Stupid question about why vinegar left my hair...

[pinchbeck]

icky, oily and took hours to dry.

I used a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water on my scalp hoping it would kill any microscopic fungus that may or may not be present. After it was rinsed my hair felt heavy, so I conditioned the length.

My hair took so long to dry and when it did dry I ended up with oily roots. I never have oily hair.

What the heck did the vinegar do to cause this? Isn't it supposed to cut grease?

[Islandgrrl]

icky, oily and took hours to dry.

I used a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water on my scalp hoping it would kill any microscopic fungus that may or may not be present. After it was rinsed my hair felt heavy, so I conditioned the length.

My hair took so long to dry and when it did dry I ended up with oily roots. I never have oily hair.

What the heck did the vinegar do to cause this? Isn't it supposed to cut grease?

Not sure I have the magic answer, but here's what I *think*...

Too much vinegar.

When I've done a vinegar rinse in the past, the most I've used is a couple tablespoons in a liter or more of water.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[Kris Dove]

So you used conditioner after the vinegar? I think vinegar seals the hair shaft so it's the conditioner being put on after that hasn't rinsed out properly, and if you conditioned first and then rinsed with vinegar last it might work. I may well be wrong but that's my theory.

[spidermom]

O.k., well, I don't know, but I don't think it was too much vinegar because I've used full-strength vinegar before combing for nits during a dreaded lice epidemic, and it made hair very light and floaty and quick to dry. I'm guessing that there was some sort of buildup on your hair that the vinegar loosened but did not remove.

I can't even use vinegar in a highly diluted state because it makes my hair so fly-away/floaty that it looks more like a cloud than hair.

[Teresa9000]

I've only ever had that problem with vinegar when I use too much. I usually put 1 or 2 capfuls in a 16oz cup of water.

[Islandgrrl]

Hmmmm...okay, somehow I didn't process the part about the conditioner. Maybe you didn't get it all rinsed out?

As for the vinegar.....I'm betting just about everyone else has more experience with it than I do, so take my input for what it's very likely worth: not much!

I was, however, trying to be helpful. Result: FAIL! :)

[pinchbeck]

O.k., well, I don't know, but I don't think it was too much vinegar because I've used full-strength vinegar before combing for nits during a dreaded lice epidemic, and it made hair very light and floaty and quick to dry. I'm guessing that there was some sort of buildup on your hair that the vinegar loosened but did not remove.

I can't even use vinegar in a highly diluted state because it makes my hair so fly-away/floaty that it looks more like a cloud than hair.
That is an interesting theory. I should have shampooed with diluted SLS free shampoo after its application, but didn't. I thought the vinegar would be an effective cleanser. It was weird how it felt so smooth on my hair while I was rinsing it which was misleading.

I wonder what the build up could be since I don't apply conditioner to my roots -- ever. Maybe mineral buildup that needs to be removed with a citric acid rinse (which I haven't tried yet). I just know this failed attempt at trying something new won't be tried again.

Anyhow, many hair experiments have been messy and gross. I will wash my hair tomorrow the normal way!

[spidermom]

My theory could be worthless, as it was a guess based on limited experience.

[pinchbeck]

Hmmmm...okay, somehow I didn't process the part about the conditioner. Maybe you didn't get it all rinsed out?

As for the vinegar.....I'm betting just about everyone else has more experience with it than I do, so take my input for what it's very likely worth: not much!

I was, however, trying to be helpful. Result: FAIL! :)
Oh, I did not apply conditioner to my roots or scalp and never do. Only what little length I have gets coated. The concentration of vinegar did this, and I am trying to figure out why this reaction occurred. Any chemists out there?

This was just a dumb experiment and I have had many!

[pinchbeck]

My theory could be worthless, as it was a guess based on limited experience.
No, it very well could be. Doesn't hard water build up in hair? If so, maybe the vinegar brought it to the surface. Or there could be a build up of the coconut based shampoo I used. Afterall, this is 'soap' and soap builds up.

Do you do citric acid rinses for this reason? If so, do they leave your hair manageable or weird?

[chloeishere]

So, you didn't wash your hair at all, just wet it, poured vinegar over it, rinsed, conditioned, and rinsed again? Did you use warm or cold water?

My personal experience if that if I wet my hair down, but don't wash it (or CO, or whatever) my scalp gets very oily and gross feeling, and my length gets incredibly dry and tangly. I know this isn't "normal" (No way could I ever go water only!), but that's how my hair is. I can damp bun and get delightful, hydrated hair that gets oily less quickly because I handle it less, so it's not just the moisture... but I digress.

