For all of these reasons and more, the integumentary system is essential to the effective functioning of the entire human body. As a licensed cosmetologist, your job entails not only beautifying the skin, hair, and nails but also recommending appropriate practices to maintain them in the best possible
condition. Mastering an understanding of the chemical makeup of the skin, hair, and nails is an important part of being able to provide these services. This course will provide you with the need-to-know information regarding chemical makeup relevant to the salon industry.
CHEMICAL MAKEUP
the cells. Organelles are made up of various materials including proteins. These proteins are made up of various amino acids. The chemical formula of an amino acid is easily definable, experimentally quantifiable, and tells with exactitude what the amino acid is and what it does. It is only at this miniscule level that we are able to cleanly identify the various different chemical components working within the human body. As is beginning to become clear, the body is, chemically speaking, incredibly complex. The best way to begin to make sense of this complexity is to understand the body’s chemistry as an interlay of acids and bases, in other words, pH balance.
Of the over one hundred elements discovered, just six of them compose 99% of the human body: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The most abundant chemical in every human body is water (H 2 0), which composes between 65% and 90% of every living cell, including the cells that make up the integumentary system. To truly understand the chemical makeup of the skin, hair, and nails, it helps to understand the composition of each organ. Organs are made of tissues, which are groups of similar cells that work together to perform a certain function. Each of these cells is composed of organelles, or very tiny structures that perform certain tasks within
THE pH BALANCE
What is pH? pH is an abbreviation for “power of hydrogen,” where “p” is short for “potenz” or the German word for power, and H is the element symbol for hydrogen. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a chemical compound is, with 0 being highly acidic and 14 highly basic . To get technical about it, pH can be defined as the negative log of hydrogen ion concentration in a water-based solution based on a logarithmic scale, running from 0 to 14. Any substance with a pH value below 7 is 10 times more acidic than the higher value, and each whole pH value above 7 is 10 times less acidic than the one below it. A pH of 7 is neutral (pH of pure water). Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe chemicals, just like hot and cold are two extremes that describe temperature. Mixing acids and bases can cancel out their extreme effects, much like mixing hot and cold water can even out the water temperature. A substance that is neither acidic nor basic is neutral. When chemicals are mixed with water, the mixture can become either acidic or basic. Vinegar and lemon juice are acidic substances, while laundry detergents and ammonia are examples of basic ones. Chemicals at either end of the pH scale, ones that are very basic or very acidic, are called “reactive.” These chemicals can cause severe burns. For example, automobile battery acid is an acidic chemical that is reactive and a stronger form of the same acid that is in acid rain. Household drain cleaners are also reactive due to the presence of lye, an extremely alkaline chemical. These reactive chemicals are harmful to the human body and can cause damage to the skin, hair, and nails. Chemicals that are neutral, such as pure water, have little if any negative impact.
Acidic 0
10,000,000 1,000,000
1 2 3 4 5 6
100,000 10,000
1,000
100
10
Neutral 7 (pure water)
1
8 9
10
100
10 11 12 13
1,000
10,000 100,000
1,000,000
Alkaline 14
10,000,000
It is not always a simple matter to assess the true pH level for components of the integumentary system due to a protective film of oily acidic secretion that coats and lubricates the surface of the skin and scalp. This combination of oils and water-soluble materials is referred to as our acid mantle. The acid mantle is produced by the skin and protects the hair, skin, and nails from outside elements and chemicals.
• The average piece of hair,
skin, or nail has a pH level of 5, ranging between 4.5 and 6.
• Products with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 are compatible with the natural
biology of the skin, hair, and nails and are safe to use.
EliteLearning.com/Cosmetology
Book Code: CFL1025
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