U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

Overlook the smell and forget anything you ever learned about the importance of pH-balanced products. The acid in apple cider vinegar will smooth down your frizz and breathe new life into dull and lank hair. Acidic products for haircare are the new trend, and for once, this is a trend that actually works.

Information on the Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Every one of your hairs has a cuticle running down the shaft. This cuticle has overlapping rungs, like roofing shingles. Alkalinity makes those cuticles pop open, which in turn makes the hair looks frizzy and unmanageable. Open cuticles allow more haircare ingredients to actually penetrate into the hair shaft, but this bonus is usually not enough to counteract the frizziness. When you deliver acidic products to your hair, like the apple cider vinegar rinse, you cause those cuticles to smooth down. This will make your hair look shinier, silkier and healthier. The rinse will even clarify any built up residue other haircare products have left on your hair.

Which Type of Vinegar To Choose For Your Rinse

Apple cider is the most popular form to use for the rinse, because it is has the highest acidity level. However, all sorts can be used with varying degrees of success, from the popular white vinegar to the gentle, low-acidity rice vinegar.

Diluting the Vinegar Rinse

Diluting before your rinse is very important. A 50/50 ratio of water to vinegar is the strongest proportion you should ever put on your hair, and great results can be had with as low as a 90/10 ratio of water to vinegar for the rinse.

Using the apple cider vinegar rinse once a week is often enough to keep your hair shiny and smooth. If you plan to rinse more often, make sure to dilute properly and strongly. The apple cider vinegar rinse is not safe for colored hair, as the acid can strip the dye.

Step-by-step Guide To the Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

1. Dilute the vinegar and water in a measuring cup and leave it on the bathroom counter before you step into the shower. If you have an empty shampoo bottle with a flip-top, this works great too, as it’s easier to apply the rinse with the flip-top than from a big measuring cup.

2. Shampoo your as normal and wash the shampoo out fully.

3. Pour the vinegar over your hair, making sure to get all the strands evenly. Leave this on for 30 seconds maximum.

4. Wash with cool, but not cold, water.

5. Apply conditioner as you always would.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-9837-DC-Natural-Hair-Examiner~y2009m6d12-Apple-cider-vinegar-for-hair