts to Alkaline or Basic pH Levels
5:09 How our Hair Reacts to Acidic pH Levels
6:49 How our Hair Reacts to pH Balanced Haircare
8:21 pH of Mass vs. Salon Brands & Ideal Shampoo pH
9:21 pH of Tap Water / Hard Water
11:47 How Brands Disclose pH
12:52 pH Database
13:55 Balanced to Low pH Haircare Recommendations
Sources:
1. Shampoo pH Database: https://salonworthyhair.com/ph-balance...
2. pH + Hard Water: https://www.nutrientsreview.com/water/...
3. Hair Structure & Chemistry: https://amzn.to/3u1lvmr
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/252848...
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/artic...
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/artic...
✖ FTC: This video is not sponsored. If you decide to purchase any products from this video, it would mean SO much to me if you used my links. This gives me a small commission to continue to purchase new products to review for you all on this channel. Thank you so much for your love & support
✖ Disclaimers: I am not a dermatologist or medical professional. My channel is a space for me to share product reviews based on my personal experience and/or research, not to diagnose. My videos should never be a replacement for guidance from a medical professional. You should always seek guidance from a medical professional or dermatologist for any and all skin concerns, questions, and needs.
Video Overview:
Why You Need pH Balanced Shampoo- Low pH + Hair Loss, Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate. In this video I discuss one of the major causes of hair breakage that seems to be ignored by many haircare brands- pH. I discuss how high pH haircare negatively impacts our hair and causes damage that eventually leads to split ends, frizz, color fade, hair fall, high porosity and more. I also discuss the positive benefits in using low pH haircare like low porosity, shine, and healthy hair. I share tips on how to look for low pH haircare + give recommendations on some low pH shampoos.
#phbalancedshampoo #redkenacidicbonding #redkenacidicbondingconcentrate #hairbreakage #hairdamage #hairgrowth #hairloss #hairfall #splitends #lowph #bestshampoo #lowporosity #highporosity #healthyhair #fasthairgrowth
Hey guys welcome back to my channel or welcome, if you're new here for today's video we're going to be talking about the ph of our hair care products and why this is something that's really really important to think about. If we are trying to grow long, strong, healthy hair, so i was inspired to make this video because i was flipping through one of my hair textbooks as i do. I need a life and i stumbled across information about this topic specifically, and i've never quite seen it laid out like this, and it just made me really really excited to tell you guys all about this asap. I was texting all my friends texting my mom they're like shut up, save it for youtube, so i saved it for you guys of course, so if you feel like you're at a loss with your hair you're on a hair healing journey, you have a lot of Damage or you just want to take your hair to the next level, this video is going to be a must watch before we jump into it. If you're new here my name's abby and i love all things beauty, so i upload a lot of hair care and skincare videos. I research like crazy share what i find with you guys and just do other more casual lifestyle, videos like favorites and empty. So if you're into that kind of content, don't forget to subscribe to my channel and give this video a thumbs up both of those things really help to support me. So thank you so so much for doing that also, don't forget to come. Hang out with me on instagram and tick, tock username is right here and my lightroom preset filters that i recently launched for editing. Instagram photos will be listed in my description box below give you guys a little preview here of what those look like for a before and after i love them, and i know that you guys will too so in my description box, along with everything that you would Ever need to know about me per usual. That'S everything without further ado, let's jump right into this topic. Okay, before i forget to say this, which i feel like i always do, sources are going to be listed in my description box below, so this textbook, plus a variety of articles that i use to inform this video will be there available to you in case. You want to dig into this more, but i thought we could start off by just talking about the ph scale at a really high level. First, i feel like this is important to just level set to jump into the rest of the video and i'm sure that a lot of you guys are familiar with the ph scale, but i'm also sure that there's a lot of you that haven't really revisited this. Since, like 7th grade science, class 10th grade, maybe which is totally fair, so the ph scale ranges from 0 to 14 and anything with a ph of 0 to 6 is considered to be acidic. So that includes things like lemon juice and vinegar, whereas anything with a ph of 8 to 14 is considered to be alkaline or basic, and that includes things like baking, soda and ammonium 7 is considered to be a neutral ph. That'S right in between acidic and basic and when it comes to our skin and hair, we actually have naturally acidic skin and hair as well, so the skin on our head or our scalp, has a natural ph of around 5.5, whereas the ph of our actual hair Strands have a ph of around 3.67, so you might be thinking. Okay, that's all great information to know. But why is this important and that's exactly what i'm here to share with you guys so at a high level, acids are going to cause the hair to contract and harden, whereas faces are going to cause the hair to swell and soften, and i think that that Verbiage can be a little bit confusing at first, because when we think about how we want our hair to feel, we want it to feel soft, not rough and hard, but that's actually not what this is referring to, and i talked about this a little bit more In depth, in a recent video where i talked all about how water damages the hair, so if you haven't seen that yet i will list it below definitely another absolute must watch for just a healthy hair in general, but in that video one of the things that I said is that hair, that is too soft and too pliable is actually more prone to damage and hair swelling, contributes to cuticle, wear and tear that also leads to damage and breakage down the road. So i am going to insert that diagram here that i was talking about that. I think illustrates all this really really well, so this actually shows us what happens to our hair when it is exposed to varying ph levels, so on opposite ends of the spectrum. Here we have the two extremes, extremely acidic, ph levels and extremely basic ph levels. Both of those things will completely dissolve the hair. So for the purpose of this video, we don't need to spend time there because realistically, when we're buying shampoo and conditioner at the store, we don't have to worry about that. Those products are not formulated at those really extreme ph levels. So we are going to focus on the middle three sections here. So let's take a look at what happens to our hair when it's exposed to ph levels above 5.5. All the way up to 10 because again over time is where we start to get into that hair dissolving territory. So at this ph level, our hair porosity is actually increased, and that is not something that's