My Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse
Disclaimer: This is NOT a review of the Braggs Organic, Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the 'Mother'. This article shares how I use it as a hair rinse. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is the result of twice fermenting apples. Organic, raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized ACV with the 'Mother' is the cream of the crop, because it means that throughout the fermentation process, the naturally-occurring enzymes and minerals have been retained. So, when you go to a supermarket to purchase, if you want cheap, go ahead and purchase any of the refined, distilled brands, but if you want as natural as you can get, choose one like I described above.
ACV was made widely popular as a health supplement by Dr. D.C. Jarvis, M.D. in his 1958 book 'Folk Medicine'. Up to this day, people praise this vinegar as the best of all vinegars.
What does it do for our hair? Apple cider vinegar, when used moderately (over-use can cause your hair to dry out): - removes product or sebum build-up from your scalp and hair - promotes shine (through the removal of build-up and sealing of the cuticle) - detangle your hair by sealing the cuticle so that it becomes smooth - relieves a variety of scalp conditions such as itchy scalp and dandruff because it... - balances the pH of your hair and scalp - increases blood circulation in the scalp
How I used ACV as a rinse: After shampooing my hair, I did not add a conditioner. I used the Shea Moisture Yucca & Plantain Anti-Breakage Strengthening Shampoo w/ Baobab Oil and Cilantro Extract and my hair was soft enough at that point. You can use a conditioner, of course, I just did not, in this application. After rinsing out the shampoo from my hair, my hair felt good. I could feel the increased definition of my kinky curls, as I usually can when I let the shampoo sit on my hair for about 1-2 minutes on my hair. I had already prepared the vinegar rinse in the proportion of 2 tablespoons ACV to 8 oz. (1 cup) of water. I used an empty 21 oz. water bottle to pour in my vinegar then filled it with water. I shook up the bottle, and that is what I used to pour over my hair. I didn't have a spray bottle at hand, so I gradually poured the ACV mixture over my head, pausing after each pour to massage my scalp and scrunch my hair together to sap it up. Of course, a lot of it ran off my head, but I had enough, I think, to really get my hair good and soaked. I let it sit on my hair for a few minutes, and rinsed out with plain water. I did not folow up with a conditioner.
This is what my hair looked like:
"After my vinegar rinse, I immediately felt that my curls were more defined, and my hair was soft to the touch."
There are variations to the vinegar rinse. You can add it with baking soda to make a paste. You can add herbs to it for a more potent effect. You can condition your hair afterwards. All that and more, if you want.
Q: What rinsing techniques do you use on your hair? Share below.