lemon rinse

[Sossity]

I have been doing a lemon rinse for a short while, with various lemon juices bought from Ralph's grocery store & my local 99 cents store. The rinses eliminated the thick grey film I was getting from using baking soda, ( when I brushed my clean hair with a clean hair brush, I would get a thick grey film as though I had not washed my hair in awhile ) but now when I scratch my scalp with my fingernails, I get flaky white stuff under my nails, it seems I traded one problem for another, I switched from baking soda & AVC, because I read on a forum about no poo method, that the baking soda + hard water + scalp oils/sebum formed soap scum, of which seemed to be what was happening to me, so I switched to just lemon rinses & hair oil after.Also read that the alkaline of the baking soda combined with alkkaline water was not good, I found the ACV a little too greasy for my scalp.

I do have to deal with hard cold only water, I am in Southern California, & read that hard water makes using alternatives & methods to commercial shampoos & conditioners difficult.

any suggestions on how to modify or improve my lemon rinses? what ever ingredients I use needs to be easy to find at a grocery store, I don't drive so I cannot go around my town chasing for exotic ingredients.

Sossity

[comicalcupcake]

I live in SoCal too, so I can sympathize!

I haven't tried baking soda specifically, but I have done the lemon and ACV rinses. The rinses shouldn't create a problem unless you're allergic or something. As far as baking soda + hard water, I have tested the water with pH strips and it wasn't much higher than 7 (which is neutral). Baking soda is an interesting alkali as it is not caustic and likes to balance things out. I wouldn't think the combination would cause too much of a problem. I'd guess a mix of the BS and water would be about 8.0, which is not different from most soaps and shampoos. To restore your scalp and hair's slight natural acidity, the rinse afterwards should work. Sorry to state the obvious, but be sure you scrub well with the pads of your fingers and wash as often as you need to. Also, if ACV is too greasy for you, experiment with more diluted solutions. Try 1/8 cup ACV with 2 cups of water (a 1/17 dilution).