Of all my posts about everything from unschooling to food allergies this one gets more hits than anything else combined. I find it kind of shocking and unbelieveable but it is true. And more people find my site through that post than through anything else. Go figure.
Since we are still doing it (in fact, my husband has joined the ranks and has found that his dandruff is gone and the trouble he has with acne in his hair is greatly diminished) I thought I would update you on how it is going and what changes we have made.
We now keep the the baking soda more watered down and in a Propel bottle (the kind with the squirty lid.) This way you can shake it up and spray it on your head., which is much easier to deal with than the paste. We have also added some vanilla extract or whatever scent the family wants (using extracts from the health food store, not oils or imitation ones). My kids are more likely to use it if it doesn’t smell like baking soda.
I still keep the vinegar in a squirt bottle as well (I have a small vinegar bottle with a squirt lid that works perfectly. The kids don’t like using the vinegar so seldom do, my husband and I both do however and I find that with my now shorter hair a quick vinegar rinse (making sure to rinse well after) makes it so it doesn’t get oily after a few days. If you have dandruff rubbing a bit of rosemary oil mixed with olive oil or castor oil into the scalp before the vinegar rinse helps as well.
We now keep a jar of coconut oil in the bath instead of mineral oil (thanks Rachel for the idea). I have added some peppermint oil and lavender oil to it and use that both for my skin and rub the little left on my hands through my hair. I use lavender and peppermint because I like the smell and I find the lavender helps both my rheumatoid and with headaches, as does the peppermint. If you prefer something more feminie you can add a few drops of rose oil or for a fresh smell add some citrus oil. Coconut oil is great because it melts at 74 degrees (I believe) but is solid lower than that. This makes it easy to add other scented oils to and makes it easy to use in the shower.
The Hobbit
Dragon spell
[...] Update as of June 3, 2009: We are still using this and have made some changes for the better which you can read about here. [...]
I think I’ve been doing the baking soda / water poo-free thing for about a year now. I don’t see myself going back. Love it! I did discover that if you mix has time to “cure” – maybe 2 -3 weeks it works MUCH better than fresh. I keep it in a sports bottle that I can just squirt on my head.
Good ideas on the coconut oil – where did you tell me your ordered yours from?
My wife has started doing this and loves it, but her hair STINKS afterward from the Vinegar. How do you stand it? Is there some way to make it smell less? We are trying to add some essential oils to the mixture, but no one has very good directions on which ones or how much to add…
I boiled fresh mint leaves with the apple cider vinegar and water, then strained and put in a clean bottle. Now instead of vinegar, my hair smells minty!
I’ve been combining my shampoo with baking soda! It really helps with my build up!
I rinse the vinegar out after about a minute. I have thin shoulder length hair and not much of it so more or longer hair you might leave it in longer. Basically just use the vinegar like you would conditioner. I also use vinegar in place of fabric softener in my laundry and add some essential oil since we I am allergic to scented detergents.
I found your recipe yesterday and used it last night, I love it. (My Mom use to use vinegar as a last rinse and her hair dresser said her hair was very healthy because no soap film on her hair.) I plan on using this because my hair is thin and has no body but after using the soda and vinegar and blow drying I had more body (than with body shampoos) and my hair felt soft and healthier. Thanks so much
Excellent. Actually I just had my hair cut at a salon (I usually cut my own) and she washed it with shampoo etc without asking me. (Grr.) My hair has been awful since– frizzy, breaking, and just a mess. So, I am right back to soda and vinegar and it is slowly getting back to normal.