I know there is an article somewhere on here about a theory someone had about how if you started out your wash with a cold rinse, it would cause your muscles at the bottom of the hair shaft to contract and squirt out all the hair sebum, which you would remove when you washed, and your hair would stay oil-free longer. I never tried it because I do not want to start off a shower being cold, no thanks. But maybe if you used cold water for part of it, your scalp muscles excreted a lot of oil that wouldn't be removed.

In addition, vinegar smooths the cuticle, so any oil that was already on your hair (since you didn't remove any of it by washing) would be visible on the outside, if that makes sense. You know how smooth, moisturized silky hair can look more oily compared to frizzy, bushy hair? It could be the same thing, the vinegar smoothed down the hair shaft, and then any oil was super obvious afterwards.

I'd also agree that it was a way too strong concentration of vinegar-- acetic acid has a pH of about 3, when I believe hair likes to be at a pH of around 5-6.

I once tried doing a shampoo bar wash with "miracle water"-- I think it was 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid in a gallon of water. It's supposed to be very gentle, because you use the miracle water the whole way through, which is acidic and soft water, so the shampoo bars won't raise the cuticle. My hair was a huge oily disaster afterwards, the shampoo bar couldn't seem to get to the oil because my cuticle was so tight!

In short, I'd say the mistake here was using something that is "moisturizing" (by keeping your cuticle closed, your hair will retain moisture better, and appear more smooth and healthy) as a substitute for something cleaning (surfactants in a light conditioner, shampoo, manual preening). Vinegar is used as a substitute for conditioner, not a substitute for shampoo.

And I am a chemist, but that doesn't mean I understand hair structure better than anyone else here. :)

[Carolyn]

I believe a lot of people here use a vinegar rinse to cut the soap scum left by using shampoo bars. I can see where you are coming from thinking a vinegar rinse is going to cleanse the gunk off your hair. But I don't think it usually works that way. The vinegar rinse will cut the residue left by products used in your washing process. If I were you, I'd chalk this up to another grand LHC experiment. Do a wash with your regular shampoo or a clarifying wash and start with a clean slate.

[teela1978]

Vinegar won't wash your hair. It's often used after a baking soda wash, or a wash with soap, because it does a fantastic job of closing the scales on the hair shaft. It also can dissolve soap scum or hard water gunk that might be on your hair (I once lived in a house with a black toilet and sink, vinegar was the only thing that would get the white stuff off of it). I'd guess that if your hair wasn't too clean, and you did a vinegar rinse, it'd seal down the hair shaft and make it look even greasier.

I personally find that after a vinegar rinse (very dilute, 1:20 dilution probably) that my hair gets greasier a lot faster than it otherwise would.

[fawn]

Hmmmm...okay, somehow I didn't process the part about the conditioner. Maybe you didn't get it all rinsed out?

As for the vinegar.....I'm betting just about everyone else has more experience with it than I do, so take my input for what it's very likely worth: not much!

I was, however, trying to be helpful. Result: FAIL! :)

I use vinegar every time I cwc or co. But I rinse my conditioner out really well, then use vinegar in water (prob .5 oz to 1oz in a cup or two), squeeze out, towel dry and then leave in conditioners and oils after.

I actually find the vinegar after the conditioner etc also helps keep my hair great and clean after the pre-wash EVOO hot oiling I do once a week too.

[Thinthondiel]

My personal experience if that if I wet my hair down, but don't wash it (or CO, or whatever) my scalp gets very oily and gross feeling, and my length gets incredibly dry and tangly. I know this isn't "normal" (No way could I ever go water only!), but that's how my hair is.

I don't think that's so unusual, actually. That's why people go through a transitional phase when doing WO - there's a period in the beginning where the scalp produces a lot of grease, while the ends may feel dry because the sebum hasn't been distributed down the length yet.

I know my scalp felt oily already after my first WO wash, but it's fine now.


Oh, and about the vinegar... I tried doing some highly diluted vinegar rinses in the beginning of doing WO, before I had transitioned (to get rid of the grease and the dust that got stuck in it). It seemed to help - it removed the dust and my scalp felt less greasy, but at the same time it made my hair more stringy and limp, so it made it look more greasy.

I know that's of no help... I just thought I'd post my experience with vinegar.

[CailinNua]

I'm not a chemist but I'm just wondering if the oil didn't get removed, then the vinegar rinse smoothed down the hair shaft. I'm not an expert on hair but if the cuticles are smoothed down then maybe the hair shaft doesn't have as much surface area for the oil to cover so feels greasier.

I've found similar things with vinegar - it makes may hair lovely and smooth, seems to help deal with oil from my scalp but doesn't help with the grease on the hair shaft at all. Am currently sitting with my hair tied up wondering what concoction to use today to deal with the greasies! :o:D