ACV smell...help!

[joflakes]

So I've started doing ACV rinses at the end of my routine. I love how it's making my hair feel but not so much how it smells.

Luckily I only see my boyfriend at the weekends so he hasn't noticed yet :laugh: but it is annoying me as I hate the vinegary smell.

Here's what I do:

Shampoo, condition, rinse. Final rinse with 1litre jug of warm water with about 50ml ACV in it. Then I don't let anymore water touch my head.

Any advice? I want to continue as it is great but don't much like the stench! I feel like a bag of chips!

[Golden]

I had this problem too. So now I do my ACV rinse after I shampoo and before I condition. I can still smell the vinegar, but not as strong as before.
Hope this helps :)

[Jenny31557]

I think you might be using too much acv. I use about two capfuls in a measuring jug. That might even be too little but I would use less and add more if you think you need it. Also, its ok to rinse with water afterward. Hope this helps.

[mommy101405]

I used diluted white vinegar and notice no smell in my hair. I am going to pick up some herbs from market this weekend so I can try this herb vinegar rinse recipe from chagrin valley...

http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/idascorner/shampvinegar.aspx

I don't think I need the herbs I just miss that fresh shampoo smell.

[Chromis]

I use a much stronger mix than most here seem to and my best advice is to get good quality ACV. I find brands like Bragg's or any other that mentions "with the mother" (the mother being the vinegar culture) smell much, much better! Instead of smelling like vomit, they smell more like slightly sour apple cider. I can actually find local apple cider vinegar at our farmer's market which works great. I think the "natural" sort also makes my hair shinier, but that might be wishful thinking. It sure smells much better anyhow.

Another option is to look for citric acid, which doesn't leave any odor. I like to use a mix of both, but some people use citric acid alone.

[Macaroni]

I shampoo, rinse, ACV, rinse, condition, rinse.

My hair is soft and clean and smells of the conditioner.

[Carolyn]

I use white vinegar since I am blonde and want to discourage the red tones that regular ACV can bring on. It doesn't have as much of the vinegar smell. You could also experiment with adding a drop or two of your favorite EO to your rinse. I have no clue how much your 50 ml would be in teaspoons or tablespoons so I can't comment on the strength of what you are using. I use a "glug" (maybe a couple of tablespoons) in a large plastic iced tea pitcher, which I'm guessing might be 2 quart size. You can always use less. You could also do a final rinse with cold to very cold water to add shine and close the cuticle. I rather like the smell of ACV as it reminds me a coloring Easter eggs when I was a child. Good memories!

[joflakes]

Thanks everyone! I'll try out everything :)

[ravenreed]

I agree that the vinegar smell can linger. I like it, my Bestie (BFF) does not. I have been making an herbal vinegar rinse for some time and one of my additions is lavender, which helps with the smell a bit. I also add rosemary, chamomile, ginger, mint, and whatever else takes my fancy for that batch.

[jacqueline101]

I'd dilute it a little more sounds like its too strong.

[Melisande]

Citric acid!!! No smell, and IMO even better than vinegar, and easier to portion because it's a powder. I love it.

[Kyaatje]

No advice except adding EO's. Strange thing is I use a strongish dilution and I smell nothing, and neither does my partner or friends

[chen bao jun]

Surely it goes away within a couple of minutes? You should be diluting, as others have mentioned-- a tablespoon in a pint of water is what I use.

[ravenreed]

I dilute, but the smell stays until my hair is completely dry, and sometimes even after. Like I said, my best friend can still smell it when she hugs me hours and hours later.


Surely it goes away within a couple of minutes? You should be diluting, as others have mentioned-- a tablespoon in a pint of water is what I use.

[In2wishin]

I use a much stronger mix than most here seem to and my best advice is to get good quality ACV. I find brands like Bragg's or any other that mentions "with the mother" (the mother being the vinegar culture) smell much, much better! Instead of smelling like vomit, they smell more like slightly sour apple cider. I can actually find local apple cider vinegar at our farmer's market which works great. I think the "natural" sort also makes my hair shinier, but that might be wishful thinking. It sure smells much better anyhow.

Another option is to look for citric acid, which doesn't leave any odor. I like to use a mix of both, but some people use citric acid alone.


Citric acid!!! No smell, and IMO even better than vinegar, and easier to portion because it's a powder. I love it.

Another citric acid lover here. I can't stand the smell of vinegar and can still smell in on my hair days later. If you go the CA route, remember that most vinegars are around 5% acidity so you use only about 1/20th of the amount of CA as you would ACV before diluting it.

[mommy101405]

Good to know. Thank you!

[jeanniet]

My kids complained when I did vinegar rinses, so I switched to citric acid. IMO, it works better (I have well water, so need the chelation properties), and there's no smell.

[jessa]

I used to use White Vinegar and would only use about 1Tablepoon per cup of water and would always rinse with cold water afterwards and never experienced lingering smell. I hope this helps.

[Chromis]

I dilute, but the smell stays until my hair is completely dry, and sometimes even after. Like I said, my best friend can still smell it when she hugs me hours and hours later.

Yup, every time I wash my hair, my husband inevitably comments in the evening that my hair smells like yogurt when he hugs me.

[ravenreed]

I occasionally switch to lemon juice if I know I will be in close company with my Bestie, but alas, I don't get the same scalp benefits from lemon juice that I get from acv. When I don't use acv regularly, I suffer from itchy scalp that gets terrible crud buildup. Ah well.


My kids complained when I did vinegar rinses, so I switched to citric acid. IMO, it works better (I have well water, so need the chelation properties), and there's no smell.

[PetuniaBlossom]

I use white vinegar in dilution, always adding a drop or two of an EO. Current favorite EOs are lavender, rose, lime. The EO makes the difference in preventing vinegar-y smell.
I don't rinse with water afterwards because the vinegar restores healthy pH balance to hair and scalp.

[HairFaerie]

I brew an herbal concoction (chamomile, lemongrass, rosemary, etc.) and add little lemon juice and ACV. The ratio I use is one cup of herbal tea, a teaspoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of ACV. It smells of vinegar slightly until my hair dries fully but it is oh, so shiny & soft! Luckily the strong vinegary smell doesn't linger after my hair has completely dried because I really, really dislike the smell of vinegar. The benefits far outweigh the smell though! :)

[Cheele]

A few things.. You may need to dilute the ACV more (experiment with what is the least amount for you but still works). Unless you have SUPER hard water or scalp issues it helps with, it is probably best to do a final rinse with (cold) water instead of just leaving it on. I've only ever left it on once without rinsing and my hair smelt super vinegar-y and felt fried. But anyway. You can also try conditioning after your ACV rinse. The conditioner will help mask the smell. That's what I do. The smell doesn't really bother me anymore though.. I almost enjoy it now.. It reminds me of my clean and healthy hair ;). And even so, it really only smells when it's wet. After it dries, its basically gone. I had been doing vinegar rinses for a couple of weeks and my boyfriend had no idea until I met with him one day and still had wet hair. He didn't like it, haha, but he's used to it now if he gets whiff. And oh yeah, on that same day a few hours later (after my hair had dried), we went over to his mom's for dinner and when she hugged me she commented on how fresh and clean my hair smelt. Hehe. So yeah, don't give it up! Just experiment. I've never done it myself, but the suggestions on the infusions sounds like a great solution as well.

Happy hair day to you :)

[joflakes]

Thank you to everyone who has replied, it is really helpful!

I do have very hard water here, yes. Maybe I'll firstly try the herbal infusion thing first and see what happens from there!