ACV Rinse: 1/2 Cup ACV To 1 1/2 Cups of Water

[xoChesleyy]

Hi LHC! :) So, I was browsing YouTube earlier for hair-related DIY videos and I came across a girl with gorgeous long hair who had a video about ACV rinses.

I was shocked, however, when she said she uses 1/2 cup of ACV to 1 1/2 cups of water! I thought these ratios were way too harsh, as I only use about 1 tablespoon of ACV to 2 cups of water. Her hair looks very shiny and not very damaged at all so I was wondering, is it actually safe to use a higher acv to water ratio or are some people's hair just much more resilient to a higher ACV proportion?

Just thought this was really interesting and wanted to share! Here is the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AtQKzZ2k90

[Decoy24601]

I don't know what the actual pH of that would be. We always hear that anything too alkaline is damaging to our hair (it can strip the outer layer of the cuticle), but anything too acidic is also damaging to hair (I don't know if it will strip away the outer area of the cuticle, but I would assume so).

I personally wouldn't use anything with that high of a concentration of ACV.

[pailin]

I don't know, and I'm not sure anyone actually does. There's a lot of discussion of proper pH, and a lot of people saying certain strengths of acid rinses are too strong..... But while they discuss a lot of chemistry, no one seems to have actual experimental data.

All I really know is different people need different strengths according to water hardness and whether it's being used with a shampoo bar (I've discovered recently with my shampoo bar experiments that a very mild citric acid rinse wirh my regular s&c is almost as good as cones). Also in college I used to use straight white vinegar on my scalp when I washed my hair, to control itch. I didn't have long hair, but I also didn't burn my hair off, FWIW.

But I think if you use too much acid it may make your hair limp and stringy and lank. It's not like more will always be better.

Oh, and also there is a good bit of variation in the strength of vinegar by brand, I think.

[enting]

That's close to what I use. I usually try for a 1:3 ratio of vinegar to water. We have pretty hard water here which probably makes a difference. I've never had a problem with this concentration, my hair is a lot nicer since I started using it. My hair tends toward very rough and dry, I don't know if it even can become lank! I use 5% acetic acid vinegar.

[Arctic]

Water pH probably has a big effect, my water at times has been pH 8.2 for yearly avarage. So for this water and for someone who'se water is pH 6 the results could be quite different. (My water is soft.)

This happened looong before I came to LHC but at one point I was doing scalp treatments with undiluted for a longer period of time (it helped my scalp problems back then: rubbed it on my scalp a while before washing) and something like 50:50 diluted ACV rinses. No harm ever seemed to have happen to my hair or skin, on the contrary.

Mind you I couldn't do that anymore, my skin has gotten much more sensitive (especially facial skin), and I also wasn't growing my hair back then and it was probably shorter than shoulder length. And it also looks like the type my hair has changed into doesn't do so well with vinegar, it makes my hair frizzy these days. But at the day AVC was my natural beauty secret number one. :)

[Anje]

Some water buffers a lot, so it takes a lot more vinegar to hit the same pH. Definitely the sort of thing you need to figure out for your location and hair.

[Alissalocks]

Can someone explain to this newbie how a ACV rinse benefits your hair? Increases shine, I'm guessing?

[Pearly~91]

I think it's worth mentioning that in that video she doesn't use the "ACV Rinse" the same way that a lot of us use it. Beautyklove seems to use it more as a treatment that she applies and lets sit for a half an hour before using shampoo and conditioner.

I use an ACV rinse as the last step after I wash my hair to help smooth the cuticle. I dilute something like a tablespoon of ACV in a large plastic cup of water and apply after my final rinse.

I wonder if the way it's done in the video makes it more of a chelating treatment. She also says that she uses it to help cut through the oil after using a diy hairmask.

[Anje]

I don't often do vinegar rinses these days, but they've got a lot of uses. Vinegar helps cut hard water buildup (good for cleaning the shower, too) and soap scum if you wash your hair with a soap-based product like shampoo bars. It's also good for shine and helps make sure that the scalp is at an optimal pH. Lots of grouchy scalps are happier you rinse with dilute vinegar as a final step. But it's very much a thing that some people do better with than others.

Some folks like apple cider vinegar for the smell, but it sometimes gives hair a warm tint. Blonds often prefer white vinegar for that reason.

[Alissalocks]

I don't often do vinegar rinses these days, but they've got a lot of uses. Vinegar helps cut hard water buildup (good for cleaning the shower, too) and soap scum if you wash your hair with a soap-based product like shampoo bars. It's also good for shine and helps make sure that the scalp is at an optimal pH. Lots of grouchy scalps are happier you rinse with dilute vinegar as a final step. But it's very much a thing that some people do better with than others.

Some folks like apple cider vinegar for the smell, but it sometimes gives hair a warm tint. Blonds often prefer white vinegar for that reason. Thank you, Anje! I am on well water and often use vinegar to cut the mineral buildup in our appliances. Haven't used it on my hair, but interesting and appreciate the info. Still in the learning phase, there's a lot to assimilate at first. (I thought I had it figured out at lather, rinse, repeat. :p)

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge of ACV rinses. I have been including it in before my final rinse. As I read it was great for curlies, growth and very porous hair. I did notice only positives. But was a bit concerned as there is a lot of conflicting information on ACV rinse.