Baking soda hair rinses! Yay OR nay!?

[Cherriezzzzz]

Have you ever used a baking soda rinse to wash your hair?!

I thought it was common practice, but I've gotten a few comments that it's bad. Personally having actually used it, I can say it's simply wonderful for my hair. Chemically speaking it's alkalinity is not caustic, coming in at 9 on the ph scale, itself, but I mix it with water (neutral ph of 7) so it is diluted. I assumed it was fine because it's left on the hair (well poured into scalp, not scrubbed over length) for less then a minute. And it's always followed by a half vinegar half water rinse to rebalance hair and scalp ph and close the hair cuticle.

But now I'm seeking out LHC thoughts! Maybe I'm wrong and crazy for having had used it?!

Disclaimer: I originally tried it because I was having severe scalp (and even my fingertips) allergic reaction to a new shampoo. I needed something that was natural and I needed to get anything and everything off my scalp and hands to be free of irritants. Baking soda and vinegar rinses saved me. I eventually found out what was causing this irritation and now stick to one brand of shampoo so far. I believe it was the perfume in the new shampoo I had bought that caused my reaction.

I've not needed to use baking soda since the scare, (about a year ago) but I received zero issues from having used it. My hair was fuller at the scalp, curlier in appearance, felt great, and I guess I would've kept using it if I hadn't missed the scent and lathering of shampoo itself.

For full disclourse the "bad for ME" shampoo/con was Garnier Fructis brazilian smooth, and I now use Morrocainoil products. I'm not saying their product is bad in anyway. I LOVED that shampoo haha my hair looked fabulous, but the longer I used it the worse my scalp became in swelling, redness, and pain. Hair was pretty though haha go figure!
:eye:

[Robi-Bird]

High ph roughs up the cuticle, which is what gives hair more volume when something like baking soda or old fashion soap is used on the hair. Short term you may like the added volume, long term you could see significant damage.

[akurah]

I'm going to put this here.

I want to be clear: you're free to do as you please, but I believe you deserve to be educated about your choice. You can't dilute baking soda like you probably think. Ignore the article if you please, but at least click it to look at her dilution testing.


http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2014/01/baking-soda-destroyed-my-hair.html?m=1

You can't dilute baking soda to change the pH without going to extraordinary lengths. And unless you're allergic to sulfates, there's almost nothing you can put on your head that you can't get out by simply using a sulfate shampoo.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I have actually never used baking soda on my hair before but I did use regular soap and a bunch of other cleaners to strip my hair, back when I dyed it bright colors.
Cant say it caused damage but I also cant say my hair liked it either.

[hayheadsbird]

I tried it for a little while when I experimented with no poo methods. I can't say I ever noticed damage from it at the time, but my hair is corse and can take quite a beating. It's not something I'd go back and try again after learning more about the importance of pH levels ect.

[lapushka]

BS is highly alkaline. There's no ifs or buts about it. Unless you do a ACV or citric acid (lemon) rinse after, the pH is not going to come back down. And the damage might already be done by then.

It is frowned upon here, basically, yes. Natural isn't always better. It takes courage to see that.

[Arctic]

It was all the rage several years ago and when I was new member here, BS was routinely suggested to replace clarifying shampoos. I tried it back then once or twice and did not like how it left my hair feel. It seemed like most members here felt the same way. I stick to my clarifying shampoos.

These days there is lot of info available about how BS can damage hair, inside and outside the LHC. I haven't been paying much attention to it anymore but I've gotten an impression that most people who used to tout the BS horn have changed their minds? The positive articles are many years old while there has been new crop of articles that are critical. Just my impression, might not be true.

BTW not all water is pH 7, mine is quite a bit higher for example. Some can be much more acidic.

One good thing the BS/no-poo fad did was to make big crowds of people to question the contemporary hygiene products industry and seek out alternatives.

