1 cups of water to 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar (ACV)
You can use that recipe alone, but you can also add other ingredients (essential oils, herbs) to the based to get a specific response or scent.For example, I changed the original recipe a few times by removing ingredients and adding news ones, but eventually I found out that I'm happier with my base plus lavender and the additions of essential oils to help my thin hair and dandruff.
I found that this new recipe works better for the dry, itchy scalp without sacrificing any of the other benefits that I have found from this rinse.
Feel free to tailor this recipe to your hair concerns by using the essential oils I listed below to get the response you want.
For instance, if you don't have dry scalp, then you can use this recipe without the tea tree oil. If you do not have a problem with hair loss, then you can remove the cedar wood.
It's really easy!
Recipe for Hair Rinse:
- 4 cups of water
- 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (types with the mother is best)
- 1/2 cup of Dried Lavender -- I use Lavender Flowers from France. Oh lala!
) or 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (I recommend this brand)
- Optional: 4-10 drops of tea tree oil (I recommend this brand)
- Optional: 4-10 drops Rosemary or Thyme (I recommend this brand)
- Optional: 4-10 drops Cedarwood (I recommend this brand)
Bring the water to a boil, then add the apple cider vinegar and the lavender flower.
Lower the heat and let it simmer on the stovetop for about 25 minutes, until the lavender buds have mostly sunken to the bottom and puffed up with water.
At this point I remove the mixture from the heat, add the essential oils and let it cool on the stove top.
Storage
If you use lavender flowers, strain it when it becomes cool enough to handle and put it into a glass mason jar. I dislike the idea of using plastic, but how you store it is up to you! A (brilliant) friend is using an oil dispenser and leaves the extra hair rinse in the fridge so she can fill up when she needs to. However, it's still glass so it can break if dropped. If you come up with a brilliant way to store the hair rinse, then please let me know!
I store the big mason jar in the refrigerator and use a smaller mason jar to have about a week's worth of hair rinse in the shower. Every week, I fill it back up and put it back in the shower.
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| Original ombre |
The mixture should be reddish, but don't worry-- it shouldn't change the color of your hair! My mom uses a variation of this product (no tea tree oil) and it doesn't change the color of her grays. I think that it brings out my natural highlights, but that's just my opinion. ;)
However, if you have bleached your hair blonde then you may notice a slight tint to the bleached areas due to the chemical alteration of the hair itself. It'll grab color which is why toner will work with bleached hair. You can use white vinegar if you want to be safe!
I noticed this when I went ombre-- I was a dark blonde on the lower half of my hair, but it changed a bit over time and I like it better! Nothing drastic, but a subtle change. If you bleach your hair and don't want any coloration changes to your dyed hair color then use white vinegar.
I posted these two pictures so you can see the difference. The first picture is the day I went ombre--- so its a reflection of the original color from the salon.
The second picture is about a month after using the hair rinse. You can see there is a slight color change-- a bit richer, I think. Personally, I like it better so I'm happy with it.
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| Ombre after using hair rinse |
If you keep the entire thing in the shower and it will stay good for about 2-3 weeks in the summer, a little longer in the winter. You can tell when it starts to go bad because you'll see that the mix starts to get cloudy. You can keep it in the fridge and it'll stay good for longer.
After I wash my hair with a shampoo product (I've been using shampoo bars), I shake the hair rinse jar (so the oil mixes back in) and then pour a generous amount over my hair and use my fingers to work it in. I rinse it out and I'm done!
You can also leave this on for longer to release trapped impurities in your hair and scalp. Some people don't wash out the hair rinse. At most I'll leave it on for 10 minutes, but most of the time I will pour it over my head, use my quick shower cleaner or shave my legs, and then rinse it out immediately after that.
After I get out of the shower, I usually finish with a little jojoba or argan oil on the ends of my wet hair. So easy!
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| My hair after the hair rinse BEFORE ombre, air dried with no products, no brushin |
What To Expect When Switching to DIY Hair Rinse
It is different for everyone. Some people have a hard time and other's say it's a breeze. Personally, I think switching to an ACV rinse is much easier than switching to a shampoo bar! But I also think it has to do with a few factors 1) is your hair color treated or damaged 2) have you been using very abrasive hair care products or gentler ones? 3) do you have hard water?
ex: I use about a total of 1/4- 1/3c of ACV rinse each time I shower to combat the effects of hard water.
Essential Oils and ACV
I hope that this recipe works for you, but you can always change it to focus more on the results you want. I'm a full believer in that we are all not created equal and we need different things from our hair products.
The apple cider vinegar helps with shine and closing the cuticle of the hair shaft to make it smooth. It also has properties that help with oil distribution so if you have an oily scalp you may want more vinegar. If your hair is drying out, then you probably want less. If you feel like your hair isn't soft and shiny or it's still has tangles, then add just a splash more vinegar-- a little does a lot!
Essential oils can help support healthy hair in a variety of ways! I personally use them every day to boost shine, volume, and support a healthy scalp. If you want to learn more about natural ways to support your hair, please fill out this form to join my Oily Support Group on Facebook.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
If you want to see how safe your beauty products are then check out the skin deep cosmetic database
If you would like to know more about the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database Check out my post explaining their rating system: How Safe are Your Beauty Products?
Got Questions?!
Please read the comments below. If you still have questions, please join my Natural Living Support Group. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I am affiliated with Young Living because I believe in their products, however, I was not paid for this review. If you purchase any Young Living Products from my store, then I receive a small commission, but your price remains the same.
