Baking Soda - yay or nay?

[Fethenwen]

I have tried to find information on this site about baking soda, without much result. There seems to be much too and fro if it is good for hair or not.
At least I have found out that it works well as a clarifying wash, but does it damage hair after long term usage??

Thanks!

[ktani]

It would depend on how you use it, IMO.

Baking soda can be abrasive if it is not fully dissolved in warm to hot water. The pH is about 8, so it is alkaline but some people's tap water is too.

Try using a completely dissolved, well diluted version and strand test it if you like first. You will need an acidic rinse or conditioner (all conditioners are acidic) to follow.

Damage your hair? Not if you are careful with it.

[heidi w.]

I have tried to find information on this site about baking soda, without much result. There seems to be much too and fro if it is good for hair or not.
At least I have found out that it works well as a clarifying wash, but does it damage hair after long term usage??

Thanks!

No.

Only clarify on an as-needed basis. I personally would not recommend this as a hair wash method for all hair washes (as in several times a week).

In my case, as-needed becomes about once a quarter.

I've been using this for decades now.

heidi w.

[spidermom]

For me - nay. It dries my hair out. I do much better with full-strength shampoo if I feel I have buildup. Otherwise I dilute my shampoo quite a lot in warm water.

[Loviatar]

I find it's a good clarifying wash instead of using sulphates. It leaves my ends a little dry though if I dont dissolve it properly, and it feels gritty, which I dont like. Properly dissolved, I use it maybe once a month, but I'm aiming for less, maybe quarterly like Heidi.

[Finoriel]

Nay. :wink:

Imo clarifying-wash states it very well what baking soda does. Clarifying never is a gentle method to clean hair. Which in conclusion makes it too harsh to be a good routine for cleaning long hair on a regular basis. If at all it should be used very careful, on a as needed basis and only once in a blue moon.

I personally would never ever, not even in a million years when the elks dance boogie at a beach-party, try to use baking soda on hair still attached to my head. I´ve put a test strand under the microscope and have seen what the common baking-soda mixture does to the cuticle of my hair. :eek: Umm no thanks.

[mellie]

Nay for me! It left my hair in a very greasy, tangled and horrible condition.


I´ve put a test strand under the microscope and have seen what the common baking-soda mixture does to the cuticle of my hair. Umm no thanks.

Finoriel, what did it do?

[heidi w.]

Just a reminder:

Any clarify hair wash no matter the product or home recipe, any hair wash using Baking Soda for sure, BE SURE TO CONDITION WELL AS PART OF THE PROCESS AFTER CLARIFYING.

If one doesn't then what happens is hair may well be dry, a weird texture and tangly. Why? Because TO CLARIFY = to strip the hair bare naked of all applied product, sebum, dirt, grime -- including moisture such as conditioner.

So you have to put back what's been removed.

If one did not condition at all, or sufficiently, then that dry, tangled, weird feeling hair -- well, the clarifying worked. That's what happens to hair when the "moisture" isn't replaced (after being removed).

heidi w.

[HoneyMouse]

Well for me its the only thing I have managed to use that lets me go more then 1 day between washes. I do use an acv and conditioning rinse after I wash my scalp and it would be terribly dry if I didn't condition. I'm trying lesson my washes anyway I now wash t every 3/4 days and I hope to get it down to once a week maybe on some other wash as I know soda bic isn't good for your skin long term so it might be the same for your hair.

[rosie91]

i wouldn't reccommend using it, it made my hair greasy and tangly and generally awful. i don't think my scalp liked the over-drying alkaline-ness of it

[Finoriel]

:gabigrin: You´re sure you want to know mellie?
Lights are on?
:p


It raised the cuticle in a very impressive way. Imagine a hybrid of fir cone and bottle brush.
Just not the best pH-level for hair.
:shrug:

What makes me very wary is the unnecessary wear this causes to the hair. Spreading the cuticle that wide and smoothing it down again with acidic-rinses and trying to mask the caused dryness with lots of conditioner nonetheless means a constant wear to the cuticle.
The drying effect of it makes conditioning and babying after clarifying necessary, probably over-conditioning the hair, which over time makes a clarifying wash appealing again. A vicious circle imo.

