Vinegar for hair with Hard Water

[sedalbj]

I searched around and didn't find a recent thread addressing this.  Just sharing my experience!

Recently moved to Europe and my hair quickly digressed into an unmanageable mess.  We have really hard water here.  And I haven't found a stylist yet, so it just keeps growing, and the problem gets worse.  I was combing my hair with a huge glob of conditioner because it was knotty before, during and after the shower.  I didn't have to do that before our move.

After @ 4 mths I had had enough and searched around for a solution.  

I am using a shampoo from The Body Shop (no SLS, silicones, etc) and a vinegar rinse.  I use an empty shampoo bottle, put in @ 2 cm of vinegar (using white now, will switch to apple when it is gone), fill it up with water at the end of my shower, pour over my head, wait @ 1 min, rinse lightly with cool water.  Perfect hair!  The most amazing thing is my hair DRIES QUICKER!  I am not sure why, but it does!  Bonus!  Just shampoo and vinegar.  I stopped with the conditioner all together after about 2 weeks.  

[Cynthia Mosher]

Thanks for the tip! 

Did you find it took time for your hair to transition to no conditioner? 

[mirpmama]

Is your hair colored? My hair is black and purple and I have thought of doing the vinegar rinse - we also have super hard water, plus I have just heard that it is really good for your hair - but I have also heard not great for colored hair....:( 

[sedalbj]

It took about 3 washes to transition to not using conditioner. I don't have colored hair :-)  I have read the vinegar will change your hair color a little, lighten it or make it slightly redder, depending on the vinegar you use, and the sun.

I recently started my DD(8) with vinegar.  She has long wavy hair that was knotting up after showers even with a full condition and the vinegar is working for her too.  She didn't want to admit it for awhile because she doesn't like the smell (I love the smell) but she is now letting me rinse her hair.

Oh, and more is not better either.  The first wash I did I used about 2" of vinegar in the bottle and it was fine, but by wash 3 or 4 I realized it was too much and went to using @ 1/2" of vinegar with a full bottle of water.