The Secrets of pH Balance Should Be Shouted from the Housetops!
Maria Low
September – October 2022 • Vol 3, No 123
I first became aware of pH many years ago when I worked as a hair designer. In order to design haircuts optimally, I used products with formulas that had a similar pH to hair. This made a dramatic improvement in my work and in the appearance of my clients. I made many changes in my business based on this understanding of acid and alkaline.
What is pH?
A pH of 7.0 at 25C is defined as neutral because the concentration of H30+ (hydronium ions) equals the concentration of 0H- (hydroxide anions) in pure water. The measurement runs on a scale from 0 to 14. Acidity is on the lower end of the scale from 0 to 7. Alkalinity is the upper end of the scale from 7 to 14. Acidity creates an expanding energy whereas alkalinity creates a contracting energy.
The Danish chemist Søren P. L. Sørensen invented the pH scale in 1909. His original work was with beer. He learned how to prevent mold while fermenting beer by controlling the acidity and alkalinity.
Henry John Heinz, founder of the Heinz Ketchup company, ran similar experiments. He encountered mold problems while making tomato sauce to bottle and sell. When he made changes to make the sauce more acidic, the mold problem was solved. He created a product that made him a millionaire at the turn of the 20th century!
