The Importance of Washing Hair Daily
Chronic cases of scalp disorders & diseases from poor haircare habits have been shown under microscopic studies. Not shampooing hair everyday creates a mass storage of pathogens—disease causing bacteria. Imagine if you were to put a lotion or body cream on your skin everyday without bathing, this is extremely dirty & unhealthy. The scalp attracts & retains more dirt than skin, this is a serious issue resulting in thinning & drying of hair & rapidly leads to many scalp disorders. You have to clean away dead skin cells that your body sheds in a continuous basis as this can clog up the pores if not removed. Most individuals with dry or damaged hair favor the method of not washing hair regularly ('No-Poo' method) for fear of damaging & tangling the hair further. In some cases people tend to use 'cleansing conditioners' or apply conditioners everyday instead of shampooing. This is definitely not advisable.
Finding The Right Shampoo
A shampoo that is friendly to scalp & hair is absolutely vital i.e. a shampoo that will cleanse the hair & scalp without drying it out. Avoid shampoos that build up (over moisturizing) on the hair or dry hair out (moisture stripping). A shampoo has to have a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. (acid balanced) to be effective & keep hair & scalp in it's natural healthy state. Too low or high of pH levels causes tangles & brittle hair making it difficult to manage.
A safe pH allows the cuticle layer to become more compact, this determines the strength & the moisture levels in the hair.
The Vinegar, Baking Soda & Lemon Juice Myth
The following are the favorable properties of using vinegar, baking soda & lemon, but there is a catch & a reason to avoid these at all costs.
Favorable
Vinegar & lemon is acidic & has an unfavorable environment for pathogens to breed & multiply. Baking Soda is stripping & removes any pathogens that breed, grow & live in the scalp & hair.
The Catch
Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 – 3.4, lemon juice a pH of 2.3, both are highly acidic. Baking Soda has a pH of 8.0, a very high alkaline level. These extreme levels of pH is evident in salon products like perms, hi-lights & ammonia/peroxide based hair dyes which leave hair at a pH level between 9 to 11 (similar to baking soda). Prolonged use of using any product or substance on the scalp & hair with a pH that is too low or too high will cause severe dehydration, resulting in breakage of hair, scalp itch & flaking.
By now you see how pH can impact the overall health of scalp & hair & what an important role it plays.
Finding The Right Shampoo
A shampoo that is friendly to scalp & hair is absolutely vital i.e. a shampoo that will cleanse the hair & scalp without drying it out. Avoid shampoos that build up (over moisturizing) on the hair or dry hair out (moisture stripping). A shampoo has to have a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. (acid balanced) to be effective & keep hair & scalp in it's natural healthy state. Too low or high of pH levels causes tangles & brittle hair making it difficult to manage.
A safe pH allows the cuticle layer to become more compact, this determines the strength & the moisture levels in the hair.
The Vinegar, Baking Soda & Lemon Juice Myth
The following are the favorable properties of using vinegar, baking soda & lemon, but there is a catch & a reason to avoid these at all costs.
Favorable
Vinegar & lemon is acidic & has an unfavorable environment for pathogens to breed & multiply. Baking Soda is stripping & removes any pathogens that breed, grow & live in the scalp & hair.
The Catch
Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 – 3.4, lemon juice a pH of 2.3, both are highly acidic. Baking Soda has a pH of 8.0, a very high alkaline level. These extreme levels of pH is evident in salon products like perms, hi-lights & ammonia/peroxide based hair dyes which leave hair at a pH level between 9 to 11 (similar to baking soda). Prolonged use of using any product or substance on the scalp & hair with a pH that is too low or too high will cause severe dehydration, resulting in breakage of hair, scalp itch & flaking.