desirable. So as an example, hair, that's been incredibly chemically damaged. For example, through bleach is really porous as a result of that, so we do not want increased porosity, but that is one of the things that happens to our hair when we expose it to ph levels of this range. Another thing that can happen is that there can actually be increased, friction between hair fibers and that can actually cause increased breakage. So if you feel that you've been experiencing a lot of breakage you're, not really sure why this could be one of the reasons why you may be using products that have too high of a ph for your hair. And then, aside from those things, there's also just visual downsides to using products in these ph ranges, our hair can just look really dry and dull and not have luster or shine and just really not look its healthiest or its best. So obviously not good things happening. So now, let's take a look at what happens to our hair when it's exposed to more acidic ph levels in this book. It says 1 to 4.5, but one is incredibly low and that's definitely not something that we should be aiming for. It'S going to be more like 2.75 to 4.5 is what you can expect to see in hair care products that are considered to be more acidic. So when that happens, porosity is actually decreased and the cuticles on our hair are flattened, which is something that is also desirable, because when the hair swells the cuticles, lift that's what leads to that fragmentation wear and tear and breakage using acidic hair care can also help To ensure that residue is fully removed from the hair and scalp, so if you're an infrequent hair washer, you have a lot of product build up. This can be really helpful in making sure that all of that is fully rinsed away. When you are washing your hair - and this can also actually help to neutralize any traces of impurities that remain on the hair that have a more alkaline or basic ph, and that can be something that contributes to a really irritated scalp itchiness some flakes. So this is something that i'm going to be talking about, also in an upcoming video, where i share tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy scalp, so stay tuned for that, but definitely something to consider for scalp health as well and then from a visual perspective. This is where the magic happens, because we actually experience increased shine in luster, so our hair is just going to look a lot healthier and glowier and we also experience increased volume but with decreased frizz. So for those of you that have a lot of volume, but you also have a ton of frizziness along with that. This is something that actually will help to decrease that frizz, but still keep your hair voluminous so that it's not looking flat and limp and sad. Okay and then we have the missing range kind of in between that's not included in either of those ends that we just talked about, and that is a range of 4.5 to 5.5, and this is kind of what i would consider to be. The maintenance range because, when we use products that are formulated within this range, excess swelling is prevented. So we're not going to experience that swelling that we experience as a result of using products that have an alkaline ph that contributes to a lot of hair damage down. The road so that's great, but at the same time we're also not really experiencing a lot of those amazing things that can happen to the hair when we're using more acidic products. So the hair is just more so going to look normal here when it comes to the volume and the shine and the feel all normal, and that's not a bad thing. If you're, currently using products that you really love, you feel like your hair is in a good spot, then that's great, and this can just help to maintain that. But if we are wanting to again take it to the next level, we feel like. We really need some damage repair, that's where we may want to consider using products that are more acidic, so i was taking a look at one of the articles that i have listed below to see if there is a standard range or just ph value. That is important to look for in hair care products like is there one best value or one best range for everyone, and what they said is that no right now there is not, there needs to be more work done there to really determine what that is, and How that may differ, but at the very least, shampoo should absolutely be formulated at a ph of 5.5 or lower in order to maintain the integrity of the hair and prevent scalp issues. So after hearing that you would assume or at the very least hope that all products that we're using and products that brands are selling to us are already formulated at that ideal ph or lower. But that is unsurprisingly not the case, so i actually found that out of popular hair care brands, only 38 of them have a ph of 5 or lower. They did compare that to salon brands and they said 75 of salon. Brands have a ph of 5 or lower, so that definitely makes me feel better. So i think what they mean by popular is just more affordable brands or mask brands, but either way it's like. Why are we not at 100? Here i will say that that article was written in 2014 and i haven't seen a more recent update. So maybe things are better by now, but still we're, definitely not where we should be, and before i move on to my tips and tricks for finding the right products for you and finding products that are formulated at that ideal ph knowing that it's not just industry Standard right now we have to talk about the fact that water really plays a role in this whole conversation as well. So you all already know that hard water is the bane of my existence. I talk about it all the time i talk about my hard water filter. 24. 7.. I started using that about two years ago. I believe, and before that i lived in madison wisconsin, which is another place where the hard water is really really bad, and my hair looked so so much worse than it does now. It truly destroyed my hair and ever since i started to use a hard water filter, i've noticed a significant improvement in my hair. Of course that's taken time, but throughout the last couple years it's like wow, it's really really improved and it makes sense because i was doing some digging to figure out what the ph of hard water is, and while it can vary depending on where you live. What i found is that most tap water has a ph of 6.5 to 8.5, which already is like that makes me want to sweat a little bit. But this same article also said that in certain cities they will raise the ph of water to nine to prevent plumbing corrosion. So i would highly recommend if you do not already have one picking up a hard water filter. I, of course, will list the one that i have below it's just. I always find it funny when i find information later on, to help to reinforce why things have worked for me, but this completely explains it. I mean the hard water filter is not going to change the ph of the water that comes out of it, but it will help to filter out again some of those minerals that can contribute to damage. So it's really important to have one in your shower head. If you live somewhere with hard water, it really really has helped me so much. So i had to make sure that i talked about that. I had to make sure because, when we think about water and what we're using to wash our hair distilled water has a ph of seven, and i don't know about you guys, but i