Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is certainly not anything new. It has been around for ages and has been shown to have many great benefits and uses. You can use ACV to aide in skin care, use as a household cleaning agent, assist in improving your health & healing, and use it in your hair care routine.
Yes… you can actually use ACV in your hair. Please don’t worry ladies and gents you will not walk around smelling like sour vinegar!!! I promise! LOL The smell of vinegar typically disappears when your hair completely dries. I have done ACV rinses several times and my hair has never smelled unpleasant.
Before you rule it out simply off smell alone, let me share some ACV benefits with you. ACV has been proven to help balance the pH of your hair, condition and clean the hair and scalp, and to also help kill germs that cause dandruff and itchy scalp. Allow me to elaborate.
Balance the pH of Your Hair:
Hair is typically on the mildly acidic side of the pH scale ranging between 4.5 and 5.5; this is close to the same pH of ACV. Many of the products we use such as shampoos and hair colors are strongly alkaline (meaning: has a pH of around 11). If you rinse your hair with the ACV that can help balance the pH of the hair back to normal levels and help remove the buildup of these products.
Condition and Clean the Hair and Scalp:
Rinsing your hair with ACV can not only help with removing buildup from your scalp, but it can also close the cuticle scale that cover and protect the outside surface of the hair shaft. This will give your hair strand a smoother surface which will reflect more light and give your hair my shine. This will also make it smoother and easier to manage. The properties that make up ACV are strong enough to remove product build up, dirt, and other germs that can clog up your pores. The removal of this grimy buildup allows your scalp to breathe and can stimulate hair growth.
Kill Germs and Bacteria:
The acids and enzymes in ACV kill “bottle bacillus”, which is a bacteria that is one of the causes of many conditions such as dandruff, itchy scalp, hair loss, and often baldness. These bacteria can clog the pores and hair follicles allowing for dry crusts to form that will start to itch and flake. Yes…I am talking about the little or big flakes you find on your shoulders after you have been scratching your scalp!!!
To combat these conditions you can apply ACV directly to the scalp and rub it in. Let the ACV sit on the hair for half an hour to an hour before washing your hair.
To take it up a notch, you can add ACV with a few drops of an Herb that has been known to prevent dandruff on its own, herbs such as, southernwood, stringing nettle, goosegrass, plantain and burdock root, and my favorite tea tree oil. You will just mix the two products together and apply them directly to the scalp, rub it in, and let it sit for half an hour to an hour before washing your hair.
How to Mix Your ACV:
For an after-shampoo rinse you can mix 1/3 of a cup of ACV into a quart of water. That will make a about a liter of solution that you can put into a larger bottle.
You could make a smaller amount by mixing 1 tablespoon of ACV into 1 cup of water smaller bottle with a nozzle or tip.
After you have shampooed apply the ACV rinse to your hair rub it into your scalp and then rinse it out.
Essential Oil ACV Rinse:
You can also mix the ACV with your favorite essential oil. The can help in conditioning the hair and add a sweet fragrance to the mix as well.
All you have to do is add about 5 drops of your essential oil to 1 cup of ACV. Then add 1 tablespoon of this mixture to 1 cup of warm water. Now it is ready to be applied to your freshly shampooed/co-washed hair. Some essential oils to try in this mix would be Lavender, Lemon, Rose, Rosemary, and Sage.
Until Next Time,
Take Care and God Bless~
Tiffany N.
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