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

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.