definitely don't have distilled water coming out of my shower head. So it's like. I got ta do other things to try to help myself in the best way that i can so now. Let'S talk about the tips and tricks that i have for finding products that are formulated at acidic ph levels or at least balanced, ph levels again of around 4.5 to 5.5. Again, i feel like i have to say here, if you're currently using products that you feel work well for you don't feel like. You need to really stress out about this or go on a manhunt for low ph products. Again, i'm just trying to give you guys as much information as i possibly can. While i continue to learn these things so that you can really just have the best hair of your life. Honestly, that's my goal here. Okay, step number one is to check the brand's website to see if they disclose the ph of their products, there's a lot of brands. That will not do this at all. So, if you feel like you can't find it you're not going crazy. A lot of brands do not even address it which we need. We need them too, but i actually found that there are certain areas of the website where i can find the ph of a product from certain brands if it's not in the product description. So, for example, on curology's website they don't have the ph listed under each product, but they do have phs listed in their faq section, so check the faq section of the website we'll get to pureology and products in a minute. Don'T worry, of course, i'm not going to leave you guys hanging and also check the questions underneath the products as well. So you know when you scroll down on the product, you'll see reviews and then questions. Sometimes brands will answer that question when it's asked. So i've seen that, for example, one of the brands that i have here they said what's the ph of these products and they told them. So that's where you can sometimes find that you, of course, can try to ask the brand yourself, but just know they may not answer you. They may not disclose that. If you don't have much luck in that department, i actually did find a database that lists off the phs of some hair care products. I'Ll say some because they don't have that many products within the database just compared to all of the hair care products that exist in the market today. So the odds of you finding exactly what you currently use are not very high, and i also noticed that they have a lot of products on that list that have since been discontinued, which is a bummer. But i did want to still mention it in case. Any of you guys happen to find what you do use and i actually did find two of my products on there. So maybe you'll get lucky, but this is just something that's publicly available. When i was searching on google trying to find articles for this video, it was one of the first things to come up and i got really excited about it. So it's actually verified by the material safety data sheets where possible and if not possible, then they do. Let you know that a manual test strip was conducted, so you can just click on the little info button. Next to that, it will tell you where that ph is verified from, but hopefully some of you guys will get lucky with that. You'Ll have to. Let me know if you happen to find the products that you use there if you strike out with that as well, again, i'm not going to leave you guys hanging. I looked up so many hair care products that i've talked about on my channel before things that i've used. There actually might be a couple things here that i haven't even talked about on my channel, but just having my stash. So i have products here to recommend you guys that either have balanced, phs 4.5 to 5.5 or are considered to be more acidic. So, let's talk through all those. The first website that i ran to full sprint full speed ahead was the pureology website. I was a little nervous. I was going to find an answer here that i wasn't super excited about, but at the same time i was like i feel like that, can't be possible because i love it so much and in fact, pureology said that all of their shampoos, regardless of the line That you use have a ph of 5.3, so below 5.5 and all their conditioners have a ph of 4.5. So i personally felt good about that. Ph balanced, nothing to worry about there, not that i'm surprised, but that is a set that i will continue to recommend for that reason, and just because it's worked so well on my hair and has great ingredients so yay, the kerastase resistance line is another that i Personally own and have mentioned a few times on my channel, i do like it. It'S not my personal favorite compared to some others that i've tried, but i was able to find actually their shampoo on that database, and this has a ph of 5.5. So not entirely sure on the conditioner i wasn't able to find any other kerastase ph information, so hopefully they're all similar, at least at 5.5. But again we kind of have to take a gamble with some of these another brand. That is kind of a little bit of a gamble is whey. I wanted to talk about their detox shampoo, because i've talked about this so many times. I love it. It'S my favorite clarifying shampoo, and this has apple cider, vinegar in it, which is going to help to lower the ph of the product, help to make sure that our scalp and hair is healthy and happy. So while they don't disclose the ph of this or any of their products that i was able to see, they do have a section on their website that talks about the ideal, scalp ph level, and they say a good shampoo - will be balanced at 5.5 ph so That makes me hope you would hope right that this has a ph of 5.5, if not lower. That'S all i know about this. Surprisingly amica the cure came in lower than all of these so far, so this is one where i found this in the q. A section of their website so amica the cure is their new, actually reformulated bond repair line. So this actually just has different proteins in it that are going to help to temporarily strengthen the hair and also has some really nice oils and other ingredients as well. But the ph of the shampoo is 4.75 to 5.25, and the conditioner has a ph of 4 to 4.75 okay amica. Now we are starting to venture into an even more acidic territory here. So this is the apple cider, vinegar, hair, rinse or acv by dpq. I'Ve also talked about this a lot i really enjoy using this as a clarifying rinse as well, so you can either use this in place of shampoo or before shampoo. If you would like to to help to remove build-up and impurities, this actually has a ph of 4.25 to 4.75, which i love. I would definitely recommend this one. If all else fails, i would say the last option is to be on the lookout for products that are specifically marketed as low ph products or acidic products, and that is where radkin's new acidic bonding concentrate comes into play. So you guys already know that i've been loving this. If you watched my march favorites video, i will list that below. If you haven't seen that yet they do not disclose the ph of these products either. So we still don't know the exact ph levels here, however, they are specifically marketed as acidic products, and they talk about the fact that they have citric acid in them to help to lower that ph. So i just decided to go for it and test out these products. I have exclusively been using this set and this leave in conditioner, which is fabulous by the way for several weeks now. I think almost a month at this point - and i am in love with these products so because of all the drama that i put my hair through with rice, water, that update video will also be listed below. If you don't know what i'm talking about, i really felt like i needed a new shampoo and conditioner set that addressed the unique needs that i was having with my hair at that time, because a lot of my other holy grail products were not working for me In the way that they used to so i needed a set that was protein free. That was also going to help to repair my hair and not cause excessive damage. So that's why i was like we're just gon na try it, and thankfully i got really lucky here. These truly truly have been amazing products in my personal experience, and also they just have great formulations. The shampoo is really nice and lathery. The conditioner is nice and thick. This leave-in has such a nice silky formulation, but it's not greasy or sticky, doesn't leave a weird feel or residue on the hair. I love love this. I cannot say enough good things about this set a couple things that i've noticed ever since i started using these products is number one, i'm having far less breakage, so that was one of the biggest scariest side effects for me of using too much rice, water was A lot of hair breakage - and i just never experienced breakage like that so ever since i started to use these less breakage for sure. I also feel that my hair just has so much more volume. It feels healthier. I can definitely feel a difference and it just. I don't know it's got a little more shine a little bit more to it. I will say i haven't washed my hair - and i think four days at this point so take that with a grain of salt we're a little bit dirty here, but still i'm like this volume, i'm loving it and the other thing. That'S really blown me away with this is that my hair is so much easier to brush through, so i just have incredibly tangly hair, no matter what hair care i use, because my hair is really fine, plus the hard water plus the fact that i bleach my Hair all of those things it's like worst nightmare for tangles, but ever since using these, my hair is so much easier to work through when it is tangled, and i can actually use a comb now to comb through my hair instead of needing to use a brush. Whereas before the tangles were so intense that i could not even try to use a comb, it would never have worked. So my top recommendation, if you are interested in acidic hair care, is for sure this redken line. I love it and once i feel that my hair is just in a better place, ready to reintroduce proteins in a bigger way, instead of kind of just testing with one product here and there. What i plan to do is just alternate back and forth between that set and pureology and kind of whatever else i'm testing at the time. My hair has always really responded well to doing that, and not just using the same set month after month after month. But that's just me personally, so those are my future plans in case you're curious, but for right now i am going to continue to use these because i have been loving them all right. You guys. That is officially everything that i wanted to cover for this topic. I hope that you guys found this as interesting as i did, and you enjoyed hanging out with me and now feel that you have something new to look forward to when it comes to your hair, because trust me, i've been there when you just kind of are At a loss for what to do next, you feel, like you've, tried all these things nothing's, really working in the way that you want it to so i really hope that this can be that thing, for you keep in mind that with the hair, it just takes Time and we do have to be patient to see improvement, but i can tell you that just within i mean within the first use, i already felt like my hair felt better, but i would say within three weeks for sure i've absolutely noticed a difference in breakage And some of those other things that i was talking about so hopefully that gives you some hope. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Is this all new information to you? Did you already know about this? Are you using low ph hair care right now? If so, what is it? Because i want to try it and if you are interested in picking up any of these products after watching this video, maybe you happen to look up the ph of your products and you're not happy with them. Then i will make sure to kind of list them and break them off in ph rankings, if that makes sense, so that it's really easy for you guys to figure out what you want to pick up. Okay, if you enjoyed this video, you know the drill. Please don't forget to give it a thumbs up subscribe to my channel click on that notification, balance on my channel to a friend all those things really help to support me with engagement. So thank you so much for doing that, make sure to stay tuned. For my next video, because that will be up in a few days, but until then i hope you have a great few days.
Comments
Chelsey: The redken acidic bonding concentrate shampoo and conditioner combined with the color wow dream coat spray and aphogee two step protein treatment (every couple months) has completely transformed my hair. I'm obsessed. I've used Olaplex for forever but I noticed such a diff after switching to Redken and using the Aphogee protein treatments and now I only really use Olaplex additives in my bleach or color formulas.
Karen Morris: I wish there was a “love” button. Thanks so much for walking through all the science — I’ve really been struggling with breakage with my normally healthy hair and have tried EVERYTHING. I’m now really excited about correcting our hard water and getting my Redken system!
Kelly Marie: This totally brought me back to my cosmetology classes!! It's important to know ph levels when chemically treating hair. I would also test hair levels before procedures.
Pbarron: Just wondering if pH of water makes a difference when applying an appropriate pH of shampoo/condish. Unless you plan on applying and lathering these products on dry hair, I'm thinking that their pH will change as soon as you introduce water in that process. I'm not a chemist, so it would be interesting to know if water dilutes or changes pH of these products as soon as you apply it to wet hair.
Elizabeth Vinarski: Hey girl! I am a recent subscriber and I want to say thank you for all of this information in all of your videos! I love all of your Amazon favs and my hair is super damaged from Sun-in, so these hair videos have been clutch. I'm a total nerd and would love to read that hair chemistry and physics textbook but it's a little too expensive for me, so I appreciate you taking the time to read it and relay the information to us!
Alexis Garrett: I started noticing huge changes in my hair when moving from the west coast to the east coast and I have always blamed it on stress, pregnancy, etc. And although those definitely impact hair, it has still remained to be a struggle for years. Apparently we have soft water here - do you have any ideas on what should be done to work around that?
Rosann Supino: I've just done some binge watching of your hair care videos and love your pH balanced videos. I learned a lot. I was not familiar with pH in hair care. I have damaged hair and will be trying some of these products you've recommended. Thank you for all the work you put into making your videos. It is much appreciated.
