Why Product Swaps?
For quite some time, I have been swapping products at home for things that are natural and local as much as possible. It started with a desire to reduce the use of single-use plastics, which grew into a desire to be closer to nature. If I can get closer to self-sufficient living without giving up my comfortable life altogether, I'm in! With this blog post series, I show you what products I swap and honestly describe my experiences with them. I'll show you where you can find it yourself and if not, I'll share a recipe with you in case you want to try it too.
Apple cider vinegar in my hair?!
My hair is a big deal. I mean, have you seen it?! It's thick, long, wavy, frizzy and very uncomfortable to comb through. I am very proud of my hair and I only use products that have proven themselves to me over the years. In doing so, I rarely change my routine. Scared of a "bad hair day"? Maybe. I like how little effort my hair takes me and I would like to keep it that way.
I spoke of my wishes to a friend.She told me she is all No Poo Method lately (yes, really there is a whole community behind it!) and she recommended it to me. Her hair was soft and shiny. She told me to wash my hair with vinegar as a rinse and put an egg in it to nourish it. At first, I was grossed out by the idea. "Won't that make your hair smelly?" But after going through @wildekruidenvrouw's Wild Herbs Cosmetics course (highly recommended for the nature lover!) I accepted the challenge. Sometimes you need an outside authority to show you the way. Some of my pride I did have to put aside. To make sure I was really going to use it, I first used up my almost used up hair conditioner and didn't buy a new one. Bring it on!
My experience with apple cider vinegar as a hair conditioner
There was no turning back. In the shower stall, there was only the bottle of apple cider vinegar next to my 'shampoo bar'. When I first used the apple cider vinegar after washing my hair, the texture became smooth and silky. It smelled incredibly like vinegar, in the shower stall and in my hair. I rinsed it out well and the smell remained. Upon drying, the frizz returned and combing through was a huge challenge. However, the vinegar smell did disappear completely. The shine is great and I have lots of extra volume! My hair stays clean for longer, so now I only have to wash it once a week. Only the coarseness and frizz were not to my liking, but there were enough benefits to keep going. Time for some improvement.
Hair rinse with apple cider vinegar and an herbal mixture
In a post by @bloemenraam, the use of chamomile and rosemary was mentioned. By adding herbs to the concoction, over time the properties of those herbs transfer into your carrier liquid. According to her, rosemary activates blood circulation and thus stimulates the scalp. In addition, it is antibacterial. Chamomile is soothing, gentle, calming and restorative on the scalp. She also says that apple cider vinegar lowers the natural pH of the scalp and naturally has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Thus, it is a very good remedy for dandruff. Apple cider vinegar also removes chemicals from your hair, such as residue from your styling products. This makes your hair really clean and lighter. Well, I witnessed that alright!
With this in mind, I made a mixture.
Ingredients
Apple vinegar
Fresh rosemary
Fresh bay leaf
Chamomile
Lemon blossom
Preparation
Except for the vinegar, I picked all the ingredients myself, the last two of which were dried after picking. I let the ingredients sit in the preserving jar for 4 weeks. Shaking occasionally. Then I filtered it and put it in a spray bottle for convenience in the shower.
My experience with this (improved) hair rinse
This new apple vinegar mixture made my hair even lighter, shinier, softer and somewhat easier to comb through. The colors in my hair also come out so nicely now. In addition, I noticed that my scalp was less irritated. Extra plus! Still not perfect, but I'm getting there. I'm going to try switching shampoo and other hair products as well for best results.
Do you have experiences using apple (cider) vinegar in your hair? Or other natural products? Let me know in the comments below!
See you in my next product swap blog post!
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