NOTE: This item's not eligible for discounts during a promotion, if the cart erroneously applies a discount we’ll reverse it manually. Photo of item shows typical packaging for this item, this is not the exact box in which these strips are dispensed.
Laboratory-grade plastic pH strips by Machery-Nagel of Germany, gradation of 7.0 to 14.0 recommended for testing the pH of soaps and other toiletries. These high quality test strips feature up to four different indicator pads to cover the complete pH range. The color chart exactly matches both color and position of the pads on the strips which enables highly precise pH-determination and makes the test strips rapid and reliable. The dye on the strips will not contaminate your samples, there should not be any possibility of color bleeding.
Plastic test strips provide more accurate readings than paper test strips. These excellent strips cover the full range you will encounter when testing soap. They read in half unit increments. When using, keep test strip in the solution until the color stops changing, between 45 seconds and one minute. Storage: Away from direct light and heat, store in original container. Measuring your soap’s pH accurately saves you time and problems. (Pack of 100)
Soap pH: Should not be over 10
Lotion pH: 5 to 6
Hair product pH: 5 to 6
To test soap: Wet the soap as if you were washing your hands with the bar, this will create bubbles. Apply the strip to the wet part of the soap, obtain your results.
FYI: Any solution with a pH above 7 is considered an alkali or base, any solution with a pH below 7 is considered an acid.
The gradations of these strips are:
7.0 · 7.5 · 8.0 · 8.5 · 9.0 · 9.5 · 10.0 · 10.5 · 11.0 · 11.5 · 12.0 · 12.5 · 13.0 · 13.5 · 14.0
More information about pH:
Every piece of matter you can think of which is in an aqueous solution (water-based, in other words) has a pH measure. The pH scale is not an absolute scale; it is relative to a set of standard solutions whose pH is established by international agreement. Depending on this measure the product or item can be considered acid rich or alkaline rich or neutral. The scale ranges from 0-14, the higher the number being more alkaline, the lower the number being more acidic and 7 which is right in the middle being neutral. Pure water is said to be neutral. The pH for pure water at 25 ̊C (77 ̊F) is close to 7.0.
It's like the Richter scale for earthquakes, though: just because one product has a ph of 4 and one of 3 doesn't mean that there isn't much difference. For instance: a refreshing glass of orange juice has a pH of 3.5. If you go to a pH of 3, though, you have a nice, "refreshing" glass of vinegar.
Human skin and hair have a natural ph of 4.5-5. Therefore anything above or below the natural PH is contrasting with our hair or skin. Take, for example, a chemical hair relaxer, Its pH ranges anywhere from 11-14 and what does it do? It alters the curl pattern of our hair.
What about soaps? If a soap has a high alkaline content (8-10), it will make your skin very dry and tight.
On the other side of the pH scale, chemical peels have a high acid content. Peels with a pH of 3 may only cause superficial flaking while a peel with a pH of 1 (which would only be available to doctors) can easily give you chemical burns if not properly administered and rapidly neutralized.
For lotion making, one of the reasons that pH is important (other than its effect on the skin) is that preservatives tend to operate within specific pH ranges. If your lotion is out of that range, you might not have an effective preservation system, and your lotion can grow "stuff". There are a variety of pH balancing agents, including citric acid, sodium hydroxide and baking soda.