Mariam El-Fahoum: I love that you made a video about the PH in hair products. There isn't enough. I emailed Quai about their PH and they said that "Shampoos range from 5 to 6 and Conditioners range from 4 to 5".
selket88: I have also begun this journey recently, for hair, body and face. I have found that my skin just does not like any cleanser above a pH of 5-5.5. I test everything before it goes on my face. I’ve switched out bar soaps and body washes to those in the 5-5.5 range as well. Making a pH based change has dramatically affected my facial skin/results. So much so that I have just begun testing my body care and shampoos also! So happy you are talking about this subject. Product manufacturers are smart to not advertise the pH of their products, because when the consumer is not armed with that information they will continue to buy products that are not ideal for their hair/skin which ultimately gives them negative results, forcing them to then buy more products to try to fix the issues those products introduced. I would love to see you covering more pH skincare content, if that’s appealing to you as well. FYI, the Olaplex shampoo is a 6.5-7.
ww2001: I am currently using the Davines Nounou shampoo (I read somewhere-a different list than the one you linked- that it has one of the lowest PH levels (PH3). I really like it, and am testing it for how well it helps in assisting color maintenance.
Camille: SOOO MUCH YESSS!!!! I found this out a few months ago after I had a significant amount of hair loss (pretty much half my volume) and have since been using ph balanced or low ph shampoos along with taking biotin and omg my hair is soooo much better. I just wish I would have known BEFORE my hair loss lol. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge!!!!
spiryt's world in words: I cannot tell you how much this video means to me!! Hard water has damaged my hair so so much and I think this advice is really going to finally help!!! I've been searching and searching for answers so thank you!!
Heather Burch: I've recently been trying to research ph in hair care. It seems difficult to find that info from a lot of companies. Would love more videos on this topic Especially cruelty free options
Laura Miller: I just learned about all of this from a brand called Under Luna. Switching to their shampoo that takes PH levels into consideration has been life changing. Amazing to learn what a difference this makes.
Dapjne Kerem: People with low porosity hair will need to use a more alkaline (higher in the ph scale) shampoo because it'll help open the cuticle and let the shampoo clean up under it. As you go to conditioner, deep conditioner and even leave in conditioner/oils, you'll want to use something lower/closer to the hairs ph cause that'll close the cuticle and make sure no hydration leaves. BUT, if you're using your deep conditioner first before shampoo, it should be more alkaline OR use some heat on your head while using it. so just think about this as you buy your products/make a hair routine for yourself @myfellowlowporositypeople.
TheEmxx3: So glad i found your channel! Hard water has messed my hair up BAD. I told my hair stylist that i thought the hard water was damaging my hair and she said she didnt think so because she had never heard of it. But i KNEW it, i stopped using heat on my hair years ago so i knew it was being damaged somehow. Thankyou so much for your content!!
Mary E: Came upon your channel recently and love the hair care analysis and insights! I've been using Kerastase Resistance shampoo and conditioner for several years. My scalp and hair are dry and my hair is fine and straight. Still love the conditioner but the shampoo is too drying for my hair. It's a great product and a little goes a long way. If your hair is normal would recommend both. The conditioner changed my hair from the feel and look of county fair cotton candy to smooth.
Lava Yuki: I had long bleached blonde and the other day I went to the hair salon and got it all cut off, a short pixi bob and died it dark brown. My hair feels better after having given up the bleach, I found that Redken bonding line and olaplex to be the best. I never thought of pH though, that's really interesting, it's a bit like skincare
Courtney Brooke: Hey Abbey! Have you ever used Davines or Living Proof? Thoughts? They both seemed like good options from the database.. especially Davines, which my hair stylist exclusively uses in her salon.
S Br007: Would love a video on ingredients to look out for in shampoo and conditioner, I'm always at a loss when trying to decide
Jill Michelle: I just started using the redkin shampoo on your recommendation and I LOVE IT! Would love to hear your thoughts on the Color Wow Dream Coat products Sephora just started carrying ♀️
Jessica Phillips: There’s a few hair products I was wondering if you have reviewed or mentioned, I scrolled through your videos and didn’t see them. 1. Ouai products 2. Eva NYC mane magic (used it today and my hair felt amazing) 3. Redken one United multi benefit spray Thank you! I love your videos!!!
Ella: I literally just took a shower using redken, as someone who’s been using redken for quite a while, I can say it’s definitely a game changer
Megan Laurie: Hi, I'm REALLY hoping you can help me! I went to the hairdressers to get my hair professionally retouched up two days ago (I have been blonde for 11 years at this point with no major issues aside from dryness, ever) - what they did was bleached my hair twice in one day and toned in the same amount, the result has left me with clumps of hair falling out. I mean CLUMPS. We have similar hair types (live in hard water area in the UK, fine, bleached.. it was fairly long). I'm now left in an awful situation but was wondering what hair care products you could reccommend. I'm planning on buying the Redken acidic set but wondered what Pureology set would you recommend for me going forward? I have already put it in an emergency coconut oil mask, and am planning on using the Joico-K deep reconstructor before my hair salon appointment tomorrow, but now am looking further down the line to prevent any more breakages!
lilli k: Ohhhhjust got the recken leave in! Glad it’s Abbey-approved would you say it’s better to get the whole set or would the leave in alone also do something?
AyAYa: This is such an eye opener! My hair has always been nice and soft, but frizzy, dull, and dandruffy, and I've struggled to improve it. After I watched this video I took a look at my products I realised that it's because my hair must be too on the alkaline side.
JLSlay Bay: I was just looking at the hair structure book on Amazon’s me saved it to my list! Was debating to buy and now seeing you reading it It must mean it’s worthy
Lyssa Jane: Me! I want to take my hair to the next level lol. Love the content as I can use all the help I can get for hair care
sandeep kaur: Love this video sooo sooo much!! All your videos are the best... and you’re the only person who explains everything in details and very helpful. Thank you so much for always helping us with skincare and haircare!!! Please never stop doing youtube !!
Nick: I really appreciate that you own and enjoy reading actual textbooks on skin and hair and aren’t just like “I like this product coz it smells good”.
