Yes, you can mix baking soda with shampoo for a deep clarifying wash to remove product buildup, but it's very drying and abrasive, so it should be used sparingly (once or twice a month) and always followed with a good conditioner or an apple cider vinegar rinse to rebalance pH and add moisture. Mixing it with shampoo strips oils and can damage hair cuticles, potentially leading to breakage and dryness, so it's best for oily or product-heavy hair, not dry or color-treated hair.
Baking soda has a high pH of 9, making it an effective acid-neutralizer and cleanser. Baking soda's alkali pH makes it an excellent cleanser for your scalp and hair. It removes dirt and buildup from the scalp, leaving it clean.
All you have to do is mix one teaspoon of baking powder to a good bit of shampoo. Baking powder has a high pH, making it more alkaline. This can help open the hair cuticle, allowing the solution to cleanse more deeply and remove buildup from shampoos, conditioners, and other styling products.
This slime recipe is imprecise, so don't worry about being exact with your measurements. Pour the 1 cup baking soda into a bowl. Squirt approximately 1 tbsp of dish soap or shampoo into the baking soda and stir. The slime will have the color of the shampoo or dish soap; add food coloring if desired.
1/4 cup Castile soap (we used Dr. Bronner's Peppermint) 1/4 cup coconut milk, (from a carton) 1/2 tsp jojoba oil (can use olive oil if you don't have on hand, but may create a more oily feel)
Using a product with such a high pH may harm the hair. Over time, baking soda can strip the natural oil from the hair, lead to breakage, and make the hair fragile.
Healthy hair care tips from dermatologists
The latest in a long line of misinformed social media beauty trends? "Washing your face with baking soda". As a board-certified dermatologist, please say no to this trend. While it's going viral, this kitchen staple can disrupt your skin's natural barrier and cause irritation—far from the glow people are hoping for.
Baking soda can remove hair oil and buildup, but it might also cause dryness and irritation. Baking soda's high pH can damage hair and affect its natural, protective oils.
The easiest way to lighten hair is to use a clarifying shampoo or a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. These methods are gentle and can gradually lighten the hair over a few washes. For more immediate results, a professional toner or hair lightener can be used.
Stick with scalp-safe options: apple cider vinegar rinse (1 tbsp : 1 cup water), silicone-free co-wash, or gentle clay cleansers. Skip the hacks: dish soap, DIY hair care products, hand sanitizer, straight lemon juice, or undiluted ACV wreck your scalp's natural pH (≈4.5–5.5).
The "Big 3" for thinning hair, especially male/female pattern baldness, are typically Minoxidil (Rogaine), Finasteride (Propecia), and sometimes Ketoconazole shampoo, or even Microneedling, forming a multimodal approach to stimulate growth and block hormones (DHT) causing hair loss, with Minoxidil boosting circulation, Finasteride inhibiting DHT, and Ketoconazole reducing inflammation and acting as a mild anti-androgen.
It can't be used daily
Because of its tendency to be abrasive, experts don't recommend using baking soda every single day. “Our scalp needs the natural sebum and oil,” according to Ogboru. Over-stripping your scalp can affect the natural ability of these oils to hydrate, grow healthy hair, and protect skin.
Unfortunately it is untrue that baking soda can treat hair loss.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a natural cleanser that removes buildup, restores scalp pH, and adds shine to your hair. Its antimicrobial properties also help combat dandruff and itchiness. Unlike shampoo, ACV cleans without stripping essential oils, making it ideal for oily hair or those prone to buildup.
Scalp build-up as a result of not washing your hair could also lead to the follicles becoming clogged, potentially affecting your hair growth and increasing the chance of ingrown hairs.
5 Signs of Damaged Hair
What happens if I add baking soda to my gray hair? Gray hair can be affected detrimentally when baking soda is added to it, as the natural oils will become stripped and cause breakage of dry hair due to excessive dryness and brittleness.
The easiest way to use baking soda on your hair is to mix it with water until it forms a paste. Apply it to your scalp and down the length of your wet hair. You can let it sit anywhere from one to three minutes and then rinse clean.
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda into 250ml of warm water. Stir until dissolved (it helps if you whisper things like “free-range” and “namaste” while doing so), then pour it over wet hair. Massage this magical mixture into your scalp and rinse well.
During the early stages of shampoo in Europe, English hair stylists boiled shaved soap in water and added herbs to give the hair shine and fragrance. Commercially made shampoo was available from the turn of the 20th century.
Yes, 100% natural shampoos exist, often using plant-based ingredients like oils, herbs, and botanical extracts (aloe, coconut, argan) and are free from harsh synthetics (sulfates, parabens, silicones), but "natural" can vary; look for certified organic or ingredient lists focused on whole foods for truly pure options, with brands like Margaret River Made, 100% PURE Australia, and Ethique offering such products.