Why Apple cider vinegar?

[karlugato]

Why should you use apple cider vinegar for no-poo instead of white vinegar? My son HATES the smell of the acv

[Spastica]

He'll probably hate white vinegar too.

As a rule of thumb, ACV is used for the body and for internal use and white vinegar is for cleaning. People with light colored hair use white vinegar sometimes.

Other people use lemon juice, lime juice, balsamic vinegar (or any of the gourmet vinegars like even red wine vinegar for red hair!), or tea (chamomile for light colored hair, dark black tea for dark hair).

Some flag goes off in me for doing no poo on children - I think their hair is too fine for homemade no poo with baking soda and vinegar. I could be wrong. I would rather use a natural shampoo and conditioner on them or Dr. Bronners or something.

[karlugato]

heehee.. he hates the smell of it on me! He will hold his nose and walk around disgusted. I'm just using baby shampoo on the kids and the no poo is more of my own experiment. Thanks for the clarification, helped me out.. I was confused thanks! Lisa

[Spastica]

It shouldn't smell - do you rinse it out before getting out of the shower?

[His Own]

ACV v. White Vinegar

I used to only use ACV, but ran out once and used some white vinegar. It works EXACTLY the same, smells less and costs less. I am a brunette too, and it works fine on my dark hair without lightening it at all. Try it!

[karlugato]

I use the white vinegar to clean with and he hasn't complained about it. I probably wasn't rinsing well enough. I'll try the white since I usually have a bunch around the house anyways. Thanks! Lisa

[sphinxie]

I thought you weren't supposed to rinse out the acv solution.

Are you diluting the acv?

I add vetiver essential oil to it, which tones down the smell considerably, but then you have to like the scent of vetiver.

[karlugato]

who knows, after my baking soda I spritzed my diluted white vinegar I use for cleaning and it seems to have worked just fine. I'll try it out for a while and see how it does. -Lisa

[Bubbleandbee]

I don't think the white vinegar will hurt...apple cider vinegar has more beneficial properties than white vinegar (certain compounds from the apples) that are good for hair, but I say if the white vinegar's working, go with it!

As for someone's suggestion to use Dr. Bronners on hair, I would dissagree...Using an alkaline cleaner like that will actually damage hair. The high pH will actually lift the cuticle of the hair, making it more prone to breakage and damage.

If he hates the vinegar routine, and you still want to no-poo him, you could always use a soapwort shampoo. Just make a tea with a blend of soapwort root, nettles, yucca root, and add some essential oils for scent, and you've got an all-natural shampoo. No baking soda or vinegar needed! Pour it on gradually, massage the scalp and rinse well!

[Taedareth]

So, does it damage hair if you use baking soda but don't follow up with the vinegar rinse?

And can you make up a big bottle of the soapwort "shampoo" in advance, or do you have to steep a fresh batch of tea every time?