Why you should use a vinegar hair rinse!

Why use Apple Cider Vinegar or Kombucha vinegar on your hair?

• Balance Hair & Sebum pH

Our hair and the natural oil that comes from our scalp, known as sebum, have a pH level of between 4.5 and 5.5. When kept at this acidity level, the scalp is safeguarded against fungal and bacterial growth, ensuring healthy hair and skin.

Unfortunately, many shampoos and other hair products disrupt this natural pH which can affect the cuticles of the hair and the condition of the scalp.

Natural vinegar is naturally high in acetic acid and has a pH level which is close to that of human hair. Regularly rinsing with this vinegar can help bring your scalp and hair to its ideal acidity, especially if you have oily hair.

• Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties

The acetic acid in vinegar is a potent antimicrobial which can kill bacteria and fungus, common underlying causes of dandruff and hair loss, making it a fantastic natural cure.

A vinegar rinse is also a good preventative regimen – by maintaining the natural pH of your scalp, you’ll be creating a hostile environment for the fungus and bacteria that cause these issues.

Rinsing even once a week with an apple cider vinegar mixture has brought relief to many dandruff sufferers and prevented further flaking.

• Cleansing and Clarifying

Using a multitude of products on our hair – like serums, gels, sprays, and masks – leads to product build-up. All this sticky residue can leave the hair looking flat, dull and lifeless.

One of the easiest ways to get rid of this accumulation and restore life to your locks is by using a vinegar rinse.

• Add Natural Body & Define Curls

The Curl Manual claims that a natural vinegar rinse can make your curls ‘pop’, by bringing back their springy bounce!

And, unlike conventional shampoo and conditioners, the vinegar won’t weigh down the individual strands, meaning you can enjoy more movement and natural body to your hairstyle. You may even find you don’t need to use heating and styling products after a vinegar rinse, saving your hair from further damage.

• Detangle

A fantastic natural detangler, Natural vinegar is usually used as an alternative to conditioner.

It’s so effective as its natural acidity helps to smoothen down the cuticle – encouraging knots and tangles to slip out and allowing a brush to glide through more easily.

• Reduce Frizz

Frizzy hair is caused by lifted cuticles on the hair. Smooth down the cuticles with apple cider vinegar and you’ll enjoy a smoother, frizz-free mane.

• Add Shine

The cuticle’s position also affects the light reflecting properties of the strands. When the cuticle is down – as it is after an apple cider vinegar rinse – the hair is better able to reflect light, giving your ‘do a glossy, healthy appearance.

• Reduce Porosity of the Hair

Normal hair allows necessary amounts of moisture to penetrate the outer cuticle, while porous hair absorbs liquid quickly…but loses it just as quickly.

High porosity is the result of damage to the hair from chemical treatments and environmental exposure. This irreversible damage creates gaps and holes in the surface of the hair shaft leaving the hair more prone to further damage.

While you can’t change the porosity of your hair, you can manage it by using an apple cider vinegar rinse to flatten the cuticle and minimize gaps. In order to ensure the new hair that grows out doesn’t suffer the same harm, eliminate the source of the damage and take note of these 22 natural secrets to growing healthy hair.

Not sure if you have porous hair? A simple test will reveal all. Drop a strand of clean hair into a glass of water. If it immediately sinks, your hair is of high porosity. If it floats midway, it’s of normal porosity. If the strand floats towards the top and it takes a while to sink, your strands are of low porosity.

• Stimulate Hair Growth & Prevent Hair Loss

Apple cider vinegar stimulates better blood circulation to the hair follicles – something that is vital for encouraging hair growth and preventing hair loss. Furthermore, this blood carries essential nutrients to the hair follicle cells, strengthening the roots and promoting growth.

• Prevent Split Ends & Breakage

By using an apple cider vinegar rinse regularly, you’ll be naturally removing tangles from your hair, closing the cuticles, improving porosity and encouraging stronger strands – all of which lead to a reduction in split ends and breakage.

Choosing an Apple Cider Vinegar
You’ll find a large variety of apple cider vinegar brands in supermarkets and health stores. However, not all of these confer health and beauty benefits like those outlined above.

When selecting an ACV brand, you may be drawn to the more attractive, clear vinegars over the cloudy ones. But these clear vinegars have been pasteurized, losing many of their health benefits.

To make sure you’re getting the good stuff, purchase only those vinegars that are labeled organic, raw and unfiltered. These tend to be cloudy, and have a sediment in the bottom, known as ‘The Mother’ – which contains all the bacteria and enzymes that make this product so powerful.

Making Your Own Kombucha Vinegar

If you can get your hands on a Scoby and you have enough time and patience you can make your own Kombucha vinegar at home. I personally like to infuse aromatic herbs into my Kombucha vinegar to give it extra benifits and make it smell nicer.

If you do decide to make your own Kombucha vinegar it will take approximately 12 weeks to make.

How To Do a Vinegar Hair Rinse
Mixing up and applying a vinegar hair rinse couldn’t be easier. Just follow these steps:

Blend one cup of water with two to four tablespoons of vinegar to make your rinse.
After you have shampooed and thoroughly rinsed your hair, slowly pour the mixture over your entire scalp, allowing it to run down the length of your hair. You can also put some vinegar into a spray bottle and then spritz it onto your hair and scalp if you do this you will have to rinse it through with some clean water. (Be careful not to get any in your eyes as it will sting).
Massage the mixture into your scalp, which will also serve to stimulate circulation and hair growth.

Repeat this process anywhere from once a month to twice a week – although once weekly is recommended for most hair and scalp issues.

If you’re concerned that you’ll smell like a pickle after this rinse, don’t be! Once your hair dries, the vinegar smell will disappear.