[ktani]

:
It raised the cuticle in a very impressive way. Imagine a hybrid of fir cone and bottle brush.
Just not the best pH-level for hair.
:shrug:

What makes me very wary is the unnecessary wear this causes to the hair. Spreading the cuticle that wide and smoothing it down again with acidic-rinses and trying to mask the caused dryness with lots of conditioner nonetheless means a constant wear to the cuticle.
The drying effect of it makes conditioning and babying after clarifying necessary, probably over-conditioning the hair, which over time makes a clarifying wash appealing again. A vicious circle imo.

I have always thought of it in exactly those terms. I do not use anything alkaline on my hair. But there are those here who love baking soda and are fine with it. And I never realized until I was duly informed by someone here, that baking soda completely dissolves in warm to hot water, making it less hair unfriendly.

[atlantaz3]

Nay for me. It left my hair too dry, but I've only tried it twice.

[LHGypsyRose]

I have had good results mixing BS into my regular shampoo and clarifying with it. It has never affected my hair in a negative way. Of course I only use it once a month.:D

[Fethenwen]

Just a reminder:

Any clarify hair wash no matter the product or home recipe, any hair wash using Baking Soda for sure, BE SURE TO CONDITION WELL AS PART OF THE PROCESS AFTER CLARIFYING.

If one doesn't then what happens is hair may well be dry, a weird texture and tangly. Why? Because TO CLARIFY = to strip the hair bare naked of all applied product, sebum, dirt, grime -- including moisture such as conditioner.

So you have to put back what's been removed.

If one did not condition at all, or sufficiently, then that dry, tangled, weird feeling hair -- well, the clarifying worked. That's what happens to hair when the "moisture" isn't replaced (after being removed).

heidi w.

Hmm, the reason I'm using baking soda is because I have read that it does _not strip off all the sebum. I use very little (less than one tea spoon), and follow it with ACV with honey. But this makes my hair static though. I wonder if honey also can make hair static with long term usage? Or is it starting to get in bad shape of the BS because it's static... or erm, I try not to wash it that often with it. But still...

I'm getting more confused :p

[Schefflera]

I washed with baking soda for a while -- not fully dissolved, necessarily, kinda goopy -- and did white vinegar rinses after it was all out. I was still washing every 2-3 days at that time and had no problems. On the other hand, I think my hair is comparatively tolerant....

I still spray my drenched post-shampoo head with straight white vinegar and re-rinse sometimes though. Feels great.

[ratgirldjh]

NAY for me
i only tried it once years ago - a teaspoon or so mixed into some conditioner to clarify.
after i used it i noticed that a lot of my hairs were standing straight up! they were so frazzled that it took several days for them to calm down. the rest of my hair felt weird too!
i can't even use baking soda on my skin or to brush my teeth. it gives me sores in my mouth.
so i definitely stay away from it.
actually, i am sort of scared of it now - LOL ;)

[LaCitoyenne]

I never got it to work for my hair. I tried using it in different ways -- mixed into shampoo, diluted, etc., always followed by conditioner and acid rinse, but it matted up my hair. I've come to the conclusion lately that, like ktani, my hair should never be exposed to anything too alkaline. Maybe that's why I've had better results with CWC than S&C.

[Hypnotica]

I say yey.

I use it as a clarifier about once a month. It is the only thing that will remove the buildup from my hair. I only need a light conditioner afterwards.

[girlcat36]

Baking soda worked great on my hair. I disolved less than a teaspoon in 20 oz of warm water and poured it over my head. I got very impressive curls while using baking soda.

[Carolyn]

Nay for me. The times I used it, it was for a clarifying wash. The first couple of times, I used a tsp or so dissolved in oh maybe a cup of water. Dried my hair out horribly. It went way beyond what I wanted in a clarifier. The next couple of times I mixed about a tsp. in with one of my regular shampoos and got the same dried out results. Yes I majorly moisturized after shampooing. Now I have good results with a commercial shampoo meant for clarifying.

[Anje]

Nay for me. I've mixed it with shampoo for clarifying (not recommended with ALS/ALES shampoos -- it smells like a perm!), but for me a plain old sulfate shampoo is sufficient to clarify with, and leaves my hair less rough.

