3 Vinegar Uses for the Hair

Aside from being a kitchen essential and a worker of small miracles in the bathroom, vinegar is also a dynamo in the beauty department. Applied externally, vinegar has long been used to make hair silky and lustrous. And contrary to intuition, it doesn’t leave a lingering waft of vinegar with each shimmy of your shiny mane.

You can use white distilled vinegar, but unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar contains the “mother” of vinegar. The mother occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules and is a rich source of probiotics. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars probably do not contain due to overprocessing, filtration and overheating.

Restore Shine

Vinegar works to restore luster by removing build up from other hair products. It leaves hair smooth and silky and is said by many to remove tangles. Depending on your hair type, you may want to use it once weekly, or as often as three times weekly. It may cause minimal dryness to hair, so some people like to condition first, then use a vinegar rinse. To make a vinegar rinse, add 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups warm water, add a a drop of essential oil if you like, and work into hair.

Scalp Help

To clean your scalp, improve its health, and fight dandruff, rinse with a solution of ½ cup vinegar mixed with 2 cups of warm water after shampooing. You can add a few drops of sage oil, you can also leave the rinse on for up to 30 minutes. A scalp rinse can be done daily, and should be done at least once a week.

Hairbrush Cleaning

Remove old hair from brush. Make a mix of half water and half vinegar, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil, and soak your hairbrush overnight. Rinse and brush.

Source care2.com