Have you ever experienced the rubbery and sticky feeling on your hair right after using a shampoo bar? Don’t worry, it’s totally normal.
Understanding PH
On a PH range from 0 to 14, 7 is considered “neutral”. Natural handmade soap normally has a PH range between 8 and 10, which makes it alkaline by nature. Our skin it’s instead acidic, with a PH of 5,5.
If you are living in a area with hard water like mine (yep, London!), the PH of the soap will interact with the ions in the water to create a “friction”, also known as “soap scum”. This is not something that will ruin your hair! A nicely formulated shampoo bar can really make your hair feel naturally healthy. However, the feeling on your hair will not be the best unless you complete your shower routine with a apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse.
What is ACV and why it’s good for your Hair
Apple cider vinegar has a long list of benefits for your hair, some of which are:
It’s packed with vitamins and minerals
It has anti-fungal and anti-bacteria properties, soothes scalp itchiness
It can help treat dandruff, and gives shine and softness to hair.
A real wonder! ACV will give back some acidity to the hair mantle, wash off any soap build up from the scalp, while locking in moisture. If mixed with the right ingredients, apple cider vinegar can really boost the health of your hair like you had never imagined!
My Zero Waste Haircare Routine
My haircare routine starts with a simple shampoo bar. I hop in the shower and I gently start massaging the scalp with my chosen shampoo bar. I normally alternate between my turmeric + sunflower shampoo bar (for super soft hair) and my aloe vera + coconut millk shampoo bar (for light and hydratated hair). My shampoo bars are always scented with 100% pure essential oils that are good for your hair and scalp. My favourite ones are rosemary, lavender, ylang ylang and sandalwood.
After I finish soaping up my hair, I rinse thoroughly to make sure that there is no soap residue on my scalp.
After I have rinsed my hair, it’s the turn of my rosemary infused apple cider vinegar. You can get loose rosemary at any farmers market or buy a little plant/grow your own. The apple cider vinegar is available in glass in any supermarket or you can buy Bragg’s Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. Here are the steps I follow:
First of all, I pour about a cup of the mixture in a glass bottle as this or in a jar I always keep in my shower.
I then add some hot water from the shower and dump it over the top of my head. By using this method you won’t waste too much of this “magic” potion. The ACV will coat your scalp all the way until the ends!
I keep the ACV rinse to bond with my hair for 2-3 minutes, just the time to condition my hair and wash my body. I use a solid conditioner I make and wash my body with my favourite herbal green clay detoxifying body soap. Once I finish, I rinse again. The magic moment happens: your hair will feel so silky at the touch and your scalp will feel “nourished”. Better to any other synthetic shampoo of the world!
Pro tip: always ensure to keep your eyes closed while doing this as ACV really stings!
If you want to try my ACV recipe and zero waste hair routine, check out the recipe below. Please comment below to share your experience and throughs!
Ingredients
half part apple cider vinegar
half part water (tap it's ok, better distilled or deionised)
a small bunch of rosemary leaves (about 10 grams)
15 drops rosemary essential oil
Instructions
1. add the rosemary leaves in a empty glass bottle or mason jar
2. pour half part of apple cider vinegar
3. fill the other half with water
4. shake well and add 10 drops of rosemary essential oil. Shake again to incorporate
5. How to use: pour half a glass of this magic potion in a glass or mason jar and fill the other half with the hot water from the shower. Keep your eyes closed and dump it on the top of your hair so the ACV coats the whole scalp until the hair ends. Keep in place for about 5 minutes and then rinse again with warm water