It wasn't horrible, like some people report, but I think BS is better used for scrubbing henna stains off the bathroom countertop.

[Anje]

Hmm, the reason I'm using baking soda is because I have read that it does _not strip off all the sebum. I use very little (less than one tea spoon), and follow it with ACV with honey. But this makes my hair static though. I wonder if honey also can make hair static with long term usage? Or is it starting to get in bad shape of the BS because it's static... or erm, I try not to wash it that often with it. But still...

I'm getting more confused :p
I doubt that the honey is causing your static, since it's humectant, which means it'll try to stay moist by drawing moisture out of whatever it can (air, or in a dry environment, hair). It tends to be moisturizing therefore, which reduces static.

Your hair might respond differently than most does to the honey, but I'd be inclined to blame the baking soda and/or too-strong vinegar for dryness and therefore static before I went after the honey.

[Fethenwen]

I doubt that the honey is causing your static, since it's humectant, which means it'll try to stay moist by drawing moisture out of whatever it can (air, or in a dry environment, hair). It tends to be moisturizing therefore, which reduces static.

Your hair might respond differently than most does to the honey, but I'd be inclined to blame the baking soda and/or too-strong vinegar for dryness and therefore static before I went after the honey.
Sounds logical :)
From all the responses I guess I should just skip the BS, at least I don't think I will use it as a regular washing method. I'm still waiting for the rhassoul clay to arrive in the post, till then I guess I just have to hold on and clean it with water. My hair is really static now from the BS+ACV rinses.
Does anyone have any info or experiences of washing hair with clay?

[long.again]

I actually don't mind it, if used a certain way. I used it in the shower and massages it into my scalp and it left my hair feeling like straw. It was no good. However, if my hair is getting particularly greasy (I usually only rinse my hair 3 times a week), every 4 days or so, I add a bit (like a very little amount) of dry BS to my dry hair. I section it and add it directly to my roots. I do not massage it in or comb it through or anything. I usually leave it for a bit (10 mins or so) and then hop in the shower. I do a lavender essential oil/apple cider vinegar/water rinse followed by a rosemary/sage/chamomile rinse. The last few times it's left my hair perfect. Didn't strip it and it wasn't greasy, and it was shiny and soft all the way to the ends.

[Silverlox]

I have no yay or nay, since I've never tried it.

Mainly because my impression is that it's very harsh and drying, - the last thing my hair needs as it's very fine, fragile and generally prone to dryness.

Despite the fact that I use commercial poo and condish, filled with cones, as well as frequent oilings, I've never noticed any kind of build-up on my hair. And since in my mind, baking soda is mainly for removing build-up, I've never seen any reason to even try it. :shrug:

Like the saying goes, - if it aint broken, don't fix it! :eyebrows:

Of course, the fact that I've never managed to work out what the Swedish equivalent would be, (baking soda/baking powder) is also a main factor in my hesitation to experiment. :rolleyes:

[tooqute2nv]

naaaaaay. Would leave my hair uber dry, but my hair is really fine. But I do sometimes use it on my face! Diluted with enough water to make a pastey-sort of consistency, and rub ("massage") it round my face for about a minute, then rinse off with warm water, and finish with a splash of cold water. :D Followed by rose water, zit zap stuff, and lotion.:cheese: Kinda off topic, but if you really want to try baking soda as a cheap cleanser, try your face! lol

[princesspecial]

I switched to the no poo way and my hair loves me! I dilute baking soda with water in the shower. I use a plastic cup in the shower. I slop it on my scalp and back of hair. I scrub my scalp clean. I don't try to comb while I rinse. I then dilute apple cider vinegar with water and slop that on my hair and scalp. I rinse with water and comb. My hair feels SO soft and smooth, not oily and weighed down. I go about 7-10 days easily between washing, and I have pushed it 2 weeks. I'm new and don't know the codes yet, but I'm a Caucasian with curly brown hair. My scalp was always grungy even after a shampoo and my hair was always dry even with gobs of conditioner left on for the entire shower. Now, Clean Scalp and Soft Hair. Oh...I wet set my hair in rollers to make it straight and brush with a boars hair brush!

