Today is Apple Day! Let’s celebrate by putting some apple cider vinegar in our hair!
Apple cider vinegar (ACV”> has long been used as a natural hair care product to promote healthy hair. Its acidity is close to that of natural hair, it’s a good conditioner and cleaning agent and it’s also an effective germ killer.
Make your own healthy after-shampoo hair rinse by mixing 1/3 of a cup (75 ml”> of ACV into a quart (1 liter”> of water. You can then store this mixture in a plastic bottle and keep it in the shower for ready use.
If you would like to prepare a smaller batch of this vinegar hair rinse recipe to experiment with, try mixing 1 tablespoon (15 ml”> of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup (250 ml”> of warm filtered tap water.
Hair is on the mildly acidic side of the pH scale and has an ideal pH of 4.5 to 5.5, which is close to that of an apple cider vinegar rinse (pH 2.9″>.
On the other hand, many of the hair care products we use, such as shampoos, bleaches and hair colors are strongly alkaline.
Rinsing with apple cider vinegar will help balance the pH of your hair and remove the buildup that can result from the use of these styling products and shampoos.
Rinsing will also close the numerous cuticle scales which cover and protect the surface of each hair shaft. This imparts a smoother surface which reflects more light and as a result leaves your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage.
Don’t worry about the slight vinegar smell you will notice after rinsing. It will disappear completely as your hair dries.
Apply the vinegar rinse after shampooing and then rinse it all out, or for extra conditioning, you can leave the rinse on your hair. This natural hair care product can be used once or twice a week or more often as needed.
