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Why low pH shampoos and cowashes are important for curly hair and a comprehensive list of curl friendly options.
February 12, 2025
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We scoured the web and read through chemistry data (MSDS sheets) to find the best curly/wavy shampoos that have a low pH.
What is pH and why does it matter for curly/wavy hair
The pH is a measure of how acidic or basic something is. The pH of the scalp is 5.5 and the pH of the hair itself is 3.67, meaning they are slightly acidic. Researchers in Brazil theorized that the ideal shampoo is close to the pH of the scalp and hair [1] and defined a low-pH product as that with a pH lower than 5.5.
Shampoos with a higher pH (more alkaline) may increase negative electrical charges in the hair, leading to friction (can cause damage) and every curly haired person’s arch-nemesis: frizz.
This sensitivity is likely increased when hair is high-porosity due to damage that has exposed more of the underlying layers.
A shampoo that has the wrong pH can intensify this damage by increasing the porosity, opening up the cuticle scales and allowing more water to enter the hair, where it can break up keratin bonds that are important for hair’s integrity.
If a shampoo does have a pH that's high, the addition of cationic (positively charged) ingredients like conditioners can help reduce the negative effects.
The worst shampoos for pH are “no tears” shampoos marketed for babies. These shampoos are formulated to have a pH close to 7 due to concerns about more acidic products getting in babies’ eyes.
Another product to avoid is soap which has a pH around 8-13.
Brands usually do not label the pH on products, so we had to either look up chemical data or contact the manufacturer for most of this this list. If you have a product you’d like to see added, contact us at info@curlsbot.com.
It also does contain a drying alcohol but it’s pretty far down the ingredients list and alcohol is really only a worry in leave-in products and only if they are hair that stays wet.
Matrix A Curl Can Dream Co-Wash
For high-porosity hair that needs an extremely gentle cleanser
Hairlust from Denmark is one of the few brands that transparently lists pH in their ingredients. This product is a gentle organic cowash that's especially great for high porosity hair.
Another great low pH product from Hairlust, this organic shampoo is better for those of us with low porosity than the co-wash.
Life pro-tip: People with normal porosity often get great results from alternating co-wash and shampoo. And mixed porosity from using shampoo on the roots and co-wash at the ends.
Curl Crush™ Shampoo
A low pH organic shampoo that provides lightweight moisture
For example their Essential Moisture Cleanser utilizes gentle amphoteric cleansers like cocamidopropyl betaine as well as conditioning ingredients to ensure it cleanses without stripping.
This is a co-wash with mild surfactants like behentrimonium chloride, a conditioning cationic surfactant (has a positive charge which helps reduce negative charges) and sodium lauroamphoacetate, an amphoteric (extra gentle) detergent. This is a great option for high-porosity hair.
It contains a small amount of isopropyl alcohol, which is considered a "drying alcohol" by some, but as it is washed out, we do not believe it’s a concern.
Giovanni Smooth As Silk™ Deep Moisture Shampoo 4.5-5.5
Giovanni is one of our fav options for really nice products at a really great price. This product has sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, an anionic surfactant, and several gentle amphoteric surfactants for cleansing without frizz.
I think it’s handy for anyone to have clarifying shampoos in their arsenal to remove buildup from products and from minerals in tap water. Ouidad Water Works Clarifying shampoo one has sulfates but also has amphoteric) surfactants and conditioning ingredients to balance it out. Its low pH means it's less likely to cause frizz than higher pH clarifying shampoos.
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