Squish to condish... but what about ACV?

**Corvana** · November 28th, 2018, 08:16 PM

So I've recently learned that I don't properly squish to condish, and I'm really wanting to try it properly! The problem is, my water is very hard and there's a noticeable difference in my hair if I don't do an ACV rinse.

I thought there was bound to be another wavy/curly here who would have a similar problem and may have a solution! The only thing I thought of was to do my ACV rinse, but keep the water (I use a jug in the shower after I've turned it off, so I can dip my ends in so that it's not so wasteful) and then use the ACV water during the S2C. Would that work? Since S2C is supposed to be the last thing you do (with no formal rinsing) before your stylers and such, but my ACV rinse is usually the last thing I do...

**Obsidian** · November 28th, 2018, 09:18 PM

I don't see why using a vinegar rinse to squish wouldn't work. I've used it for regular rinsing of conditioner with no issues. If I wasn't so lazy, I would use a very dilute vinegar water for washing and all rinsing. I've done it before and really noticed a difference in how clean and soft my hair was. With build up prone hair and moderately hard water, I'm always fighting minerals.

**kitcatsmeow** · November 28th, 2018, 09:20 PM

What’s s2c?

I keep my ACV is a squirt bottle and just squirt it on my scalp and length. I don’t squish it in since it’s reallt not a conditioner, it closes the cuticle and smooths the hair.

**Pacific** · November 28th, 2018, 10:16 PM

s2c = squish to condish.

**Corvana** · November 28th, 2018, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Obsidian

I don't see why using a vinegar rinse to squish wouldn't work. I've used it for regular rinsing of conditioner with no issues. If I wasn't so lazy, I would use a very dilute vinegar water for washing and all rinsing. I've done it before and really noticed a difference in how clean and soft my hair was. With build up prone hair and moderately hard water, I'm always fighting minerals.

That's good to know! Thank you!

I dilute it pretty well. It took a few tries to figure out the balance so that I'd get the benefit without the lingering scent. Now I just stick a bit at the bottom of my gallon pitcher and then fill it up with water before I shut the shower off! Easy. But it'd be a lot less easy to use it for every rinse. I don't think I'd be able to do that one, feasibly, without having things prepared beforehand and I... don't have the energy for that ever lol.

I bet my hair would love for me to rinse with ACV every time. As it is, it needs it at least at the end! It's not build up prone, but our water is very hard so that definitely works against me.

Originally Posted by kitcatsmeow

What’s s2c?

I keep my ACV is a squirt bottle and just squirt it on my scalp and length. I don’t squish it in since it’s reallt not a conditioner, it closes the cuticle and smooths the hair.

S2C is just an abbreviation for squish to condish.

I know it's not a conditioner, I meant use it to rinse my conditioner. When you S2C, you use small amounts of water to squish out the conditioner, slowly. I'd always thought it was squishing in the conditioner (that you then rinsed normally), so I would then rinse with my ACV. But since my water is quite hard, I'd rather not use it without the ACV in S2C in case that's enough to cause mineral buildup in my hair. I just wasn't sure if that would cause a problem with S2C (I didn't think it would, it seems straightforward, but S2C sounds more straightforward than it actually is so I thought I'd cover my bases lol).

**kitcatsmeow** · November 29th, 2018, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by Corvana

That's good to know! Thank you!

I dilute it pretty well. It took a few tries to figure out the balance so that I'd get the benefit without the lingering scent. Now I just stick a bit at the bottom of my gallon pitcher and then fill it up with water before I shut the shower off! Easy. But it'd be a lot less easy to use it for every rinse. I don't think I'd be able to do that one, feasibly, without having things prepared beforehand and I... don't have the energy for that ever lol.

I bet my hair would love for me to rinse with ACV every time. As it is, it needs it at least at the end! It's not build up prone, but our water is very hard so that definitely works against me.

S2C is just an abbreviation for squish to condish.

I know it's not a conditioner, I meant use it to rinse my conditioner. When you S2C, you use small amounts of water to squish out the conditioner, slowly. I'd always thought it was squishing in the conditioner (that you then rinsed normally), so I would then rinse with my ACV. But since my water is quite hard, I'd rather not use it without the ACV in S2C in case that's enough to cause mineral buildup in my hair. I just wasn't sure if that would cause a problem with S2C (I didn't think it would, it seems straightforward, but S2C sounds more straightforward than it actually is so I thought I'd cover my bases lol).

Might I suggest a shower head filter? I got one that removes minerals and chemicals and it’s amazing! I have city water sovmostly it’s chemicals that are my issue.

**aethyra** · November 29th, 2018, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by kitcatsmeow

Might I suggest a shower head filter? I got one that removes minerals and chemicals and it’s amazing! I have city water sovmostly it’s chemicals that are my issue.

Good day Kittycats: I have been using a shower filter for 6 months as I too have city water. I have tried 2 different ones. Which shower filter are you using currently?

**nycelle** · November 29th, 2018, 09:38 AM

The only thing I would be concerned about with using ACV to STC, is whether it could have a possible reaction with any of the ingredients in the conditioner, since you're leaving some of each in the hair.. hmm..

**Alibran** · November 29th, 2018, 11:41 AM

There are no rules about how to do STC other than that you squeeze the hair rather than combing conditioner through. I do it right at the very end, and don't rinse. I just squish the exact amount of conditioner I plan to leave in into dripping wet hair.

The reason for adding water while you're doing it isn't to rinse the conditioner out. It is to add more water. STC is part of the curly girl method that's been adapted for other hair types. Adding water encourages the hair to clump, leading to better and more defined curls. If you're not trying to make the hair clump, there's no need to do it.

**nycelle** · November 29th, 2018, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Alibran

There are no rules about how to do STC other than that you squeeze the hair rather than combing conditioner through. I do it right at the very end, and don't rinse. I just squish the exact amount of conditioner I plan to leave in into dripping wet hair.

The reason for adding water while you're doing it isn't to rinse the conditioner out. It is to add more water. STC is part of the curly girl method that's been adapted for other hair types. Adding water encourages the hair to clump, leading to better and more defined curls. If you're not trying to make the hair clump, there's no need to do it.

From what I understand, you're supposed to replace much of the conditioner with water. Yes squishing is to help the curls form, but it's because this technique is supposed to hydrate them. So based on that, you should be using water to get at least some of the conditioner out.

Here's the link explaining it from the lady who developed Squish to Condish