Apple Cider Vinegar "Conditioner" Recipe

Throughout this recipe I will refer to Apple Cider Vinegar as ACV because it is much shorter and easier. The ACV recipe is super similar to the baking soda shampoo and it is just as easy.

The ratio is actually just the same:

1 Tablespoon ACV
1 Cup water

This huge jug of ACV was $20 and it will last me so long! To the right is the container I store my vinegar in (cheapy mustard container). I love how I can open and close it, the opening is a good size too.

Pour into a container with a lid, mixing up as much at one time as will fit into your container. The handy thing is that you can store it right in the shower. My vinegar is kept in a cheap plastic mustard dispenser I picked up at Meijer after not being able to find a spray bottle. Not gunna lie, ACV smells a little funky, especially for something going into your hair. If you want to mask the smell a little you could add something like pure lavender oil or infuse your rinse with herbs. I have not tried this yet but my vinegar rinse just ran out and I need to mix up some more.

Application:

-Fully rinse out baking soda mixture
-Flip head upside down so your hair is hanging upside down
-Sprinkle/Pour some vinegar onto head targeting roots and scalp
-Gently massage scalp working vinegar through hair
-Let sit for a minute or two
-Rinse out

There is probably no wrong way to apply the vinegar as long as you are getting it into your scalp and through your hair. I just gave you the way that works for me. Vinegar balances the PH of your hair, that is why it is important to get it into your scalp, and it works as a conditioner/detangler. I am unsure if white vinegar would work the same as ACV, but I do know that ACV works wonders with almost anything. I have read that it can improve your health and energy if you drink some every day, so I just think ACV is better all around! Google it if you want to know more uses for ACV.

Again, you may have to adjust this recipe based on your hair needs. By playing around with the amounts of both vinegar and baking soda you can find what is best for you.

My hair and scalp have been a little bit dry. I am wary of using too much vinegar because in the past my hair has been very oily so I do not want to over condition. I am going to try and increase the amount of vinegar solution I use during each rinse to see how that works.

I also found some recipes for deep conditioners that I want to try out. These treatments would be less often (maybe once a month?) to ensure that my hair is getting all the moisture and nutrients it needs. I am excited to try some out but I need to wait until it is time to wash my hair again because a washing is required after conditioning.

Questions are welcome and I will post more hair adventures soon.

Baking Soda "Shampoo" Recipe

This recipe is super simple and only takes a minute or two to make. When I was researching before starting the 'no poo' plan I found two ways to make the baking soda mixture. One way was to make a paste, mixing a little bit of water with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. That's great and all and works for some people but truth be told I am lazy so I wanted something I could make every once in awhile.

The recipe is a simple ratio:

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 Cup water

Pour into a container with a lid and shake. You will not be able to see the baking soda, it will fully dissolve in the water. Store in shower and shake before each use. I usually make about 2 cups at a time because that is how large my container is and it lasts a good couple of weeks. I store my mixture in an old water bottle with a squeeze top (works well to apply the mixture to my head).

Application:

-Wet hair in shower
-Flip head upside down so hair is hanging down
-Pour small amount of baking soda mixture onto head targeting scalp
-Gently massage the mixture into scalp and hair (as you massage the baking soda should get mixed into all of your hair)
-Let sit for a minute or two
-Rinse out

This is how I have been using my baking soda mixture and it seems to be working well. I have noticed that a small amount goes a long way. I squirt only a few spots and then massage that little bit into all of my hair.

Everyone's hair is different so you may have to adjust the amount of baking soda depending on your hair type and length. I have shoulder length fine hair.

If your hair is too dry decrease baking soda, if it seems oily increase baking soda. The oil level or dryness of your hair also depends on the apple cider vinegar "conditioning" mix (will post recipe).

Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions, I will happily try to answer them.

No Shampoo Day 55 (oops I missed a few..)

Hello everyone. I am almost at 2 months of using no store bought shampoo or conditioner! I have kind of failed at blogging recently. School got crazy and I got lazy, I apologize for my absence. In one of my first posts about going shampoo free I said that I wanted to share with everyone my day to day experience, obviously that did not work out and I am sorry. But it turns out that the day to day kind of repeated itself. I left off saying that my hair felt kind of weird and at that time I was still not in a good pattern. My biggest complaint about going shampoo free was the way my hair looked. It felt light and clean after a wash but then when it dried it would be all stringy. As a result, my hair was always up in a bun or a ponytail. I am naturally very picky about the way my hair looks so this was driving me crazy and I was ready to give up. Finally just a few days ago, maybe day 50, I realized why! Too much baking soda. I think my ratio in my mixture is alright (maybe I could even adjust that), but I was putting too much of the mixture on my head per washing. When I cut down and stuck to "a little goes a long way" my hair looked so much better once dry. I think I am finally at the point where I am happy with my hair, I have gotten through most of the kinks and will most likely be sticking to the baking soda shampoo mixture.

So the routine that I have gotten into is washing my hair with the baking soda mixture and rinsing with the apple cider vinegar mixture every 3 days. For example, I washed my hair yesterday morning (Wednesday) so I will wash it again on Saturday morning. The day that I wash my hair I usually leave it down. The next day it sometimes goes up in a bun or ponytail but I can still wear it down. I stick a headband in if I wear it down because sleeping on it can mess it up a bit. Then the day before I need to wash it I almost always put it up. It isn't terrible by then but the under layers get oily. If it is too oily for my liking I sprinkle in baby powder or corn starch and then shake it out (baby powder comes out easier than corn starch). Ohh and every other time I wash my hair I use the rosemary and lavender rinse that I made, it is supposed to help with make my hair grow!..and a few other things such as be less oily.

I didn't think this whole no shampoo thing was going to work for me because I have pin straight hair that has always given me trouble, but I was proven wrong. I will continue to post about my no shampoo adventure but not an everyday update. My next endeavor is to make other homemade hair products such as gel and mousse. I am not one to use a ton of product in my hair but I am excited to try the all natural versions.

My camera is broken right now but I have a camera on my computer so I will post a picture of my hair soon! (Too bad I don't have a before and after).