Help me figure out a convenient SHORTCUT DILUTION for citric acid rinses. <3

[CurlyCap]

Hey Lovelies!

I'm switching from ACV rinses to citric acid rinses, and I'm trying to head off my laziness before it wins. Let me explain.

In order to do ACV rinses, I keep a tiny Dasani bottle of pure ACV in the shower. To do a rinse, I splosh some of the pure ACV (~2tbs) into a liter bottle and then fill up the rest with cool water. The whole mess then gets dumped on my head.

My citric acid came as a powder, so I know I can't keep that in the shower. I'm to lazy to prep my liter bottle before I get into the shower. So I want to make a "starter" dilution of citric acid that I can keep in my tiny Dasani bottle and dilute further when needed.

Any thoughts on how much to initially dilute my citric acid? Ie, 1/4 cup in 1 cup water and then use 2tbs in a liter?

English or metric measurements welcome.

[Arya]

I think the hardness of your water affects how much you need, or so I was reading elsewhere.

[jeanniet]

I just put the dry amount of CA I need in my bottle before I get into the shower. Why don't you just keep a small container of it in your bathroom and scoop out a bit when you need it? I think that would be easier than mixing up a solution.

[CurlyCap]

I just put the dry amount of CA I need in my bottle before I get into the shower. Why don't you just keep a small container of it in your bathroom and scoop out a bit when you need it? I think that would be easier than mixing up a solution.

This is imminently logical and you are correct.

However, I am not that organized. :D I am the crazy person who runs naked and wet to the pantry because I realize mid-shower that I am out of soap. Much less my bottle of CA rinse. Also, I worry that if I keep powdered CA in the shower in a little (closed!) tub, it would harden and eventually get drippage in it and turn into grossness.

I've figured out that my ACV rinse was a .03&#37; (30mL in 1L) solution of ACV in water. I'm going to try to make the same thing with CA and go from there. (I was a chemistry undergrad. This is ridiculous that I'm doing dilution factors for my hair care! But it also makes me smile.)

[jeanniet]

If you were a chem major you can probably do a better job calculating than I can! :D Seriously, my brain is fried right now, but if you can't figure it out send me a PM and I should be able to do the calculation for you based on the solution ratio I use.

[Arya]

I put CA in a spray bottle with water and leave that in the shower. I dilute it till it tastes like lemon flavoured water instead of lemon juice. Very scientific. Boyfrand's scalp is very happy so far!

[jeanniet]

Lol, yes, that's another way to do it. Slightly sour is just about the dilution factor you want.

[jojo]

I just mix a teaspoons worth of powder to a large jug of water and mix it in and then use..simple!

I love my CA rinses!

[Arya]

Lol, yes, that's another way to do it. Slightly sour is just about the dilution factor you want.

haha! supreme laziness FTW!

[haibane]

I'd skip the math and use pH measuring strips. I found some on ebay for like $1. Just dump enough citric acid powder in the small bottle for the solution to reach the same pH as the vinegar. (and then compare the pH of the final dilutions if you want to be sure.)

[CurlyCap]

Lol, yes, that's another way to do it. Slightly sour is just about the dilution factor you want.

This is working like a charm. Lol.

I am soooo lazy.

[W2]

Otherwise I think the math would look something like this:

You would use 1/4 teaspoon for a gallon. A gallon is almost 4 liters.

So you would use the entire amount of citric acid and put in a tiny bottle of some sort. I normally use a bottle containing 1 liter for my final rinse. So I would use 1/4 of the mix in the tiny bottle, and add water so you get an entire liter.

[Chromis]

I have to use a stronger dilution than most, but what I do is to keep a two cup measure perched on the edge of my tub. When I was my hair, I grab the ACV and citric acid from out of under the counter and toss in a dash and a small glug. Then that hangs out until the end when I fill it up the rest of the way with warm water. Can't stand cold water on my scalp unless I am really, really overheated and even then I only go to cool, not cold.

I used to keep the citric acid bottle and the ACV jug (I get small jugs from a local farm stand at the weekly market) perched on the edge too, but I find that gives me more to clean. Was convenient though since sometimes I still find myself dripping wet going *&(&#37;! forgot to measure out the rinse!

[In2wishin]

I keep a plastic container of CA on the side of my tub with a little scoop in it (bought it from my dollar store: it had bath salts in it and I dumped those) and a big plastic glass that holds about a quart/liter. I just dump a scoop, fill it with water from the shower and rinse.

[spirals]

I just posted this somewhere, but I don't remember where. I looked it up and found that vinegar is around 5% acid, so I make a 5% solution of citric acid and water and use it like I would vinegar. I have an 8-ounce bottle, so roughly 2 1/2 teaspoons in that works. I figured it on the basis of there being 48 teaspoons in 8 ounces.

[Arya]

This is working like a charm. Lol.

I am soooo lazy.

I always prefer using methods where you can see, feel, hear, smell, or taste to know when something is right. I have terrible temporal and spatial understandings. IE I know what milk is supposed to look like when it's done steaming for coffee, and how hot it should feel, and I know what to look for to know when an espresso shot is finished pouring. Timing and measurements are very difficult for me to process without staring at a clock/temperature/ruler/whatever every time.