Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Hair pH for a Shampoo Bar

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  • pH for a Shampoo Bar

    Posted by KellyMoonValley on January 30, 2019 at 8:24 pm

    Has there been an established pH range for a shampoo bar?  I see a target of pH 5.5 for liquid shampoo.  

    Anonymous replied 5 years, 1 month ago 4 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • SwiftCraftyMonkey

    Member
    January 31, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    They should be the same pH as liquid shampoo in the acidic range. 

  • KellyMoonValley

    Member
    January 31, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    Thank you.  I pH tested all the shampoo bars on the market I could find and they are all pH 8 - 9 and none of them contain citric acid.  By the ingredients, they appear to simply be ‘soap with castor oil’.

  • SwiftCraftyMonkey

    Member
    January 31, 2019 at 8:18 pm

    Thank you.  I pH tested all the shampoo bars on the market I could find and they are all pH 8 - 9 and none of them contain citric acid.  By the ingredients, they appear to simply be ‘soap with castor oil’.

    “Shampoo bar” soaps will be alkaline. Syndet shampoo bars, if properly formulated, should be acidic. If you formulate with acidic surfactants, you don’t need to alter the pH if it’s in right range. 

  • mikethair

    Member
    February 2, 2019 at 2:55 am

  • Margaret2

    Member
    February 2, 2019 at 5:25 pm

    I wonder why there are bars of soap in the above list with pH OVER 10?   My soaps (saponified fats) are 9.5 or so (I use pH strips. Yes, yes, I know, not as accurate as a pH meter but I can’t afford a real one, a lab-grade pH meter over $800).

    The syndet bars that are pH 10 and over have a superscript, but we can’t read what that means from this chart. Hmmmm….

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    February 3, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    I don’t think you have to spend $800 to get a ph meter.  There are several options between strips and a lab-grade meter.  I have good luck with my Apera Instruments ph pen.  It calibrates easily and accurately.  My current shampoo bar is at 6.4 (I’m hoping to bring that under 6 on my next attempt).  My liquid castile soap is at ph 10, which I would never use on my hair.  

  • KellyMoonValley

    Member
    February 4, 2019 at 1:45 pm

    Thank you for the chart Dr. Mike Thair as that validated what I was seeing in house. 

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