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Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse: 2024 Instructions, Benefits & Tips
Updated on
- Written by Yelena Wheeler
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Maya Frankfurt, PhD
In recent years apple cider vinegar has been shown to have many uses and many health benefits. Including apple cider vinegar as part of your hair care routine is an excellent idea due to all of its amazing properties. Apple cider vinegar is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. Utilizing apple cider vinegar for hair is also a great way to improve scalp health through pH balance and improve dull, dry, and thin hair. Therefore it is a worthy addition to your hair care routine.
ACV Hair Rinse Benefits
- Apple cider vinegar is a natural product that can assist with multiple hair problems and scalp issues
- It can improve damaged hair and remove buildup and dead skin cells that cause dandruff
- Apple cider vinegar has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties
- It can create a more balanced and healthy scalp by improving the scalp’s pH level
- Its anti-inflammatory properties can improve the health of hair cuticles
Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse Benefits
Apple cider vinegar’s benefits include its antibacterial and antifungal properties. It delivers protection against microbes such as E.coli, S. aureus, and candida albicans, which are known to cause skin infections leading to damage of hair follicles, dry and itchy scalp, and hair loss. Apple cider vinegar removes product buildup on the scalp when added to shampoo. In terms of dandruff, apple cider vinegar has been known to decrease the amount of dry flaky skin on the scalp.
The acid in apple cider vinegar exfoliates the hair cuticle, creating a protective layer around each follicle which can result in smoother, tighter, and shinier hair. The use of apple cider vinegar during washing may prevent hair breakage. It can also prevent the overproduction of sebum[1] on the scalp which can, in turn, provide for a stronger hair strand.
Apple cider vinegar is a fruit vinegar that contains acetic acid which has a pH close to that of the scalp,[2] making it a great cleaning agent. Apple cider vinegar also has the ability to heal wounds from various sources such as lice which can damage hair cuticles and cause bleeding sores. Its anti-inflammatory properties also come in handy during lice infestation since the scalp has an inflammatory reaction to lice bites and scratching.
What Is ACV Hair Rinse?
Apple cider vinegar is a solution with an acidic pH. Many hair care products[3] on the market tend to have alkaline pH while our scalp pH is acidic. Therefore, apple cider vinegar can improve hair health by lowering the pH of the scalp to a more acidic pH. Apple cider vinegar can improve the cleanliness of the hair without leaving a buildup or residue on the scalp, due to its acidity. It is also an anti-microbial that can improve the health of our hair, by preventing microbial overgrowth on our scalp and cuticles.
How To Make An Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse?
The first step to making an apple cider vinegar hair rinse is to make sure that it is a fresh batch. Therefore, preparing it just before a shower is key. Next, combine 8 oz of filtered water and 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle. Finally, keep the bottle in the shower to ensure its use in the future.
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse?
The frequency with which you use apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse depends on whether you have a dry scalp and dry hair or if you have oily hair. If the hair is oily, then it is best to use it once a week. If the hair is dry, then it is best to use apple cider vinegar twice a month.
It is also important to determine what type of apple cider vinegar rinses one will be utilizing. For pre-shampoo treatment, it is best to first spray the apple cider vinegar on the scalp and hair, then massage the scalp and leave it in for 10 minutes. Then rinse the scalp with cool water prior to proceeding with the hair-washing routine.
Using apple cider vinegar to deep condition hair is a great way to produce healthy and shiny hair. Apple cider vinegar rinses used for post-wash natural conditioning are a great way to keep color-treated hair healthy.
The first step in the process is to saturate the shampooed and wet hair and scalp with the apple cider vinegar rinse. Then massage the scalp to increase blood circulation and spread the apple cider vinegar. Leave it in the hair for about 5 to 7 minutes, before rinsing it with lukewarm water.
Things To Keep In Mind
When using your rinse, it is important to use it as a gentle exfoliation on the scalp. Any product that is applied excessively can dry out the hair’s cuticle at the hair shaft.
Severe dry scalp can be a result of various factors, therefore it is always important to consult with a board-certified dermatologist before starting any hair products such as ACV rinse.
Conclusion
Apple cider vinegar is a slightly acidic compound that is a great addition to your hair care products. There are many benefits to utilizing apple cider vinegar such as improving the pH of the scalp, resulting in healthier hair and scalp.
Apple cider vinegar is also antibacterial and antifungal which helps improve various scalp and hair issues such as excess dead skin. Making an apple cider vinegar rinse is a fairly easy process and its application results in a healthy scalp. Therefore using apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse is not only a great way to improve your scalp health, it can be a great addition to natural beauty products in your arsenal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it has antifungal features that can prevent dryness and itchiness commonly found with a scalp that has fungus.
The application of apple cider vinegar once a week is the recommended amount.
Yes, since apple cider vinegar rinse can improve the pH of the scalp, reduce product buildup, and improve the health of the hair cuticle, it in turn can assist with hair growth.
For dry hair it is best to use apple cider vinegar hair rinse once or twice per month.
Although it can not prevent lice, it can soothe the scalp from lice bites and act as an antimicrobial and antibacterial agent that can assist with the wound healing that results from the lice bites.
Although no topical compound can regrow hair, ACV rinse can provide a more acidic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial environment for the hair to grow back in.
ACV can help lock in that color for longer within the hair cuticle right after the hair has been treated, however, it is not recommended to continue to use it on color-treated hair consistently as it can strip away the color due to its acidity.
+ 3 sources
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- Fernanda, M. (2018). Pro and Contra of Cleansing Conditioners. Skin appendage disorders, [online] 5(3), pp.131–134. doi:https://doi.org/10.1159/000493588.
- Fernanda, M., Munck, A., Makino, P., André Ricardo Adriano and Pichler, J. (2014). The shampoo pH can affect the hair: Myth or Reality? International Journal of Trichology, [online] 6(3), pp.95–95. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7753.139078.
- Trüeb, R.M. (2007). Shampoos: Ingredients, efficacy and adverse effects. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, [online] 5(5), pp.356–365. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1610-0387.2007.06304.x.
Written by:
Yelena Wheeler
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