Bella 1neverknows: Love watching your videos. I don't blow dry my hair I wash it every other day and I was told it was also good to change shampoos and deodorants every couple of months that has helped me alot. Trying to find the right one is not always easy.lol I live in Oklahoma so we have a lot of humidity I have very fine thin hair I would love to give it more volume but I don't use any products in it right now
Jessica: THANK YOU for this video!!! I subscribed and liked so fast after I realized how helpful this video was. I used to have super silky and healthy hair and then I bleached my hair. My stylist recommended me to use the Redken Ph 6.0-6.6 shampoo. Afterwards, he gave me lots of hair care products to use and I've been doing my very best to take care of my hair with the best products but my hair is still DRY AS HAY. I was losing hope but then I saw this and began to tear up as I realized it was the shampoo that was the culprit. :'( Thank you so much! I'm going to switch my shampoo ASAP.
Nicole R: The Redken smells sooooooo good! I just got it today and it might be my favourite ever smelling shampoo and conditioner! Purology and the leave-in Redken arrives next week so I’ll see what that smells like. Also, my hair is so silky, shiny, and even seems like its a brighter/lighter blonde!
Abby McGuire: Question- as far as shampoo, do you have any thoughts on why my hair is only responding well right now to Head and Shoulders(which is guess could be considered as super clarifying)?! It is so random, I love Redken, Purology, and Shea Moisture. Today I tried one of my favs Aveeno Apple Cider shampoo and my hair immediately felt SO dry and brittle and clumpy when I was rinsing it out, so I shampooed again with Head and shoulders and then it was super silky again! It’s the weirdest thing!
damaris arce: I just had my hair color treated and it’s in desperate need. I needed this video!
Kathryn Rowley: Thanks for the info- I’m curious to try. My hair in my older age is drier and more tangly and brittle and dull. I tried Caviar Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and it worked wonders for my hair- it’s shinier, smoother, and softer. The color even looks better- less gray- I don’t color my hair. Curious to try this!
Rina X.: Love this, Abbey!!! You are the hair care queen of YouTube. I ordered the new Redken line, and am really excited to start using it!
Amber: im using alterna caviar volume and restructuring lie!! i LOVEEEEE. obsessed.
Anna Donaldson: I got the Pureology set after watching your hair care video... Life changer! My hair LOVES IT! I used to have to follow up with leave in conditioner and still had awful bed head and greasy scalp. Now I can go two days without washing, need less product, and can usually get away without having to style! And now I can appreciate it even more! Thank you!
Meli Lu: I don’t understand all the love for the Redken Acidic Bonding system. I’m an Olaplex lover but I bought all 3 of the Redken due to all the good reviews and it was awful on my hair. The Olaplex shampoo is amazing to where I could get away without conditioner. The Revlon made my hair a giant tangled mess. The conditioner didn’t help much. I had to follow it up with a deep conditioner from another line just to get the tangles out. I have a water softener so not sure if that has any effect since I don’t have hard water, but it was a terrible experience. Sticking with my Olaplex for sure.
Ioana Schifirnet: I love the product recommendations! Some videos would just talk through the theory without offering solid options so greatly appreciate it!
khookyo: I’m a new subscriber and I’m so glad I found your channel! I already bought pureology strength cure and also the color fanatic leave in spray and I’m gonna be ordering the t shirt towel from amazon! Thank you for all your tips!
Lorelei Denton: I've just discovered your channel. I've learned so much from this one video (pH levels of shampoo, the cons of hard water). I'll be watching more of your hair care videos. Thank you so much for doing the research for us!
Rachael Quayle: Hi Abbey, how long did you use protein free for? And do you use a clarifying shampoo then a hydrate pureology one for the second wash?
E Loy: Do you have a comparison between the Redken Acidic Bond vs Pureology Strength Cure?
Beyond50Skin: You can buy Ph strips to test your products if you’re concerned. Pureology is a longtime favorite as well. Happy Tu Abbey
Rowan M: This is really interesting, thank you for summarizing all this research for us. Im curious have you ever tried or looked into paulas choice haircare? Ive been really tempted by it recently cause i love the brand but my haircare knowledge is limited aha
Joan Nogas: Amazon sells small packs (160 strips) of litmus paper that you can use to test the pH of any cosmetic product or water. You will never have to guess. I have been considering the Redkin line and noticed that they don't state the pH of the line, but they do state that their products are formulated to balance neutral to alkaline water so that you end up with proper pH washes or conditioning. I am curious (and a science geek) so I will buy some of those strips and experiment with the products streight from the bottle and also mixed with water.
Tami Ibarra: Your hair looks great!! I'm definitely going to order the hard water filter and I want to try the Redken products you've recommended. This is interesting. Thank you for sharing this!
Alexploring: When you described yourself as someone who loves all things beauty, and really enjoys taking deep dives into the science and literature (especially for hair!), you could have been describing me! But I don't have any kind of social media platform or followers, so it can be hard to justify taking six hours to research hair porosity :< ) Thanks so much for this video, despite my interest and research, I just can't get my hair in a better place--now I have a new strategy!
Fiona Darragh: Hi Abbey, I hope you had a lovely weekend . I'm only getting around to watching this video now and found this so interesting and the brand Redkin that you recommended and hearing you have hair breakage as I am. I did think that it was calming down until I washed my hair on Friday and OMG it scared the heck out of me.
