Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse- Quick Mask Recipe and Benefits
Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse- Quick Mask Recipe and Benefits.
This quick mask recipe is quick because it doesn’t stay on the hair for longer than 5 minutes. Which means it’s not only quick but efficient and effective.
But before we get into that let’s talk about what Apple Cider Vinegar does to the hair and why you might want to use it for your mask and hair treatments.
Why use Apple Cider Vinegar on your hair?
It’s a natural cleanser. Need I say more?
Natural doesn’t always mean that it’s the way to go for you. But why is it healthy to use apple cider vinegar occasionally?
Raw apple cider vinegar is inexpensive and easy to use. If you specifically use the raw apple cider vinegar, over pasteurized, all of the vitamins left from the apples will still be left in the vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is rich in potassium, pectin, malic acid, calcium, and vitamins B and C. Which also means it’s CHEMICAL FREE!!!
If you are having trouble with greasy hair constantly, and it just doesn’t seem to ever feel or stay clean, it may be an issue with the pH.
Why Does My Hair Get Greasy Overnight?
What does the Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse do to your hair?
The pH of human skin and hair sits at a pH of 4.5-5.5, slightly on the acidic side of the pH scale. Throughout the day it’s exposed to all kinds of different elements that try to alter the pH, but the scalp works hard to maintain the correct pH for its health and to remain balanced.
Apple cider vinegar has a pH of 2. Which is lower than the pH of hair and skin. But gentle enough to cleanse the skin, remove the micro-bacteria roaming on the scalp that slows hair growth and causes itchiness and possibly break-outs.
Is it safe for your hair?
Yes. Apple cider vinegar is safe.
Hair has an outside protective shell, called the cuticle. It sits like shingles on a roof overlapping each other, protecting the internal structure of each hair strand.
When build-up of product, oils, or dirt coats the cuticle it struggles to lift to allow water and nutrients in, as well as lay flat to create a smooth surface for the hair. Which is when the hair looks it’s smoothest and shiniest.
Apple cider vinegar rinse breaks down the buildup without damaging or cracking the cuticle. Thus protecting color, and maintaining moisture inside the hair strand itself.
Now, you should know that heat lifts the cuticle. So if you are using particularly hot water while using this apple cider vinegar hair rinse, the cuticle will lift and the risk of color washing out is higher.
So use COLD WATER if you are using this hair rinse with colored hair.
How often should you use Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse?
How often do you usually wash your hair? Are you a frequent washer, more than twice a week, then you may benefit from using the apple cider vinegar hair rinse about once a week.
If you wash your hair less often, maybe once every 4-7 days, this hair rinse may be beneficial to you every two weeks or so.
The point of using the apple cider vinegar hair rinse is to remove build-up, restore the pH, and nourish the scalp. It’s a quick cleansing mask, not a hydrating mask.
Is it Okay to Wash my Hair Once a Week?
When not to use on your hair? Can it ruin your hair?
If your hair is particularly dry and frizzy, apple cider vinegar might be a little too harsh for your needs at that time. Maybe you can use the hair rinse and leave it for only a minute or two, not the full five minutes, so to remove build-up.
Dry, frizzy hair means that the cuticle is lifted, desperately reaching out for moisture in the air. I would recommend using a hydrating mask, or even the Flaxseed Gel Mask, How to Grow Hair Fast- Best Mask for All Hair Types a few times before using the apple cider vinegar hair rinse.
Do you use the Apple Cider Vinegar before or after shampoo and conditioner?
This is an excellent question.
On your wash-days when you use this hair rinse, I advise just using the rinse in place of the shampoo. However, you know your hair best. You know your own hair chemistry better than anyone else. If you feel that you need to use shampoo first then go for it.
Always condition AFTER using the hair rinse. Though apple cider vinegar hair rinse is good for your scalp, nourishing and balancing, you don’t want to leave your scalp at a pH of 2. Give it a little extra hydration by using a conditioner. This will encourage the cuticle to lay down flat.
OR
You might want to take this opportunity to give your hair a special treat and do a deep hydrating mask after the quick cleansing mask. I mean, you’re already taking the time to do a special mask, so why not give it another one? It’s like the cherry on top.
My personal and professional favorite to recommend is the Flaxseed Gel Mask. It is chemical-free and rich in vitamins B and E, and super easy to make. Not only that but also encourages and promotes faster hair growth, AND hydrates the hair and scalp without building up on the cuticle.
Best Hair Mask for Any Hair Type- Help Grow Hair Faster
Recipe: Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse- 5 minute Quick Mask
- Mix a 3 of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup (8 oz) water.
- Wet your hair and feel that the hair is evenly saturated. Then, pour the mixture over your hair evenly, working into your scalp.
- Be sure to rub it in well. Don’t scrub with your nails, you don’t want to break the skin. Just use your fingertips to move the rinse in a circular motion over the scalp, stimulating bloodflow.
- Let the apple cider vinegar rinse sit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse it out.
- Proceed with your favorite conditioner, OR you may apply a hydrating mask at this point.
Do not let the apple cider vinegar sit on the scalp for longer than 5 minutes.
If there is a lingering vinegar scent, rinse again and use a conditioner. Once your hair is dry there will no longer be a lingering smell.
*If the rinse starts to sting your scalp, rinse immediately. The intention is to remove build-up, not to irritate the scalp.
How to use Apple Cider Vinegar- FAQs
Can you use Apple Cider Vinegar to replace Shampoo and conditioner?
Yes for shampoo. If you feel that your hair and scalp respond better to an ACV rinse than a shampoo, then yes! Just be aware of your chemistry and listen to how your scalp responds to the rinse.
Does washing your hair with Apple Cider Vinegar have side effects?
The side effects of using a hair rinse that balances the scalp for the sake of retraining the scalp to restore the pH naturally instead of shampooing the grease off daily, it may take several weeks, or months sometimes.
Only one other side effect may be personal chemistry. Sometimes an individual’s chemistry may not respond to the apple cider vinegar as well as others, leaving a lingering scent. Though rinsing thoroughly and using a hydrating mask or conditioner after using this rinse will take away the smell.
Why Does My Hair Get Greasy Overnight?
Can you leave apple cider vinegar in your hair?
No. Because of the scalp’s natural pH level of 4.5-5.5, the apple cider vinegar’s pH of 2 will be too low to leave on the scalp as a leave-in after the recommended rinse time of only 5 minutes.
Does apple cider vinegar help with dandruff?
Yes. However, there are several kinds of dandruff.
True dandruff is a fungus, on the same page as athletes foot and needs to be treated with a medicated shampoo. Though apple cider vinegar can help reduce the risk of true dandruff, by being so rich in microbial fighting vitamins, and may be able to stave off the beginnings of true dandruff.
Flakiness and dry scalp, which are commonly seen as ‘dandruff’ can also be effectively treated by using an apple cider vinegar rinse, to eradicate any radicals roaming on the scalp causing trouble, and helping the scalp restore a natural pH that in the end keeps the scalp hydrated.
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