Over the last 2 years my hair has gone down the drain. Literally. It’s brittle, weak, and would fall out in clumps. I’ve tried changing my diet, exercising more, I even installed a filtered showerhead. But nothing seemed to work. Needless to say, I’m always looking for tips on how to treat it better. Earlier this month I came across some articles touting the benefits of swapping out shampoo and conditioner with apple cider vinegar (ACV). ACV’s acidity is close to that of natural hair, it’s a good conditioner, cleaning agent, and germ killer. I’ve also read testimonials of folks who’ve swapped shampoo for baking soda. I couldn’t stand watching my once luscious locks wither away anymore, so I decided to give it a shot.

I’ve been using the following routine for a few weeks and have already noticed some differences- my hair doesn’t fall out as much, I don’t need to wash as often, it’s softer and has more volume.

Here’s what I do (subject to tweaking)

Baking Soda Wash

2 tablespoons Baking Soda

1/3 cup of water

Mix in a small bowl and bring with you in the shower. Wet hair, then pour mixture at your roots. Lightly rub in, then let sit for 3 minutes. Rinse with water -or-

ACV Rinse

1 tablespoon of ACV to 1 cup of water

Find an unused shampoo bottle and fill it to the according ratio. After you wash hair with baking soda and rinse, pour ACV mixture to your hair shaft and ends. Let sit for 5 minutes, then rinse until the smell is gone.

I did this once every two days. Initially my hair would get very oily after 1 day, but I kept at it. I’ve read that it takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks for your scalp to grow accustomed to the new routine. So if you’ve just recently ditched your shampoo, keep this up- it’ll get better. I’ll check in again in a few weeks- hopefully with a full head of amazing hair. If you’ve tried this routine and have any pointers, please let me know!