Hair Treatment w/Baking Soda & Vinegar

Baking Soda & Vinegar Hair Care 

Now, you might be asking, what's so bad about shampoo? Shampoos can contain a lot of harmful ingredients. I am by no means an expert on this, but in my research, I've repeatedly found the worst chemical-offenders to be:
  • Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (used as a foaming agent in shampoo and is a possible carcinogen)
  • DEA/Diethanolamine (an emulsifying agent that can create carginogenic compounds when combined with other chemicals found in personal care products)
  • Parabens (used as preservatives to extend shelf life, but many of these chemicals have been linked to breast cancer)
  • Fragrance (the word "fragrance" on a label can mean the presence of over 4,000 separate chemical ingredients; scary!)
Now that I've been using this method for awhile(shampoos strip our scalps of natural oils so this increases oil production to compensate) and I only have to use this method every 2 - 3 days.  The baking soda and vinegar method is cheap, effective, simple and chemical-free and I think you'll love it as much as I do.



Method:
It might be hard to adjust to the lack of shampoo foaming action at first, but I promise this is worth it in the end. Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water.  I simply make a big batch of this in a squeeze bottle and keep it in the shower. The baking soda and water will separate so make sure to shake the bottle prior to each application. 
Baking Soda:
  • Apply the baking soda and water mixture to dry hair by squeezing a little at the roots and working to the ends.  
  • Repeat this process all over your head.  
  • Let it sit for 1 - 3 minutes then rinse with warm water. 
After washing and rinsing with the baking soda mixture, you'll want to apply a vinegar rinse. (I've found that white vinegar does not leave as strong of a smell compared to apple cider vinegar so that is what I use in my rinse.)  Mix 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water. To minimize the vinegar smell, I also add lavender, peppermint, and/or rosemary essential oils to the vinegar mixture.  (In my last post I had more suggestions about how to customize your rinse fragrance.) I also mix a big batch of this ahead of time and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the shower. 
Vinegar Rinse:
  • Tilt your head back, close your eyes (to avoid getting this mixture in your eyes), and distribute through your hair. If you have longer hair like I do, I like to then (still keeping my eyes closed) tilt my head forward and distribute more rinse through the ends.
  • After a few seconds, rinse with cold water. 
One of the ways that I've changed my method is rinsing my hair with cold water after the vinegar rinse. The cold water helps to seal in moisture, smooth the hair, and add shine. I have straight hair and have noticed that this really made a difference with eliminating frizz and winter static. 
Since my hair is longer than when I used to use this method, I first noticed the vinegar smell leftover in my hair much more. To remedy this, I simply add two drops of lavender essential oil to my hair brush and run it through my hair as I blow dry it.

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