Baking Soda - yay or nay?

**Carolyn** · March 11th, 2009, 02:31 PM

Nay for me. The times I used it, it was for a clarifying wash. The first couple of times, I used a tsp or so dissolved in oh maybe a cup of water. Dried my hair out horribly. It went way beyond what I wanted in a clarifier. The next couple of times I mixed about a tsp. in with one of my regular shampoos and got the same dried out results. Yes I majorly moisturized after shampooing. Now I have good results with a commercial shampoo meant for clarifying.

**Anje** · March 11th, 2009, 03:53 PM

Nay for me. I've mixed it with shampoo for clarifying (not recommended with ALS/ALES shampoos -- it smells like a perm!), but for me a plain old sulfate shampoo is sufficient to clarify with, and leaves my hair less rough.

It wasn't horrible, like some people report, but I think BS is better used for scrubbing henna stains off the bathroom countertop.

**Anje** · March 11th, 2009, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Fethenwen

Hmm, the reason I'm using baking soda is because I have read that it does _not strip off all the sebum. I use very little (less than one tea spoon), and follow it with ACV with honey. But this makes my hair static though. I wonder if honey also can make hair static with long term usage? Or is it starting to get in bad shape of the BS because it's static... or erm, I try not to wash it that often with it. But still...

I'm getting more confused

I doubt that the honey is causing your static, since it's humectant, which means it'll try to stay moist by drawing moisture out of whatever it can (air, or in a dry environment, hair). It tends to be moisturizing therefore, which reduces static.

Your hair might respond differently than most does to the honey, but I'd be inclined to blame the baking soda and/or too-strong vinegar for dryness and therefore static before I went after the honey.

**Fethenwen** · March 12th, 2009, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by Anje

I doubt that the honey is causing your static, since it's humectant, which means it'll try to stay moist by drawing moisture out of whatever it can (air, or in a dry environment, hair). It tends to be moisturizing therefore, which reduces static.

Your hair might respond differently than most does to the honey, but I'd be inclined to blame the baking soda and/or too-strong vinegar for dryness and therefore static before I went after the honey.

Sounds logical

From all the responses I guess I should just skip the BS, at least I don't think I will use it as a regular washing method. I'm still waiting for the rhassoul clay to arrive in the post, till then I guess I just have to hold on and clean it with water. My hair is really static now from the BS+ACV rinses.
Does anyone have any info or experiences of washing hair with clay?

**long.again** · March 21st, 2009, 11:33 AM

I actually don't mind it, if used a certain way. I used it in the shower and massages it into my scalp and it left my hair feeling like straw. It was no good. However, if my hair is getting particularly greasy (I usually only rinse my hair 3 times a week), every 4 days or so, I add a bit (like a very little amount) of dry BS to my dry hair. I section it and add it directly to my roots. I do not massage it in or comb it through or anything. I usually leave it for a bit (10 mins or so) and then hop in the shower. I do a lavender essential oil/apple cider vinegar/water rinse followed by a rosemary/sage/chamomile rinse. The last few times it's left my hair perfect. Didn't strip it and it wasn't greasy, and it was shiny and soft all the way to the ends.

**Silverlox** · March 21st, 2009, 11:54 AM

I have no yay or nay, since I've never tried it.

Mainly because my impression is that it's very harsh and drying, - the last thing my hair needs as it's very fine, fragile and generally prone to dryness.

Despite the fact that I use commercial poo and condish, filled with cones, as well as frequent oilings, I've never noticed any kind of build-up on my hair. And since in my mind, baking soda is mainly for removing build-up, I've never seen any reason to even try it.

Like the saying goes, - if it aint broken, don't fix it!

Of course, the fact that I've never managed to work out what the Swedish equivalent would be, (baking soda/baking powder) is also a main factor in my hesitation to experiment.

**tooqute2nv** · March 22nd, 2009, 11:59 AM

naaaaaay. Would leave my hair uber dry, but my hair is really fine. But I do sometimes use it on my face! Diluted with enough water to make a pastey-sort of consistency, and rub ("massage") it round my face for about a minute, then rinse off with warm water, and finish with a splash of cold water.

Followed by rose water, zit zap stuff, and lotion.

Kinda off topic, but if you really want to try baking soda as a cheap cleanser, try your face! lol

**princesspecial** · April 4th, 2009, 08:46 PM

I switched to the no poo way and my hair loves me! I dilute baking soda with water in the shower. I use a plastic cup in the shower. I slop it on my scalp and back of hair. I scrub my scalp clean. I don't try to comb while I rinse. I then dilute apple cider vinegar with water and slop that on my hair and scalp. I rinse with water and comb. My hair feels SO soft and smooth, not oily and weighed down. I go about 7-10 days easily between washing, and I have pushed it 2 weeks. I'm new and don't know the codes yet, but I'm a Caucasian with curly brown hair. My scalp was always grungy even after a shampoo and my hair was always dry even with gobs of conditioner left on for the entire shower. Now, Clean Scalp and Soft Hair. Oh...I wet set my hair in rollers to make it straight and brush with a boars hair brush!

**Debra83** · April 4th, 2009, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Silverlox

I have no yay or nay, since I've never tried it.

Mainly because my impression is that it's very harsh and drying, - the last thing my hair needs as it's very fine, fragile and generally prone to dryness.

Despite the fact that I use commercial poo and condish, filled with cones, as well as frequent oilings, I've never noticed any kind of build-up on my hair. And since in my mind, baking soda is mainly for removing build-up, I've never seen any reason to even try it.

Like the saying goes, - if it aint broken, don't fix it!

Of course, the fact that I've never managed to work out what the Swedish equivalent would be, (baking soda/baking powder) is also a main factor in my hesitation to experiment.

Baking soda - salty - more dense and packed than lighter, fluffy baking powder

baking powder - makes things "poofy" - like pancakes

**Kirin** · April 4th, 2009, 09:11 PM

Nay. Big ol' Nay.

The results on the try on my hair were disasterous, and then I looked into more stuff about baking soda.

Doctors routinely perscribe it mixed in water for girls who chew and swallow their hair. Why? Simple, it dissolves hair.

For at least a hundred years, baking soda and a hot kettle of water put down a drain will dissolve a hair clog.

I'm not entirely sure I want to wash my hair with something used to dissolve it.

This, along with several other hair items touted leave me scratching my head. Baking soda may be natural, but its harsh as the get out. its not "gentle" by any stretch of the imagination. I use it to clean my house and in my laundry, and it works harder and better than most commercial stuff.

Now......*head scratch*, if baking soda cleans better than laundry detergent, and most people wont use shampoo because it has sls, like laundry detergent which is *harsh*.........

Its left me confused LOL.