[Debra83]

I have no yay or nay, since I've never tried it.

Mainly because my impression is that it's very harsh and drying, - the last thing my hair needs as it's very fine, fragile and generally prone to dryness.

Despite the fact that I use commercial poo and condish, filled with cones, as well as frequent oilings, I've never noticed any kind of build-up on my hair. And since in my mind, baking soda is mainly for removing build-up, I've never seen any reason to even try it. :shrug:

Like the saying goes, - if it aint broken, don't fix it! :eyebrows:

Of course, the fact that I've never managed to work out what the Swedish equivalent would be, (baking soda/baking powder) is also a main factor in my hesitation to experiment. :rolleyes:


Baking soda - salty - more dense and packed than lighter, fluffy baking powder

baking powder - makes things "poofy" - like pancakes

[Kirin]

Nay. Big ol' Nay.

The results on the try on my hair were disasterous, and then I looked into more stuff about baking soda.

Doctors routinely perscribe it mixed in water for girls who chew and swallow their hair. Why? Simple, it dissolves hair.

For at least a hundred years, baking soda and a hot kettle of water put down a drain will dissolve a hair clog.

I'm not entirely sure I want to wash my hair with something used to dissolve it.

This, along with several other hair items touted leave me scratching my head. Baking soda may be natural, but its harsh as the get out. its not "gentle" by any stretch of the imagination. I use it to clean my house and in my laundry, and it works harder and better than most commercial stuff.

Now......*head scratch*, if baking soda cleans better than laundry detergent, and most people wont use shampoo because it has sls, like laundry detergent which is *harsh*.........

Its left me confused LOL.

[jessie58]

Yes for me.
This is a very timely thread. I have just been moaning and complaining about my hair and it's lack of curl. I just read Girlcat's comment above that BS made her hair uber curly. That is what it did for me too. Restored my curls. Come to think of it. I complained of straight hair a couple of years ago and Heidiw recommended the BS wash and it did wonders for my hair. I used it on a semi regular basis for a while but have not done it in ages. I think it's time for me to use it again.

[Keller1128]

I tried it last night and am going to say nay. My hair *looks* okay, but it feels like straw :/

[Amber_Maiden]

It dries my hair out- but it's great at clarifying, so I go on using it!

[cnd0020]

I say YAY!

I've had great results with a tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in a 16 oz bottle of warm water. Rinse. Then condition with cone-free conditioner and rinse. Gets my hair clean, pretty smelling and no frizzies!

[MeghannRenee]

I use it - heavily diluted - about once every week and a half, followed by a diluted acv rinse with some essential oils. Sometimes I alternate that with a cone-free CO wash, with some WO in between. I've been doing that for a year, no real issues to speak of.
I can go longer between washes, my hair has some wave and more movement, I'm noticing less damage and went for almost a year without cutting my hair - its saving me some serious $$ so YAY!

[CurlyMopTop]

Yeah for me! I use 11\2 tsp. to 2tsp. diluted in about 4cups of water every 7 to 10 days followed by a diluted lemon juice rinse. It keeps the build-up off of my hair and gives me wonderful curl formation/definition. :D I always condition afterwards and have had no problems with dry hair!

[Spanky]

I made a paste out of water and baking soda and left it in my hair for an hour. I did this about four times over a week. My hair was around three- four shades lighter, it even managed to strip some of the black colour that was left over from build up. I am happy with the colour but my ends have dried and split. I will have to get about two inches cut off.

I would recommend a baking soda wash once a week followed with a vinegar rinse, it really does remove all the crap from your hair and makes it beautiful. Just don't over do it like me.

[earthnut]

Yay! I love BS, used in moderation. It can create a monster if you use too much.

I always dissolve it.
I use as little as possible.
I never use shampoo with it, it's a substitute for shampoo.
I always rinse with vinegar.
I only use it on my scalp, not on my hair.

Too much can be damaging as others have mentioned, but if you use just a little it can be very helpful. The same can be said for any shampoo. :)

[jeanniet]

I've used it on occasion with good results, but I use very little and condition afterwards. I don't find it any worse than regular shampoo, but I don't use either very regularly, and when I do it's in small amounts.

[Deborah]

A couple of years back I tried BS washing. It worked quite well. I diluted about a tablespoon into a pint or so of water, and used that to wash my hair, followed by an acidic rinse, either vinegar or citric acid. My hair is ultra-fine, and did well on this regime. It was left soft, shiny and undamaged, as usual.

On another list many folks have found that it regularly worked quite well for them. I guess it differs for some though, so your mileage may vary. :shrug:

[sun-kissed]

I know a lot of people love the method, but I found it to be annoying. Baking soda is just as strong as regular shampoo, so why not use my nicely scented shampoo? Yes, you can dilute baking soda, but you can also dilute shampoo. The baking soda tended to leave my hair dull-looking, no matter what I tried to do, it always left my hair much less than shiny and sleek. It also irritated my skin. I would always rinse with ACV after washing, and while that helped with the shine, it still was much less than acceptable. And in the end, it was a pain having to buy, measure, and store the products, and have to put up with straw-like, dirty hair.

I'm much happier now that I'm using my 1 drop of shampoo per 2 cups of water, or cone-free conditioner washing methods. My hair is clean, and at the same time it's sleek, shiny, and silky.

Baking soda = failed hair experiment.

[girlcat36]

Just checking here.....I have been using baking soda for four years. Despite rumors that it is damaging, I have found it more gentle than most shampoos because I can tailor the dilutation to my hair's needs. I always make sure the BS is thoroughly dissolved in warm water. I actually use a large pitcher and I soak the my length in it because I don't want to use it on my roots; it seems to strip my semi-permanent hair color fairly quickly.
I probably use BS every two weeks or so. I am cone-free, but my hair is baby-fine and curly and conditioner builds up quickly.

[Oraien]

Yay.

I've been using BS and ACV rinses for about 2 months solid now, diluting about 2 teaspoons in a large hair-dye applicator bottle with warm/hot water, shake till it dissolves and then use the applicator tip to get it down through my hair onto my scalp, scrubby fingers for a bit on the scalp, thorough rinse, diluted ACV rinse to finish it up and my hair is a 100 times better than it was even with cone and SLS free shampoos and conditioners. I wash my hair every 3 or 4 days and stick a little cone-and-SLS free conditioner on the ends and let it air dry.

Prior to, though, I had to wash my hair almost daily, because of oily build-up. BS works for me.

[henné]

I have no yay or nay, since I've never tried it.

Mainly because my impression is that it's very harsh and drying, - the last thing my hair needs as it's very fine, fragile and generally prone to dryness.

Despite the fact that I use commercial poo and condish, filled with cones, as well as frequent oilings, I've never noticed any kind of build-up on my hair. And since in my mind, baking soda is mainly for removing build-up, I've never seen any reason to even try it. :shrug:

Like the saying goes, - if it aint broken, don't fix it! :eyebrows:

Of course, the fact that I've never managed to work out what the Swedish equivalent would be, (baking soda/baking powder) is also a main factor in my hesitation to experiment. :rolleyes:

Hello there Svensk medborgare! :)

Baking soda = bikarbonat

You're welcome!

[henné]

I'm grateful for this thread as I have also been considering giving BS + ACV a try.

Now you folks scared me a little :run: :D

[JellyBene]

When I personally tried washing with baking soda and ACV, it was disastrous. My hair never quite got clean and it turned my ends to straw. Maybe I did something wrong, I used it as a paste and followed with ACV after I rinsed the baking soda out.

[earthnut]

When I personally tried washing with baking soda and ACV, it was disastrous. My hair never quite got clean and it turned my ends to straw. Maybe I did something wrong, I used it as a paste and followed with ACV after I rinsed the baking soda out.

A paste is very strong. My hair gets straw-like with a BS paste too. But 1/2 to 1 tsp of BS in 1 cup water works quite well. :)

[Vampyria]

I did baking soda and ACV rinse a couple of times and didn't like it at all. It didn't clean my scalp so my hair started to fall off like crazy but also got really dry, shine-less and felt like straw. I put half of a table spoon BS in a cup of water.