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

The Benefits of Using Rosemary

The Plant

Rosemary plant in bloom

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs such as include basil, patchouli, and lavender. Rosemary is thus a well-known culinary herb and the fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. However, rosemary has a long history of medicinal uses too. It has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, including stomach upsets, digestive disorders and headaches. The use of ‘Rosemary for remembrance’ has been supported by a recent study, which found that rosemary "produced a significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors, but also produced an impairment of speed of memory compared to controls” [1].

Aromatherapy Properties: Rosemary Essential Oil is clarifying, warming, invigorating, improves memory, confidence and perception.

Medicinal Properties: Antiseptic, anti-microbial, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, fungicidal. Rosemary as a liniment eases muscles pains. Diluted oil applied to temples or rubbed onto the hair can help to relieve headaches.

For the Hair

Rosemary essential oil has a strong woodsy, camphor-like aroma and is a popular essential oil that has been used for thousands of years for its numerous health uses. This magnificent herb is widely respected for its value as a hair and beauty aide.

It is one of the most well-known essential oils and herbs used for promoting hair growth and reducing hair loss. According to author Judy Griffin in her book "Flowers that Heal," rosemary is not only a useful herb to encourage hair growth and prevent hair loss, it can also combat oily hair and scalp and help to heal split ends. Rosemary is used specifically to treat oily hair but is excellent for all hair types and problems because rosemary also eliminates dryness and act as an excellent conditioner. Additionally, it is one of the best herbs to use to treat dandruff, promote hair growth, stimulate hair follicles, give lustre and body to thin hair, and bring out dark highlights in the hair.

How to Use

Rosemary can be combined with other hair growth oils such as sage, lavender, or lemongrass oils, and mixed with a carrier oil to make an effective scalp treatment to combat hair loss. We use one such combination in our Beautiful Earth Coconut & Lemongrass Hydrating Oil and Honey Locs Twisting Butter.

Our Coconut & Lemongrass Hydrating Oil
Our Honey Locs Twisting Butter
Our 100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil

Another way to use rosemary for the hair is to add it to a vinegar rinse. We thus also also offer a rosemary hair rinse at BEAUTIFUL EARTH, made by infusing raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with dried rosemary. This rinse gets rid of buildup and softens hair at the same time, as well as providing the other benefits of using rosemary.

  

For the Skin

Rosemary has two important properties that help the skin: it is an outstanding free radical scavenger and therefore has amazing antioxidant properties and it has a remarkable stimulating effect on the skin. Applied to the skin, rosemary essential oil helps strengthen the capillaries and has a rejuvenating effect. For this reason, rosemary is a common ingredient used in many cosmetics, including skin toners, creams, soaps and hair products. Recent research findings have now confirmed the skin-protective benefits of rosemary. According to researchers working at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania, in Italy, rosemary extract helps protect the individual components of skin cells, which may prevent age-related skin damage such as wrinkles [2]. Like most of our products, our Coconut & Lemongrass Hydrating Oil can be used on the skin as well, allowing you to reap the benefits of rosemary for the skin.

Safety Warning: Since rosemary is a stimulant do not use rosemary essential oil if you are pregnant, suffering from high blood pressure, or suffering from epilepsy. It may cause irritation of the skin.

[1] Moss M, Cook J, Wesnes K, and Duckett P (2003), ‘Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults,’ International Journal of Neuroscience, 113 (1): 15–38.

[2] Calabrese V, Scapagnini G, Catalano C, et al. (2000), ‘Biochemical studies of a natural antioxidant isolated from rosemary and its application in cosmetic dermatology,’ International Journal of Tissue Reactions, 22 (1): 5-13.

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.