Yes, you can wash your hair with baking soda (as a cleanser) and apple cider vinegar (as a conditioner/rinse), a popular "no poo" method, but it requires caution as baking soda's high alkalinity can dry and damage hair if overused, while the vinegar's acidity helps rebalance pH, so it's best as a clarifying treatment done in moderation (e.g., monthly), not for every wash.
Benefits of Baking Soda for Hair
Baking soda (also known scientifically as sodium bicarbonate) is known to be an exfoliating ingredient and when used in conjunction with apple cider vinegar, can also balance your scalp's pH levels.
Washing hair with apple cider vinegar side effects
Add water, pour over head, and rinse almost immediately. This recipe is for long hair. If yours is short to medium length, use one teaspoon of baking soda and vinegar in one cup of water. If your hair doesn't seem clean enough once it's dried, use more soda next time.
The problem is, baking soda has a pH of 9, which is way higher than the scalp's pH of 5.5. This causes hair breakage, frizz, and scalp irritation. Baking soda will also strip hair of its natural oils, which then makes it dry and brittle. This is why you should take everything you hear with a grain of salt.
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.
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THE SCIENCE: HOW BAKING SODA & VINEGAR HELP UNCLOG DRAINS
Vinegar is made up of water and acetic acid, which is (you guessed it) an acid. When you combine these, a reaction happens where molecules get exchanged, creating carbon dioxide and water that bubbles through the clog, breaking it up to create loose material.
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).
Yes! Apple cider vinegar is a superb alternative to clarifying shampoos, especially for color-treated hair. While most clarifying shampoos can strip color, ACV is gentler and helps maintain vibrancy.
It works by removing product buildup and environmental residues that can accentuate gray strands. By tightening the hair cuticles, it also gives hair a smoother texture and a natural shine, making grays less stark.
Let the vinegar mixture sit for three to five minutes. Rinse your hair and scalp with cool water.
While white vinegar is safe for your hair and scalp when applied at diluted concentrations, it's important to note that white vinegar is more acidic than apple cider vinegar. White vinegar is also missing many of the nourishing vitamins and minerals that we get with apple cider vinegar.
If you need a stronger cleaning, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then add 1/2 cup of vinegar. The two ingredients will create a chemical reaction that's excellent at cleaning out clogs. Wait 15 minutes, then pour in very hot water to clear out the residual clogging agent and cleaner.
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.
No poo – alternative to shampoo
Gauls used soap from goat's fat and beech ash for brightening the hair. Romans made soap from mix of oils and sand. During the 17th century wig-wearing was very popular and cleaning hair with water was discouraged, and instead application of oils was preferred.
Hair washing without commercial shampoo, sometimes called no poo, includes water-only hair washing or hair washing with non-commercial products, such as baking soda or vinegar. Advocates argue that commercial shampoo is an unnecessary expense, creates an artificial cleansing cycle, and may contain harmful ingredients.
Mixing baking soda and vinegar as a cleaning agent is a popular home recipe, but it turns out that chemistry experts say it's not a good idea.
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