How to use apple cider vinegar for hair?

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Nkeiruka Obiwulu

Nkeiruka Obiwulu

Nkey’s passion for Black beauty, natural hair, and writing made her one of our regular and invaluable contributors. She has more than 8 years of experience in content writing. Nkey likes to create expert blog posts, useful product descriptions, and engaging storytellings for us and several other brands. She is a pro in topics where botanical and pharmaceutical knowledge is vital, that's why her hair care guides and articles on hair products look so professional. Writing is a lifetime hobby for her, and her works about hair here are really original and authentic. Nkey is working on everything from collections of natural hair ideas and trending curly hairstyles to guides on short haircuts for all hair types, beautiful braids, and on-trend hair colors.

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Last updated on July 5, 2023

Is apple cider vinegar good for hair?

It may seem strange that so many hair experts advocate apple cider vinegar for hair. It doesn’t contain vitamins, and it’s not that rich in minerals, not to mention the acidic nature of this substance. Still, there is some science behind the vinegar for hair, and we’re going to unpack it.

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for Hair

So, what does apple cider vinegar do for your hair? Actually, it has quite a number of merits:

– Apple cider vinegar for itchy scalp

Dandruff is the most common cause of itching, typically resulted from increased fungal growth. The latter leads to inflammation and flaking, making you feel like a mangy mare. Featuring proven antimicrobial properties, ACV inhibits this pathogenic activity as well as maintains the scalp pH balance. As this can remove the root of the problem along with the itchy feeling, trichologists swear by apple cider vinegar for dandruff treatment. Moreover, the mentioned ACV’s properties make it applicable to managing other inflammatory conditions. Particularly, you can use apple cider vinegar for folliculitis treatment – upon consulting your doctor, of course.

– Apple cider vinegar for hair growth

As we all know, a healthy scalp is next to enhanced hair growth. While ACV works to this end by eliminating scalp inflammations, it can do even more thanks to its acidity level that is rather similar to the healthy hair pH. The latter sits around 3.7, while the scalp’s pH balance is a bit more alkaline – 5.5. However, most non-professional hair care products have even a greater shift towards bases, leading to raised hair cuticles and build-up sticking to them. Having a pH of 2-3, the vinegar resolves the residues and switches both hair and scalp levels to the acidic side. Thus, it provides exfoliation to keep the pores clean and properly working while smoothing the cuticles to prevent their breakage. That’s why trichologists recommend apple cider vinegar for hair loss prevention that comes along with improved hair growth.

– Apple cider vinegar for healthy-looking locks

This benefit is closely associated with the previous point – since ACV is capable of making our hair cuticle smooth, it adds shine to our tresses and saves us from frizz. So, you won’t be surprised if we prescribe apple cider vinegar for natural hair, as it is especially sensitive to losing its curl pattern due to disrupted hair integrity. Besides, pH balance keeps cuticle scales closed to prevent moisture loss and protect the hair shaft, which makes our tresses not only look good but also get stronger. Say bye-bye to split ends and welcome your restored hair texture!

Whether you are going to embrace apple cider vinegar for dry scalp or for managing your halo, the key is to approach it expertly. Let’s sort it out together!

By amihanorganics

Apple Cider Vinegar Uses for Hair

While an apple cider vinegar hair rinse is a widely known solution, we will start with less popular yet effective applications. What do you think about replacing your regular (and maybe not that hair-pH-friendly) shampoo and conditioner with a homemade shampoo based on the all-natural concept? It’s a bold idea that is simple to implement:

– Get 2 spray bottles.

– Fill one of them with baking soda and water (50:50).

– Fill another bottle with ACV and water (the same ratio).

– Spritz the first mixture on your tresses, work it into your roots, and then rinse off.

– Do the same with the second portion of the apple cider vinegar shampoo.

The result? Balanced pH and stable oil production for your clean hair to last longer. Sure, you can avail of other apple cider vinegar shampoo DIY instructions found on the Web, but we like this one for its simplicity. Moreover, you can turn this rinse recipe into a more personalized apple cider vinegar conditioner by adding essential oils – they will mask the scent and infuse extra properties of your choice into the product.

By Patricia Hernandez

You can also do an apple cider vinegar hair cleanse with fresh or dry herbs added. While washing hair with apple cider vinegar delivers hair silkiness and shine, herbs can bridge other gaps or enhance ACV’s effects. For example, if you use apple cider vinegar for scalp treatment to fight dandruff, boil nettles in water before adding the latter to ACV. And it is smart to wash hair with apple cider vinegar blended with chamomile infusion for lifting your hair one or two shades lighter – all naturally.

If focusing more on using ACV for scalp conditioning, mix water and vinegar in equal proportions, apply the mixture onto the scalp, put on a towel, and let the scalp treatment work for 20 minutes before washing it off. To turn this conditioner into an anti-dandruff ACV hair mask, add tea tree oil, and several ground aspirin tablets: the oil in this apple cider vinegar hair mask intensifies the antimicrobial effect while aspirin reduces flakes.

Don’t forget about an exfoliating apple cider vinegar hair treatment which is good to apply at least once a month. Here are our components for an apple cider vinegar scalp scrub:

– 4 tbsps of Himalayan pink salt

– 1 tbs of ACV, honey, and melted coconut oil

– essential oil of your choice

You are free to customize the recipe as you wish, depending on your hair condition. As for the traditional question about using an ACV rinse before or after conditioner, most reliable sources recommend finishing with a light conditioner.

By 11:11 Angel Organics

Side Effects of Washing Hair with Apple Cider Vinegar

As we deal with an acidic substance, it can cause burns if not diluted. To be on the safe side, you can start from 1 part of the vinegar and 5 parts of water and then move to a 50:50 proportion. It can also overdry fine or brittle locks or strip the color off darker tresses, so it’s not advisable to resort to ACV more than once a week.

By Lisa

Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar?

The first one, of course, since it is less acidic and smelly. But if you have none, you can take white vinegar instead, diluting it with more water.

By Eco Warrior

The best thing about using apple cider vinegar for hair care is its simple application. However, it can deliver versatile effects and be adapted to specific hair issues. So, grab it and make your locks shine!

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