A year or so ago, I read on a beauty blog about rinsing your hair in a vinegar water solution after shampooing. And for some reason, I cringed at that extra step in hair care, and did not consider trying it. After all, I was already triple conditioning on top of other shower rituals that I had, so measuring out a vinegar solution ratio seemed too much, especially since I didn’t even know what it did. The article said to use apple cider vinegar mix it with water and pour it into hair after shampooing. The writer said it balances the hair’s ph. And since I didn’t know what that meant, I ignored this strange tip.
But more recently, I wanted to learn about rinsing with vinegar since I heard it can fix dull, limp hair. I had been noticing how my hair felt stringy and dry even when it was freshly cleaned. Adding too much products made it greasy and flat, so after more research, I was brought back to this simple home remedy. Vinegar does balance the natural ph of hair, since hair is naturally slightly acidic. After we shampoo, and rinse out our hair with water (neutral ph), our hair shafts remain slightly basic (because shampoo is basic), and that is on the opposite spectrum of acidic. So your hair is not really “happy” and reacts by being limp, dull, hard to comb and needing tons of product to keep it behaving. A vinegar rinse is supposed to cancel out what the shampoo did, bringing your hair back to its slightly acidic ph. Yay, science! But so what does balanced hair ph do?
The results are supposed to be shinier hair, more soft and less dry. A vinegar rinse is supposed to also get rid of product build up too, but I find mostly what it really does is coax your hair cuticles to lay flat and relax, so that it actually looks and feel healthier! And less tangle-y. I find after rinsing and drying, my hair feels thicker and stronger like almost like virgin unprocessed hair. And I do use less leave-in products because it feels more manageable. Translation, vinegar rinses make good hair days even better. Infact, my own dad who never notices hairstyles, finally commented that he sees I have it dyed burgundy! I think I owe this to vinegar rinses because they are rumored to enhance and preserve the dye in coloured hair. So I would recommend this strange hair care trend indeed! (Don’t do it every shampoo, but every other…I hear that too much is not good? Correct me if I am wrong)
How I do a Vinegar Hair Rinse:
-2 and 1/2 cup of warm water.
-1/4 cup of vinegar (apple cider vinegar, but I actually use white vinegar)
Mix in a pitcher before your shower. After shampooing and conditioning, seal in your hair cuticles by pouring the mixture all over your head and hair all the way to the ends. Massage and bring the solution all the way to the tips of your hair. Leave on for a minute, then rinse out with a blast or two of regular water. I don’t want to rinse it all out, but I get out the excess because it does have an odor. However, after it dries, it has no scent. But don’t be caught in the rain because I find when my hair gets damp again, I can sometimes smell like fish and chips. Oh well, the results are worth it!
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