A Question About Vinegar Rinses

[anthonyswife]

Hi everyone

Sorry if this is a really stupid question. I hear ACV specifically touted so much here for rinsing, is there a specific reason why ACV is best? Or can any vinegar really be used?

Thanks

[heidi w.]

Any vinegar, EXCEPT, balsamic vinegar (it has sugar in it and hair will turn out pretty bad).

ACV has the "mother" in it, apple pulp (particularly the Bragg's line)....and this means it has "malic" acid. Malic acid is specifically known to have beneficial properties for scalp skin.

However, light blonde particularlys, may want to take care and instead use white vinegar or even lemon juice (or lime). ACV can infuse, over a long time of use (as in several years,a year or more at least) a kind of slight reddishness. For blondes this can mean a kind of darkening hue (it's not a redhead red).

ANY vinegar is to be rinsed out. It does not need to remain in the hair for any length. AND it should not remain on the hair at the end of a hair wash, and allowed to dry. It's a rinse. Apply and rinse.

If performing a baking soda hair wash, do not EVER blend the baking soda and vinegar as a way of shortcutting. This combo is known to be a drain de-clogger of hair! Separately is fine.

Vinegar should be well diluted. Not even close to 50% (equal parts water & vinegar). More like 3 Tablespoons, at most, in one cup (8 oz) of water.

Vinegar can remove minerals in hard water (and thus best, if using for this reason, is to apply it last). However, most use this rinse between shampooing and conditioning.

ACV can be helpful in the situation of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitus (a particularly nasty form of dandruff, a wet dandruff, from overproduction of sebum).

This application also happens to help remove any residual product left on in a given hair wash, while the hair remains wet. Once the hair is dry, this will not work as a clarifying rinse to remove dried on product, hard water minerals, and buildup. For that, one needs a clarifying shampoo (either purchased or home recipe).

For anyone interested in natural hair care, here's a great book to have on the shelf: Naturally Healthy Hair, by Mary Beth Janssen.

heidi w.

[AstrayStar]

I have used white vinegar when I have run out of acv and it seemed to keep my scalp happy as well, but I do really prefer the smell of the acv.

[anthonyswife]

Thanks so much for the responses! That's fascinating about malic acid being in the mother, I did not know that.

It's funny, my mother used to try to get me to use vinegar rinses (I used to hate them but I've started liking them recently), and she always said to use ACV, but that once my hair turns gray I should use white wine vinegar. Now I know there's a real reason behind it.

[RadiantNeedle]

I'd been doing this wrong and let the ACV stay in my hair, but this time I rinsed it out with cold water and my hair is soft, frizz-free and manageable. Wonderful stuff!

[Dars]

Any vinegar can be used, really. I personally prefer ACV though (and I don't use the raw one that contains the mother). I don't rinse it out either. I've used white and malt before and it just don't produce the same results and the smell lingers on dry hair after rinsing as well.

[Djinmonet]

For me, while I would imagine the ACV with the mother is better for me, and probably my hair color, the smell is the one that shows up again if I end up in the rain. Yuck..lol

White vinegar doesn't do that in my hair, no idea why. What I have been doing is mixing it half and half, shoving tea bags, and whatever in there so that by the time I'm using it it smells... well, not good, but at least better.

I have been reading here that citric acid works too. At least in the sense of hair rinse, no mention of scalp issues, and obviously smells better. Have not tried that yet.

[MandyBeth]

I have been reading here that citric acid works too. At least in the sense of hair rinse, no mention of scalp issues, and obviously smells better. Have not tried that yet.

Mariika's lemon juice rinse works really really well. No frizz, no nasty vinegar smell, none of my issues with vinegar (I've seen a bottle of Bragg's ACV spoil, NASTY - the mother is a bacteria/yeast mush, and while they are dead, still ick to me, and if the acidity drops at all in ACV, you get bacteria taking over). 5 mL of lemon juice to 500 mL of distilled water. Also, I've got a very crabby scalp, and no problems whatsoever. If anything, my scalp is HAPPIER.

Used that mix plus 500 mL of distilled water to rinse the filthy dog, as Pyr hair hold soap and the help with the acid to rinse the coat is needed. Don't think it gave any less frizz or softness, but that cut the soap really well.

[blondekate]

I am so happy to read this thread, because I was doing the vinegar rinse incorrectly, too! I dilute it, but then did not rinse it out afterwards~thanks for the information!!

[Djinmonet]

Mariika's lemon juice rinse works really really well. No frizz, no nasty vinegar smell, none of my issues with vinegar (I've seen a bottle of Bragg's ACV spoil, NASTY - the mother is a bacteria/yeast mush, and while they are dead, still ick to me, and if the acidity drops at all in ACV, you get bacteria taking over). 5 mL of lemon juice to 500 mL of distilled water. Also, I've got a very crabby scalp, and no problems whatsoever. If anything, my scalp is HAPPIER.

Used that mix plus 500 mL of distilled water to rinse the filthy dog, as Pyr hair hold soap and the help with the acid to rinse the coat is needed. Don't think it gave any less frizz or softness, but that cut the soap really well.

Eek. That may be what happened to the last bottle of Bragg's we had. Just seemed like it started smelling worse and worse. Think I finally just used it as the vinegar part of a drain opener.
Thank you for the lemon juice info. I have only been hesitating using it for worry over the 'lighten hair color' effect some report.
Washing a Pyr must be an adventure. Every single one I've ever meet resembled a small mountain! I will suggest this rinsing add to my parents, as they have a time keeping their Eskie clean.