[Nique1202]

The problem with baking soda isn't just the alkalinity, either. There's a reason that it's used often in household cleaning as a scrub: it's extremely abrasive. Any baking soda that isn't fully dissolved in water (which is to say, any white paste still visible) is going to be scraping the cuticle off the hair as you work it in. Yes, it will give you an appearance of added volume, because it's removed part of the outer covering of the hair which cannot regrow or be repaired. The vinegar rinse can help to close the cuticle that's left afterward, but it can't fix what's already been scrubbed off.

[Nymphe]

I put it in the catagory: for emergency use only.

[embee]

Tried it *once*. It left my hair texture like straw, hard to comb, amazingly tangled feeling. Took a long time to begin to get soft and smooth again. Bad for me.

[Tosca]

Never tried it, never will. Diluted vinegar/acidic rinses are nice though.

[lapushka]

Tried it *once*. It left my hair texture like straw, hard to comb, amazingly tangled feeling. Took a long time to begin to get soft and smooth again. Bad for me.

Exactly this! ^^

I tried it once too, and along with rhassoul/ghassoul clay, and aritha/shikakai powders, I chalk it up to "big mistakes" for my hair. It *all* left my hair similar feeling, redidue-y, sticky, velcro-like, not at all pleasant, or the way it's supposed to feel. So... I go by that most of all.

But everyone, I still stand by that, has to decide for themselves. YMMV.

[ephemeri]

Yep, I tried it exactly once, followed by a vinegar rinse. The results were less than stellar. It left my hair feeling dry and icky and very unhappy.

I'll do a vinegar rinse every once in awhile still but never again with the baking soda!

[truepeacenik]

Speaking generally, the people who report they do well on baking soda/acidic rinse method as their main cleanser for scalp, tend to have dreadlocks (usually young locs that cannot yet deal with slippery ingredients), or keep their hair shorter, bsl being on the long side. They also tend to be weekly or less washers.

It's getting a renaissance through the Zero Waste community.
I first read about it in the late 1970s in Mother Earth News.

My results were neutral. Not a fantastic sudden change, no straw like hair, no magical unicorn hair.
But I was using a mere teaspoon to a quart of water and the mechanical damage of water only methods isn't great for my hair. (My hair puts up with things, but I suspect that's why I'm dealing with another long stall.)

[Ophidian]

I used baking soda once and it made my hair feel horrible so I have not been tempted to try it again but thought this was an interesting explanation of the differing reactions people have to it (scroll down to "the potential problem with using baking soda...")
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/moisturizing-low-porosity-hair.html?m=1
Bottom line for me is that even if I had had a positive reaction to it, I would tend to put it in the 'emergency use only' category as Nymphe put it because of its tendency to increase porosity over time if used as a regular wash. I use 'alternative' methods all the time to clean my hair but I prefer things that are more neutral (rye, shikakai...) with mildly acidic rinses from time to time.

[Anje]

Echoing Arctic, it used to be a popular alternative for clarifying around here, but it's more recently fallen out of favor.

One member with floor-length hair successfully washed with it for a long time, though I understand she switched back to shampoo and conditioner simply because it was easier. However, most people other than her that have tried "no poo" baking soda washing have eventually given it up, citing damage or dryness.

I think it *can work, provided it's dilute enough, but it likely depends on the person, and it risks being too harsh in the long term. If you're allergic to a major component of shampoo like the sulfates, it's probably a satisfactory alternative. If your allergy is to something easily eliminated, I suspect that most people wanting long hair would be better off avoiding the troublesome ingredient. Long hair is far less forgiving of small damages over time than short hair.

[lithostoic]

Nay. I've used it in the past to fade permanent black hair dye. What does that tell you about how healthy it is for hair? I can personally vouch that doing it a total of 3 times shredded my hair.

