using ph test strip to balance shampoo bar recipe?

[hennared]

I have been using shampoo bars for a while, and seem to have trouble getting my acid rinses just right. I had a thought that *might* remedy this, but I'm not sure it will give me the reults I want.

I tend to shave peelings of my shampoo bars into a blend of water and a bit of aloe vera gel the night before I plan to wash, so that the soap dissolves. What if I used ph test strips to monitor the ph of my 'shampoo solution' and gradually added, say, citric acid until I got a nice low ph?

And if that isn't an entirely stupid idea, what ph should I aim for - 5.5 or so? What do you recipe mavens think?

just thinking too much... :)

[danacc]

Soap is alkaline. If you use an acid to neutralize the base pH of the soap, you will also neutralize the cleansing ability of the soap. Adding an acid to the soap will undo the chemical reaction that made the soap in the first place, destroying its cleansing (amphiphilic) nature.

[hennared]

Duuhhh on me. Yes, I can see that makes sense.. oh well, another brilliant idea ruined by reality :)

[misstwist]

Why can't you just use a vinegar rinse?

[hennared]

I do use a vinegar rinse.. but I have the darnest time getting the dilution just right. And sometimes the same dilution acts totally different in my hair! It makes me crazy. That's why I thought if I could start out 'ph balanced', the results would not be left to chance. I wonder if my shampoo bars vary considerably in how alkaline they are? I tend to rotate between 3 of them. Hmm.