pH

In nail care, pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, which is crucial for maintaining healthy nails. Nails naturally have a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5.

It’s important to note that nails, like skin, are highly tolerant to short exposures to extreme acidity or alkalinity. They have the ability to quickly recover their natural pH within approximately 15-30 minutes. For example, while regular soap has a pH of 9-10, it doesn’t harm nails during hand washing. Similarly, acidic substances like lemon or orange juice, with a pH around 2, do not damage nails upon contact. Additionally, water, with a pH of 7, is chemically neutral and does not affect nails. The duration of exposure to extreme pH levels is key, and nails demonstrate high tolerance to such exposures.

Some cuticle and callus removers may have a pH of up to 11, but even at such high levels of alkalinity, nails remain unaffected when the product is used properly.