[VersLaLumière]

This is just my personal opinion but I encountered one woman who used it for a long time and actually claimed it was the best thing ever and I found myself surprised and a little confused. Personally I thought that her hair had looked much better before; healthier with more natural shine and moisture to it. The long-term BS/ACV hair looked poofier and more volumized, but fried. To me it looked like the equivalent of significant bleach damage. Her hair was about collarbone length so maybe it was just short enough to pull it off.

But to each his or her own, though. People have different preferences for their hair. I don't doubt that for some this routine may work well for their goals. I don't want to judge anybody or their choices, it's just that this example helped me see that I wouldn't choose this routine for my own hair. It wouldn't be worth the risk for me to find out what it's going to do to my hair.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I'm going to put this here.

I want to be clear: you're free to do as you please, but I believe you deserve to be educated about your choice. You can't dilute baking soda like you probably think. Ignore the article if you please, but at least click it to look at her dilution testing.


http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2014/01/baking-soda-destroyed-my-hair.html?m=1

You can't dilute baking soda to change the pH without going to extraordinary lengths. And unless you're allergic to sulfates, there's almost nothing you can put on your head that you can't get out by simply using a sulfate shampoo.

Ahhh thank you! You're fine to educate me, please do. I seek thy wisdom of LHC ;)

I responded in post, but then I thought better to not hijack a thread, so I started one myself.

[Cherriezzzzz]

It was all the rage several years ago and when I was new member here, BS was routinely suggested to replace clarifying shampoos. I tried it back then once or twice and did not like how it left my hair feel. It seemed like most members here felt the same way. I stick to my clarifying shampoos.

These days there is lot of info available about how BS can damage hair, inside and outside the LHC. I haven't been paying much attention to it anymore but I've gotten an impression that most people who used to tout the BS horn have changed their minds? The positive articles are many years old while there has been new crop of articles that are critical. Just my impression, might not be true.

BTW not all water is pH 7, mine is quite a bit higher for example. Some can be much more acidic.

One good thing the BS/no-poo fad did was to make big crowds of people to question the contemporary hygiene products industry and seek out alternatives.

I'm all about seeking the wisdom found within LHC. I've all the professional knowledge gone to Cosmetology school and a practicing hairdresser. I've learned from very talented and successful business owners. But the collective art of long hair isn't substantive outside of people with the actual experience with long hair themselves and with others... I love this forum for that!

[Cherriezzzzz]

Thanks for the replies everyone! It really seems like I dodged a bullet using baking soda for severe months... I still have that hair from last year as I've not even so much as trimmed it :joy: I know my hair is very tough, so I will just thank God! Discovering Morrocainoil has been fun for me. I want to try something else LESS EXPENSIVE (ugh) but the hubby doesn't mind the price cause he said I never complain about my hair anymore and it smells really attractive haha

[Hairkay]

No, it's much to harsh for my skin to handle. I'll save it for cleaning and baking.

[spidermom]

Using a baking soda solution as a rinse wasn't so bad, but I once made the mistake of adding it to my shampoo (recipe on the baking soda box). OMG; my hair essentially felted together. Every single day for about 2 weeks, I'd have to wet it down and put a bunch of conditioner on it to comb it. Gradually it "recovered", although I think it was brittle and much more prone to breakage after that.

[FennFire911]

I think this is the single worst thing I ever did to my hair. It was about 5 or 6 years ago, when I was learning how to be "greener." More eco-friendly, less consumerism. I read this blog where the woman raved on and on about how un-pooing her hair was the best thing ever ever ever. The process was to make a paste of baking soda and water about the consistency of cake batter and massage that on the scalp. Rinse with water, then rinse with 50/50 vinegar and water.
I had the catastrophic results others in this thread have described. Straw-like hair that stuck to itself, practically uncombable, looked like I'd been in a tornado. And to add insult to injury, the next day my scalp was oil-spill greasy again.
I've picked up a lot of great tips in my journey to go greener. I clean with vinegar water and cloths instead of chemical spray and paper towels. I use cut of pieces of flannel fabric to Swiffer with and wash and reuse them instead of buying disposable Swiffer cloths. Being more aware of the chemicals I do use to wash our bodies and hair---Our scalps may "like" sulfates, but when it washes down the drain, where does it ultimately end up...? That sort of thing.
But baking soda in my hair is not even on my emergency list. Vinegar rinses can be wonderful, I've done those off and on since I was 17. Baking soda belongs in my laundry, not on my head.
YMMV of course, but for me, it's a big ole heck no. I have less on my conscience about sulfate now that I've been able to cut back from washing every day, to washing every 3rd day. I'm using a new product that's sulfate free that might work out for me, but if not, I still have comfort knowing I'm only sending it down the drain 1/3 as much as I used to.