Lyndsey Treadway: Love love love the new redken acidic line! Never had this amount of improvement especially in such a short amount of time(about a month, 6 washes)
Uyen Benton: Hi Abbey! Have you heard of No Nothing Very Sensitive brand? They stated their Color Treated Shampoo has pH level of 4.5-5.0 and Color Conditioner has 4.0-4.5. It's fragrance free. Have you tried it?
haley: Finally found a no BS hair and skin channel! Can’t thank you enough for sharing your knowledge
lala land: Finally, omg do you understand how rare you are in the Youtube community!! I seriously don't see people on here talking about hair care that's actually educated in it! We appreciate you sooo much you don't even understand! Thank you! :) This is soooooo important!!
Ellamier Rose: Thank you Abbey! I'm definitely going to try out the Redken acidic bonding line now. It was already on my radar but recently my hair has been experiencing a lot of breakage and dryness and it's baffled me because I haven't changed anything.
Rhonda Brandon: I tested the pH of the puroeology Hydrate Sheer Shanpoo and it was a pH of 7 and the conditioner was a 5.0. I thought that all the shampoos were a 5.3 pH but that wasn't so. Had to balance it with citrus acid.
R Family: Science nerd here, I would love to see you pH test your favorites!
Ally Jane Clem: You can Google SDS sheets for every company and look up the PH Level of specific products. It's under section 9 on SDS sheets. Can you maybe do a video explaining the PH level of different hair care products and how they affect hair? Like Olaplex has me a little confused. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector: PH level of 3.5-5 Olaplex No.4 Shampoo: PH Level of 6-6.5 Olaplex No. 5 Conditioner: PH Level of 4-5 I personally only own No. 3 and No.5, but I just feel like these PH Levels are kind of all over the place and not very balanced at all. I do think that when I use Olaplex No.3 that my hair has less breakage and can comb through it better. (I use 1-2 times a month) My concern is around the No. 4 Shampoo. I don't understand why you would want to open up the cuticle if you're also formulating products to close the cuticle. Is this to slightly clarify scalp, open cuticle to improve the effectiveness of No. 5 Conditioner which will then put cuticle back into a low/ balanced state? Sorry for being so wordy. I'm just intrigued by all of this and am trying to find products that work the best for me and my hair. (I have a blonde balayage.)
Giuli M: Also, here's a doubt i have: i've heard the ph of your products has to go in descending order (i.e. shampoo highest, leave in and gel lowest) because otherwise you cause your cuticle to rise and swell too often. Is that true? I found a condish at 3.7 and a leave in at 5.5, could i use that in that order? Does it matter? Thank you!!!!
Anita Miko: This is news to me. For the products that do not list their ph, would it be possible to just use some Amazon ph test strips to test them? Or is that not an option with shampoos for some reason?
tabitha beaton: I loved watching your earlier videos reviewing the function of beauty haircare. Would you have any idea where their products would fall on the PH scale? I’ve tried looking everywhere on their website and can’t find anything....
Theda Blackwood: Very interesting!!! I've been using Theorem ! Would love to share it with you..... but ours is science based and pH around 5...... I'd love to see what you think!!
Sheila Fogelsanger: My Function of Beauty Shampoo is PH 5.5-6.5 not bad. Conditioner is 3.5-4.5 is great. I love the ingredients and what it does for my hair!
Daisy Butler: I’m learning so much from you! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Quick question for you please: Do I need a conditioner and a hair mask? Can I use Pureology Cure shampoo and the superfood mask in replace of the Cure conditioner? I’m also going to purchase the multitasking leave-in spray…
H. H.: Im on an Abbey Yung binge watching streak- so upset that I just found your channel now. Your brilliant and I’m learning so much❤️
Liz Cademy: Thank you! One of my hobbies is cosmetic formulation — not "chemical free", but the best chemicals for the job, including effective preservatives. [I don't sell, I have no interest in regulations and insurance and all that.] My current projects are to make a shampoo bar and a conditioner bar that work for my hair — hip length, fine, and not quite as dense as when I was younger, with a normal scalp. You are the first YouTuber whose pH information matches what I learned from my chemistry research! Everyone else goes on about adding hydration to hair, and using neutral (ph=7) products — including a couple of DIY formulators. I'll definitely be watching your other videos to see what else I can learn. Subscribed. Oh, for anyone reading ... this is why *soap* is not a good shampoo. It's impossible to make a saponified product (true soap) with a pH of less than 8 or so, and most are above 9. Even if you use ACV afterwards, the damage is done before you use the rinse.
Haley Meyering: Pleeeeeeeease do a video comparing olaplex and redkin acidic bonding concentrate! I would love to know and understand the difference between the two!!!
Whitney Lane: Hi Abbey! I love all of your videos. I would love to see you do a review on the IGK leave in conditioners/masks. They have several and I've tried them but not sure the differences and if they work any better than anything else. I have straight, fine, frizzy hair that I feel like I can't find anything that truly makes it look sleek outside of a keratin blow out treatment.
Katrina Sligar: You are a joy to watch and have educated me during my search for my next new hair care! Thanks girlie
Francine: do you like Redken acid bonding concentrate more than the Pureology strength cure? ive been wanting to make the switch to redkens new line but I really do love pureologys strength cure and found it worked better and nicer then kerastase genesis.
Alexis Alexander: Hey! You should review ApHogee moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Their brand is based on pH and is super affordable.
