Acid rinse question

[In2wishin]

For those of you who use an acidic rinse (vinegar, lemon juice, etc): do you use it after shampooing or after conditioning? Do you use it every time you wash your hair? I am thinking of trying a rinse with citric acid since I always have that around the house.

Thanks for any input!

[misstwist]

I don't use a conditioner when I use an acid rinse.

[growing2shine]

I do CWC once a week. After every wash/CWC I always finish with an ACV rinse. I have very hard water and with the rinse I have experienced amazing results! :)

[halo_tightens]

I do a diluted vinegar rinse between shampoo and conditioner. I haven't noticed any effects on my hair, but my scalp LOVES it. It doesn't start to feel oily for much longer now after a wash, and there are no flakies or itchies EVER.

It's one of the best things I've started doing since joining the LHC. :)

[cmnt831]

I wash and condition once or twice a week and always use a lemon rinse after conditioning. I have not had any conditioner give me the smoothness, shininess or slip that I get when I use the lemon rinse in conjunction with conditioner. Lemon rinse without conditioner doesn't seem to do anything for my hair - likewise the ACV rinse without conditioner. :shrug:

[aenflex]

I found using an AC rinse more than a few times per month caused my hair to become more straw-like in terms of mouisture conent and appearance.
I only use it after shampooing with a CV bar or other soap (rather than surfactant) based cleansers. I don't believe an acid rinse to remove build up is really needed after using an SLS-type shampoo. An acid rinse to get the cuticle to lay down is a good idea, but most conditioners do that anyway.
There are so many variables that determine whether an acid rinse is good for a person or not so much, like water quality, types of shampoo/cleansers used, type of hair and condition of scalp, type of conditioner used if applicable, etc.
I think you should use it as often as you like and just watch for any unwanted side effects.

[bonnie1735]

I use an ACV rinse after I have CO. I don't rinse it out either. I also mix it with cold water . I keep a large plastic pitcher in the shower and mix it up before I get in. My hair is very frizzy and I do see a difference when I do the rinse and when I don't. Sometimes I mix in a few drops of Jojoba and Aloe and it works great.

[jeanniet]

I do a weak citric acid rinse (1/4 tsp. in 1/2 gallon of water) as the final rinse every time because I have hard well water and it's the only thing that prevents my hair from getting gunky and built up. I haven't had a problem using this concentration of citric acid, and in fact my hair is in much better condition since I started doing it. :)

[CarpeDM]

After conditioning :)

[StarryNight]

I use a diluted ACV rinse every time I wash, after I rinse out the conditioner. I have had no problems with color changes, dryness (as long as I dilute it enough), or smell. It helps my scalp tremendously and the texture of my hair is much much improved since I began using ACV rinses.

[spoonshine]

I do an ACV rinse after my 1-2 times a week CV shampoo bar wash. I think I need to tweak something though because my scalp is going through a greasy stage. I'm also thinking of trying lemon instead as I'm pretty tired of the ACV smell.

[WhisperingMoon]

I only started the ACV rinse two weeks ago and I realized what a difference it made right away! I washed and conditioned as usually, rinsed the conditioner out, and then mixed a Tablespoon of ACV with almost a gallon of lukewarm water and then I used it on my hair and go out of the shower without rinsing the ACV out. Try a few things until you like and receive the results you want!

[GRU]

After conditioning (I don't shampoo - just CO-wash), every single time.

[sibiryachka]

Shampoo, condition, diluted vinegar rinse, plain water rinse because my hair retains the vinegar smell. I concentrate the vinegar solution on my scalp, to combat itchiness. It runs down the length somewhat, of course, and that's fine, but scalp is the main reason I use it.

[Locksmith]

I do a citric acid rinse after conditioning. :)

[Naturalcures]

After conditioning (I don't shampoo - just CO-wash), every single time.

Love your curls!

I too have just started CO washes this week and have tried ACV before without any noticeable changes. Maybe I'll try it again.

The CO is working great and I can't believe how soft and shiny my hair is now. No more crunchiness for me. I did have to do a clarifying wash with diluted shampoo 2 days ago since starting the CO on Saturday and was thinking that maybe an ACV rinse after would help with the slight scalp itchiness.

[GRU]

Love your curls!


Thanks! :)


I did have to do a clarifying wash with diluted shampoo 2 days ago since starting the CO on Saturday and was thinking that maybe an ACV rinse after would help with the slight scalp itchiness.

My scalp LOVES me since I started CO-washing and ACV-rinsing. Hope it works for you!

[Masara]

I use citric acid or vitamin C powder (or both) and I have very hard water.
After shampooing and before conditioning, I dunk my ends into the jug of rinse and then put the conditioner on. Once I've finished rinsing the conditioner, I redunk my ends in the citric acid rinse then pour the rest over my length.
I do this every time I wash my hair

[kyraninse]

I've moved to shampoo free, so I use a lemon juice rinse after I use baking soda. I use about 1tbsp to a quart of water and dump that over my head after the requisite scritching and soaking. I rinse that out with a quart of cold water after, so I can't tell you what would happen if you left it in. My hair feels great afterwards, but it's only my 3 try or so with this regimen.