[Aliciaspinnet]

The only time I've used baking soda on my hair is when I was trying to fade hair dye. I mixed a few tablespoons with baby shampoo and olive oil and let it sit for a while. It did lighten my hair colour, but my hair has never felt so bad as it did afterwards - even bleach didn't dry out my hair as much. Took lots of deep conditioning to get my hair back to normal. Of course I used it in really high concentrations but even so I'd be reluctant to use even low amounts on a regular basis.

[Dendra]

About five years ago I used baking soda and ACV as my shampoo and conditioner for...around 6 months? Maybe even a year. To be honest, I didn't notice much of a difference in my hair, though it might have felt a little drier/rougher which in my ignorance I mistook for cleanliness.

My friends kept trying to convince me not to use it as they said if you drop a penny in a glass of baking soda and water it cleans the penny and is therefore bad for hair. Eventually I moved on to WO washing, and have now come full circle and use shampoo again.

All in all I would not go back to baking soda and have learned that just because something isn't 'full of chemicals' it doesn't make it better.

[*Wednesday*]

I've read were people see damage from this many months to a year later. Reading what I am here seems to be the same case.

[Dendra]

I've read were people see damage from this many months to a year later. Reading what I am here seems to be the same case.

Ahh right, maybe this is why I didn't see any issues at first. And by the time I noticed any damage I would have attributed it to something else..interesting.

[SnowDancer]

I tried it a few times but it was too harsh on my scalp.

[twill]

The thing to note about baking soda rinses is that you're supposed to use an apple cider vinegar rinse immediately after to balance the ph. I did this for a while and it worked fine. If I had been only using the baking soda rinse, it would have been awful, but together with the ACV it was pretty effective. Ultimately I quit using it because I was tired of my hair smelling like ACV every time it got humid outside.

[yahirwaO.o]

I have a horror story when it comes about BS and ACV that still gives me the creeps.

I was going for the green style living and this option felt something I wanted to try. At first it wasn´t that bad, however it never left my greasy roots cleaned at all. I was in my late teens so probably thats the main reason, however after a decesive attempt having coconut oil treatment I decied to put baking soda in it..... WORST MISTAKE EVER.

I did it once and the oil was still there, so I did other 2 round times and my hair was still in oil however lots and i mean it LOTS of strands started to come out!!!!!!!! I was in extreme anxious and decdied to ACV and rinse afterwards hopin it would stop. (LHC wasn´t known at the time for me so I did suffer) shudder:shudder:shudder:

Still i remember the amount of hair I lost in the next 2 days and now looking back maybe my scalp PH got really ****ed up. From the day on I learned that mixed chemicals even so call green alternatives could be very bad and BS is only put in my teeth, clothes and kitchen once in a while because it is damn abrasive!!!!!!!!

[ghanima]

I'm not usually friends with BS, but my son seems to have normalized his SD thanks to it. His father insisted and I begrudgingly let him do it, because you can't win all fights. The secret I reckon is to rinse it super-well prior to the ACV phase.

[Deborah]

When the idea came up on this list many years ago I tried it for a while. I did not do my hair any damage, but apparently it did cause damage for some others.

People are just different I guess. I tried coconut milk just once, and it left my hair simply awful. Others really like what it does to their hair. Who knows why? :shrug: