Apple Cider Vinegar and Your Hair

Tweet About ACV

According to the book Dr. Berkowsky’s At-Home Health And Beauty Spa, apple cider vinegar (ACV), produced through the fermentation of fresh apple cider is a rich source of minerals (particularly potassium), vitamins, enzymes and amino acids. 


ACV  has long been used as a natural haircare product to promote healthy hair in both men and woman. Its acidity is close to that of natural hair, it's a good conditioner and cleaning agent and it's also an effective germ killer. As a result, apple cider vinegar uses and benefits for the hair include:

• Vinegar hair rinse,
• Herbal hair rinse,
• Essential oil vinegar hair rinse,
• Dandruff and itchy scalp relief,
• Natural hair loss treatment, and
• Home remedy for head lice.

Unfiltered ACV can be used as an excellent treatment for both the hair and facial skin. As regards the hair, apple cider vinegar is cleansing, gives the hair more body and lustre, and reduces hair loss. It also reduces itching scalp and dandruff by destroying the bacteria and/or fungi that clog hair follicles.

Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is our favourite!  Clear commercial grade vinegar is created by distilling at high heat, which destroys the vinegar's natural enzymes and it's toxin-neutralising malic acid, and eliminates most of its mineral and vitamin content.

Herbal Hair Rinses

Rinsing with apple cider vinegar will help balance the pH of your hair and remove the buildup that can result from the use of these styling products, shampoos, and conditioners. Rinsing will also close the numerous cuticle scales which cover and protect the surface of each hair shaft. This imparts a smoother surface that reflects more light and as a result leaves your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage. Don't worry about the slight vinegar smell you will notice after rinsing as this disappears completely as your hair dries. 

The vinegar rinse is applied after shampooing. You can rinse out the vinegar or, for extra conditioning, you can leave the rinse on your hair. This natural haircare product can be used once or twice a week or more often as needed.

At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we offer a Rosemary Vinegar Rinse and a Thyme Vinegar Rinse to our clients. Come on down to the salon to do a Vinegar Rinse using raw Apple Cider Vinegar or you can make your own infusion at home! Here are some recommended herbs to use with apple cider vinegar:

• For dark hair:......Parsley, Rosemary, Sage
• For light hair:.....Chamomile, Flannel Mullein, Marigold
• For red hair:.......Henna
• For oily hair:......Lavender, Thyme, Witch Hazel, Yarrow
• For dry hair:.......Marigold
• For brittle hair:...Horsetail

Treating your Hair with Molasses

Beautiful hair is a sign of good health and vitality. My research has indicated that molasses has proved successful as both internal and external hair treatment to improve health and help with growth as well as combat grey hair. 

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   Molasses

   • This is a thick syrup obtained from the third boiling of a sugar syrup, generally from sugar cane (although it can also be made as a by-product of the processing of sugar beets or grapes). There are three grades of cane molasses: mild or barbados, also known as first molasses; dark, or second molasses; and blackstrap. For the rest of this article, the term 'molasses' is used to refer to blackstrap molasses from which most of the sucrose has been removed leaving trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of minerals.
     
     
     The many vitamins and minerals in the molasses gives the syrup a dark color and distinct flavor. Though well known as an alternative sweetener other usages besides promoting healthy hair include acne treatment, iron supplement, and improved energy. These benefits are achieved because molasses contains dense nutrients including; iron, calcium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and potassium. Thus improving our intake of nutrients may help to improve hair growth and the addition of molasses to the diet offers a great way to get these essential vitamins and minerals. The intake of molasses can:
     

     1. Reverse Grey Hair because molasses contains copper which facilitates the production of melanin that assists hair pigmentation, and
     2. Assist Hair Growth since molasses is full of B vitamins, which play a crucial role in healthy, growing hair.

   
   

   Molasses as a Topical Hair Treatment

   • Many people have used molasses as a topical hair treatment to smooth and improve the overall appearance and texture of the hair. It is recommended that you massage the molasses into your hair, covering with a shower cap or some plastic wrap and leaving in for about 1 hour. Then rinse out the molasses. This treatment should improve the condition of your hair.

     Dried out hair? Try the Molasses Intensive Hair Conditioner:
     3 tablespoons cold-pressed sweet almond oil (but you can substitute whichever oil you have, we use Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil)

     3 teaspoons molasses 

     aloe gel (or aloe vera juice)

     
     

     Whip together oil and molasses. Add aloe, and stir to form a smooth paste. Dip hairbrush into mixture and apply to clean, dry hair. Cover your head with a plastic shower cap and warmed towel to trap moisture and body heat. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse with warm water, finishing with a brief tepid rinse. (Others have recommended rinsing throughly and then doing an apple cider vinegar rinse.) Allow hair to air dry for deeply-conditioned hair! Don't have time to do it at home? Come down to BEAUTIFUL EARTH  and get this deep conditioning treatment!

     
     

     Overall, the use of molasses should make your hair feels simultaneously stronger and softer. You should have no problem combing through your hair or rinsing the molasses from your locs. There is no after smell. Enjoy!

Thyme is for More than Cooking!

In Jamaica thyme is widely used for culinary purposes and is a good source of iron. However, thyme is also a medicinal herb that can be used to boost the immune system and it helps in preventing cold and flu, as a remedy for tooth and earache, etc.

Use of thyme in hair oils can be traced back to ancient times when African princesses applied them to their long lustrous hair. Thyme is good for oily hair, to promote hair growth, and to help treat dandruff and mild hair loss. Thyme can be used as thyme oil or as a tonic. Regular massage of thyme oil improves blood circulation in the scalp and gives your hair lustre, shine, and bounce. Thyme is an excellent tonic for the scalp and hair, and in folk medicine it has been used to prevent hair loss as it invigorates and sets off new growth and is often used in hair tonics or specialised hair products.

We offer a thyme hair rinse (tonic) at BEAUTIFUL EARTH, which combines raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with dried thyme to make an infusion. Clients therefore get the benefits of thyme as well as the benefits of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar including:

* An acidity that is close to that of natural hair,

* It’s excellent conditioning qualities, which leave the hair soft and shiny, and

* An effective cleaning agent and germ killer.