Sherryberry DC: Hello, thank you for explaining the PH levels. I have thick curly hair and protein overload. Do you think the Redken system would work on my type hair. It is hard trying to found protein free products. Thank you for your help
Lucy S: I use Fanola No Orange and love how they are transparent, the pH is right on the front of the bottle, no hunting needed! Another brand, forget which one on Amazon, but when asked what the pH of the shampoo was, they answered the info is proprietary☹️
Lauren LaRose: Wow, i love how you explain, you are such a good teacher! I feel so good that i use joico products, they have always listed their ph on their bottles for years, even though i didn't pay much attention to it. Now i really appreciate them for doing it! New subbie, and notification button pressed ✅. Update: I notice with the newer joico products they no longer list the ph on them. Why joico
waseabi52: for people in Europe I recomment the brand Fanola (The Fiber Fix range but other products as well, they state the pH of the product on the bottle), its insanely cheap here because its an European brand, but salon quality and I can't recommend it enough. I use the fiber fix range, 1L of shampoo and the hair mask (no2 bond fixer) is 14€ for each Ever since I started using these (pHs from 3.5 on leave ins to 4.5 in shampoo) my scalp has ALSO improved a lot. Before I used to get sebum/residue on the scalp that i'd be scratching off after a day when I used a 5.5pH non-sulfate shampoo, now that's completely gone. No scratching anymore. Also I totally can vouch for more volume but less friziness and shininess improved as well.
Heidi Longman: Abbey, I know you like the Olaplex shampoo and conditioner, but the ph of the shampoo is listed as 6.0 to 6.5. All of their other products seem to be lower ph. Do you have any thoughts as to whether the shampoo is too high? I discovered the shampoos I have been using the last few years are around ph 7 which exactly coincides with when I really started to struggle with hair growth. Thank you so much for addressing this!
LoFo45: PH testers are really cheap on amazon so we could test all of our products we have at home
Kelly Rose CBM: I just bought the Redken version, I want to try out the shampoo and conditioner also. When I saw your video I said, ok I have to watch this girl! Subscribed!! Looking forward to watching more videos!
KP R: Thank you so much for this informative video. My hair is graying and I am trying to keep it as healthy as possible for the first time in a very long time. For as long as I can remember I have dyed my hair a chestnut brown color. I have avoided highlights in last decade. Did your research yield any good articles about gray hair and porosity? My gray hair is fine, not coarse. Did any of the literature talk about the process for determining the PH value of a product? Can you use a PH strip? What about the Olaplex line?
cutebubbles2007: I love how structured your videos are and how eloquent you are as well is nice to listen to you. I subscribed today
Bilal Wurie: Thanks so much for the incredible info!! Any recs for pH-balanced hair products for 4b/4c hair?
stephanie buecker: Would you prefer the new Redkin over Olaplex? Do you use any of the Olaplex line with Redkin? Love your videos you definitely do your homework to educate. Thank you I hope this new Redkin doesn’t have the itchy Ms like most of their shampoo does.
Chelsea Desruisseaux: If anybody needs a drugstore option for pH balanced haircare the Giovanni 50/50 balanced line is great! I just emailed the company and the pH level for the Shampoo is 6.00-7.00 and the Conditioner is 3.00-4.00
C B: Thank you so much for all the research!!! I’ve learned soooooo much!
Keert M: How about getting ph strips ? Wouldn’t that tell the ph of your products accurately . Anyway just fell on your channel yd with the lamellar video . Love your research and detailed explanation , new subscriber here ♥️
Elle H: I don't think it's accurate to say shampoos are already pH balanced and to just trust the company. Especially people who have curly hair. They need to be extra careful and need lower pH shampoo and conditioner then naturally straight hair. Diva Curl had a pH too basic. It destroyed people's hair. Not saying this was the exact cause but it could have been a contributing factor.
Carter: This was really informative! But it makes me wonder. My mom has beautiful hair. She's 76, brown w/ natural blonde highlights, no gray! A ¼ cup of Vinegar she's always added to her water (in sink). I really should start doing that, even though she "tortured" me w/ the smell of vinegar my whole life (she drinks it, puts it on her greens etc(. She obviously knew something, I wanted to ignore!
SheLovesLuxe: What are your thoughts on the Pureology Strength Cure blonde line? I know you like the regular line but have you tried the blonde version?
Αδαμαντία Κόλλια: Dear Abbey, could you pls suggest me an ideal combo (shampoo, mask, conditioner) for bleached fine prone to oily hair? I want to improve the breakage and bring them to life without making hair too oily. That's a lot ❣️
Whitney Lane: Do you know if the Redken Acidic shampoos could causes irritation when using tretinoin? My hair looks great since using it but Im on week three of tretinoin and suddenly my face seems so irritated after the shower. I know you aren't a medical professional but I thought you might have a thought on it.
PoppySeeds: Thanks for always doing so much research so I don’t have to
Blush Crown: *Ok time to learn I’m taking notes here! Love how informative you are!*
Shanon Bryant: Do you use other products after the leave in treatments? I just started highlighting my hair and it feels terrible. I have thick coarse hair and I don’t know what to use to make it less frizzy!
Rebekah Horan: I didn't check the filter you had listed right at first cuz I was like no it's going to be expensive and then I went on Amazon and I was like $30 mmmmm. And the one you had listed was for like 10 ❤️❤️
Makenna Smith: Your videos are so incredible and informative. Thank you!
Shirin Asenova-Ilyazova: I honestly think it should be compulsory to put ph levels on packaging.
Marisa Jasmine Arellano: Crazy how this came across my YouTube. My hair used to be king, as soon as I went blonde my hair short to my shoulders, and my hair haven’t grew back since.. and when I went to another salon, I baught $200 worth of redken products. And I still haven’t used them. To many steps and I know it’s top of the line products. I hate that I’m lazy to take care of my hair, but I complain why it’s so short and hard to style and it’s damaged.. fml lol
Dapjne Kerem: Can you please talk about ph and how it pertains to our porosity? like, what ph shampoo should we use and conditioner based on our porosity
miniprepper: I just used the conditioner and leave in for the first time and it is 60% smoother than usual. I am going to buy bigger sizes.