If you already make your own beauty products, personal care products and household cleaners, then you are well aware of the awesomeness of apple cider vinegar (ACV). If you are not yet in love with this simple, cheap solution for practically everything in your home, this apple cider vinegar hair rinse is a great introduction into how easy and beneficial it is to use ACV for multiple purposes, including your vegan, eco-friendly, DIY hair care needs.
In case you are a bit reluctant to listen to some stranger telling you to put an ingredient normally used in coleslaw on your hair, let me start by saying that I use this vinegar rinse all the time, and I have a lot of hair. And by a lot, I mean the kind of long, curly hair that gets caught in car doors and sat on by other people if I'm not paying attention. So I would never intentionally steer someone wrong when it comes to hair care.
I noticed a difference the first time I used an ACV hair rinse years ago, including softer, shinier hair that was easier to comb out and had less frizz. It accomplishes this by helping to restore the balance of your hair's pH, remove build up from shampoos and styling products, and smooth your hair's cuticles. I now use this apple cider vinegar hair treatment once every week or two, and I continue to absolutely love it.
Oh - also - if you have issues with dandruff, apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that seems to work well for lots of folks, so this rinse might also help take care of that problem!
I should point out that I use way more vinegar in my mix than most folks recommend, so I will give you my recipe along with a more common recipe to allow you to choose which is right for you. I don't normally use shampoo these days, but when I used to use it, I did the vinegar rinse before shampooing my hair. Most folks who tout the benefits of an ACV rinse for hair recommend shampooing your hair, doing the rinse, and then using your conditioner.
You can use conventional ACV (the cheap stuff) for your household cleaning needs, but you should use organic apple cider vinegar for health, personal care and beauty purposes. I prefer Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, which has the mother (the brownish stuff you see at the bottom of the bottle or floating around).
Here is how I roll with my DIY apple cider vinegar hair rinse:
I have a clear version of an old-school mustard or ketchup squeeze bottle that you would find at a diner or BBQ. I fill a little less than half of the bottle with apple cider vinegar, and then fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. I then place my finger over the hole in the top and shake it up. I keep this in the shower for multiple uses, since I use this mixture on both my hair and my face.
Since some people like actual measurements and whatnot, here is the basic recipe that I use:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
When I'm in the shower, I wet my hair, and then apply the apple cider vinegar mixture -- focusing primarily on my scalp and the hair on the top of my head. Since I have longer than average hair, I then hold my hair out at arm's length and squeeze the ACV rinse over the length of my hair. I then work the mixture through my hair (like you would work conditioner through your hair) and let it sit for about two minutes while I go about my normal showery business. I then rinse my hair and apply my conditioner, which stays on through the rest of my shower.
You will definitely smell the vinegar while you are going through this process and while your hair is still wet after you get out of the shower. If you use as much vinegar in your mix as I do, this smell will mostly dissipate as your hair dries, but you might still get a whiff of it every now and then until you wash your hair again.
Here is how other people roll with their apple cider vinegar hair rinse:
If you are concerned about the smell, you can simply use less vinegar in your rinse, which will result in the vinegar smell completely dissipating by the time your hair is dry. This is probably one of the reasons why some people like to use this watered-down version for their hair care needs.
Here is a more common recipe that uses much less ACV than I do:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
Also, remember that many folks recommend shampooing your hair before using this hair treatment, and then following the rinse with your regular conditioner.
In case you are a bit reluctant to listen to some stranger telling you to put an ingredient normally used in coleslaw on your hair, let me start by saying that I use this vinegar rinse all the time, and I have a lot of hair. And by a lot, I mean the kind of long, curly hair that gets caught in car doors and sat on by other people if I'm not paying attention. So I would never intentionally steer someone wrong when it comes to hair care.
I noticed a difference the first time I used an ACV hair rinse years ago, including softer, shinier hair that was easier to comb out and had less frizz. It accomplishes this by helping to restore the balance of your hair's pH, remove build up from shampoos and styling products, and smooth your hair's cuticles. I now use this apple cider vinegar hair treatment once every week or two, and I continue to absolutely love it.
Oh - also - if you have issues with dandruff, apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that seems to work well for lots of folks, so this rinse might also help take care of that problem!
I should point out that I use way more vinegar in my mix than most folks recommend, so I will give you my recipe along with a more common recipe to allow you to choose which is right for you. I don't normally use shampoo these days, but when I used to use it, I did the vinegar rinse before shampooing my hair. Most folks who tout the benefits of an ACV rinse for hair recommend shampooing your hair, doing the rinse, and then using your conditioner.
You can use conventional ACV (the cheap stuff) for your household cleaning needs, but you should use organic apple cider vinegar for health, personal care and beauty purposes. I prefer Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, which has the mother (the brownish stuff you see at the bottom of the bottle or floating around).
Here is how I roll with my DIY apple cider vinegar hair rinse:
I have a clear version of an old-school mustard or ketchup squeeze bottle that you would find at a diner or BBQ. I fill a little less than half of the bottle with apple cider vinegar, and then fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. I then place my finger over the hole in the top and shake it up. I keep this in the shower for multiple uses, since I use this mixture on both my hair and my face.
Since some people like actual measurements and whatnot, here is the basic recipe that I use:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
When I'm in the shower, I wet my hair, and then apply the apple cider vinegar mixture -- focusing primarily on my scalp and the hair on the top of my head. Since I have longer than average hair, I then hold my hair out at arm's length and squeeze the ACV rinse over the length of my hair. I then work the mixture through my hair (like you would work conditioner through your hair) and let it sit for about two minutes while I go about my normal showery business. I then rinse my hair and apply my conditioner, which stays on through the rest of my shower.
You will definitely smell the vinegar while you are going through this process and while your hair is still wet after you get out of the shower. If you use as much vinegar in your mix as I do, this smell will mostly dissipate as your hair dries, but you might still get a whiff of it every now and then until you wash your hair again.
Here is how other people roll with their apple cider vinegar hair rinse:
If you are concerned about the smell, you can simply use less vinegar in your rinse, which will result in the vinegar smell completely dissipating by the time your hair is dry. This is probably one of the reasons why some people like to use this watered-down version for their hair care needs.
Here is a more common recipe that uses much less ACV than I do:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
Also, remember that many folks recommend shampooing your hair before using this hair treatment, and then following the rinse with your regular conditioner.
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