can we talk about baking soda for a minute?

**kitcatsmeow** · April 17th, 2012, 07:00 PM

I know baking soda is used by some to clarify but what about using it on a regular basis, like for every wash? Is it as harsh as sulfates on the hair?

I've been running into problems lately with oil build up since I switched to sls and cone free. I still have some experimenting to do since I didn't use my argan oil after this "clarify" with bs but my hair feels MUCH better! Eh...could be the argan oil giving it the dry feel but I had been using it regularly with no problems until the build up.

I only wash once (sometimes twice) a week. Could I mix a like a 1/4 teaspoon of bs in with my poo to keep the buildup at bay.

My hair was is doing great sls and cone free I just need to know how to maintain now.

**sarahramen** · April 17th, 2012, 08:56 PM

If you mean always adding it to your shampoo then I don't know but I went a few months only using bs and acv to wash my hair. It worked great, the only reason I stopped was I missed oiling and the nice smell of conditioner and whatnot.
my recipe was 1 Tbs baking soda in one cup of warm water. put it in a squeezey bottle,shake it until it feels slippery. squirt this over wet hair, scrub a bit, leave in for 3ish minutes, rinse it out. Then pour 1 T apple cider vinegar (or white) in 1 c water over your head as a rinse to seal the cuticle and make your hair super shiny.
I hope that it was you meant...

**dRummie** · April 17th, 2012, 11:06 PM

I'd really like to hear about this, too. I know people have used the BS/ACV-only method successfully, but not anybody with "LHC-level" concern for hair health. And here I mostly hear that BS would be too harsh for regular use, but this advice comes from people who have never tried it.
I don't mean to discount anybody's opinion, I would just like to hear from someone who has followed this method and can really comment on the condition it left their hair in. Anybody?

**sycamoreboutiqu** · April 17th, 2012, 11:34 PM

I do CO only - thick and wavy so it works the best - and I do a weekly BS treatment but add it to my CO routine. I saturate scalp and length with conditioner, wait about 30-60 min then rinse. Next I add about 1tsp to a palmful of conditioner and leave on for about 1minute then rinse.
I always follow this with a rich conditioner and a bit for a leave in.

I could see doing it more often if necessary.

**MissAlida** · April 18th, 2012, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by dRummie

I'd really like to hear about this, too. I know people have used the BS/ACV-only method successfully, but not anybody with "LHC-level" concern for hair health.

Here's a little help:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=81312
I hope you find the answers to your questions.

**EmiliaF** · April 18th, 2012, 11:57 AM

I have used the BS/ACV-method for a few months last year and had to stop because my hair got extremely tangled and felt awful (matted almost). It was very hard to comb and it got impossible to wear it down. When I switched back to normal shampoo and conditioner, the problem was solved immediately, so I suspect that the BS/ACV just lifted the cuticles on my hair too much and that caused tangles. It did not leave permanent damage.
So you could try it and pay special attention to that. If you adjust the routine as soon as you notice some of these things, it might work.
In the end, I also missed the smell of conditioner and shampoo and so I didn't try to adjust my routine with more oiling etc.