A tingly, itchy, red scalp is hardly what you had in mind for your luxurious day of hair treatment — but it’s all too common during a bleach or dye job.
However, until recently, there weren’t many ways to prevent that dreaded burning feeling and keep a completely natural look. The most effective protection method was to apply coconut oil or Vaseline to your scalp before treating your hair. While this did create an occlusive layer that kept any hair product from touching the scalp, it also kept hair treatments from dying roots completely.
Fortunately, our pH Plex 1 & 2 treatment provides a way to both protect your hair and skin and get a picture-perfect color or bleach application.
How does pH Plex accomplish this double goal?
First, pH Plex 1 & 2’s active ingredient is itself a skincare superstar. Malic acid (found in its sodium malate form in pH Plex) is an alpha-hydroxy-acid. Since your body already produces malic acid naturally, it’s nothing new or irritating to your skin. In fact, quite the opposite: malic acid is the main active ingredient in many effective soothing, brightening, and exfoliating skincare products.
In addition, pH Plex 2’s own pH matches the pH of your skin. This helps to neutralize the alkalizing (i.e. sensitizing and itchy) effect of bleaching products on your hair and scalp.
In addition, the return to your hair and skin’s normal pH keeps your hair from succumbing to chemical damage from dyes and bleaches. So both your hair and your scalp get a break; you can say goodbye to dry, brittle hair and red, tingling scalp!
A friend recommended this product and I am so glad she did!!! My hairstylist added the first step to my color, the second step afterwards and the results were amazing! I have thin, brittle hair and my hair was so soft and stronger – I loved it! Will definitely use again and again, as well as their other products! 😊
Karen Johnson
Here are our professional tips for an itch-free hair dye using pH-Plex:
- After washing your hair, wait at least 48 hours (preferably 3-4 days) to dye, bleach, perm, or relax it. This gives your hair and scalp time to replace their natural oil coating. Often stripped away by shampoos, this coating is essential to protect your scalp from immediate exposure to burn-producing chemicals.
- Follow the exact times and information given in the instructions for your hair color, lightener, perm, or relaxer. Remember, adding pH Plex 1 does not change the development time of your color or bleach. We’ve all heard horror stories of bleach left on hair too long — don’t let it happen to your beautiful tresses!
- pH Plex 1 Protect is specifically designed to match your hair color, bleach, perm, or relaxer product’s pH for the best possible results. The extra high concentration of Malic Acid in pH Plex 1 not only protects your hair but also your skin. Fortunately, all you have to do is mix it in with your usual hair treatment product, and you’re good to go!
- Apply your color/bleach mix containing pH Step 1 and leave it on as per color/bleach manufacturer guidance. Then, rinse and apply pH Plex 2 repair to your damp hair. Wait 5-10 minutes for it to process. This is necessary for the Malic Acid to fully penetrate your hair structure, repair left-over broken bonds, and return your hair and scalp to their natural pH.
- Deep-condition your hair weekly to keep your hair soft, smooth, and moisturized.
- Finally, use pH Plex 3 Fortify weekly to replenish the Malic Acid that washes out during shampooing to keep your hair repaired at the molecular level. NEVER use pH Plex 1 Protect by itself, as doing so can throw off your scalp’s natural pH and result in the dreaded burning sensation. But, pH Plex 1 Protect is ideal to mix with pH Plex 2 Repair for a deep repair treatment.
These steps will give you a magnificent, vivid, pain-free mane at home and at the salon!