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I 'dunked' my head in ACV

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Nonie, Could you do this if your hair is in braids? You suggested the ACV rinse to me a while back, but I haven't tried it yet because my hair is in a bunch of individual braids.

blaqphoenix, yes. If you have ever read my posts on braid care, there usually is a line about dunking my head in ACV solution and massaging my scalp to my heart's content while letting my braids absorb the goodness of the solution. Put another way, there isn't a wash day that doesn't involve ACV rinse, and I wash my day twice a week and have been in braids for no less than a year at least three times (maybe 4) in the last 7 years. And I dunk more times than not.
 
Curlykale, it's pH not temperature that affects cuticles opening/closing.

ETA Granny puts me to shame! LOL @ you doing it like her in ACV solution. :lol: How will you massage your scalp, or are you just gonna leave that part for the birds? :giggle:
 
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I can't stand the smell but might try again with a much weaker solution. Most recipes for rinse are too strong for me. Anybody use it in their conditioner instead? And why the massage with acv? I massage my scalp at other times (ayurvedic massage).
 
@Curlykale, it's pH not temperature that affects cuticles opening/closing.

ETA Granny puts me to shame! LOL @ you doing it like her in ACV solution. :lol: How will you massage your scalp, or are you just gonna leave that part for the birds? :giggle:

I use temperature for deep conditioning (heat is said to make the cuticles open) and for styling (since some people say they use cold water as a final rinse to close the cuticles) but I only base this on my experience though (on "how it feels") and I would love to know if it is truly like that...
 
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I guess people who are short like me couldn't figure out how one is able to get her head in the sink without drowning. Your height explains how YOU are able to do it though.

:grin: Exactly LOL.

Thanks for the tip about having a basin in the tub. I was about to ask if were filling the bath tub with a few inches of water or what :lol:
 
I use temperature for deep conditioning (heat is said to make the cuticles open) and for styling (since some people say they use cold water as a final rinse to close the cuticles) but I only base this on my experience though (on "how it feels") and I would love to know if it is truly like that...

Curlykale I don't think it is at all like that. I think heat sorta melts conditioner making it more easily absorbed. Or it may make hair swell due to expansion of liquid in the strands, but I don't think it raises cuticles.

If heat was useful in raising cuticles then heat would be used when color and relaxers were being applied because that is one time a raised cuticle is necessary. Instead it's a change in pH that allows these products to penetrate strands.

Open cuticles make for rough strands. If you were to dip your hair in an alkaline solution and slide fingers down the strand, then do the same with an acidic solution, you'd notice a change in how the strand feels. If you did the same with cold and warm water, there'd be no change in how the strand feels...except that the cold water may make it feel stiffer as if it's about to freeze.
 
I can't stand the smell but might try again with a much weaker solution. Most recipes for rinse are too strong for me. Anybody use it in their conditioner instead? And why the massage with acv? I massage my scalp at other times (ayurvedic massage).

@Guitarhero, the scalp massage is just to ensure my scalp is free of conditioner residue. I love a squeaky clean scalp with nothing on it, hence the reason I take advantage of this while head is submerged. Also because I do use essential oils of lavender and rosemary and sometimes liquid sage--all beneficial for scalp and hair--massaging my scalp in an environment of these adds a bonus to the stimulation massaging gives. Having my head down also brings blood to it further making the whole massage experience feel wonderful!

I personally am not a fan of adding things to conditioners or shampoos that I believe were pre-tested and determined to be perfect as they are. I just feel like these products are stable as they are and adding a compound or element may cause a chemical reaction that changes the properties of the product and makes it not work as it should. I much rather let each product do what it's supposed to do, complete its job and then go on to the next. For example people with low porosity may find using an alkaline before conditioning works well for them as it opens up their strands to receive conditioner. They may then prefer to return to the closed state their hair was and so want to use a dilute ACV rinse just because low porosity hair can hold onto moisture like no other so once it's received it, returning to how it was would be a blessing. Now if they instead decided to mix the baking soda with ACV first, they'd end up with a solution that might be neutral and that would not have any effect on their hair. And so get different results from the ones they'd get if they'd let each compound do its own thang first.
 
FINALLY I have a clue after all these years and confusing information from hair stylists and forums on temperature, that makes 100 times much more sense... THANKS for taking the time to clarify this.
 
@Guitarhero, the scalp massage is just to ensure my scalp is free of conditioner residue. I love a squeaky clean scalp with nothing on it, hence the reason I take advantage of this while head is submerged. Also because I do use essential oils of lavender and rosemary and sometimes liquid sage--all beneficial for scalp and hair--massaging my scalp in an environment of these adds a bonus to the stimulation massaging gives. Having my head down also brings blood to it further making the whole massage experience feel wonderful!

I personally am not a fan of adding things to conditioners or shampoos that I believe were pre-tested and determined to be perfect as they are. I just feel like these products are stable as they are and adding a compound or element may cause a chemical reaction that changes the properties of the product and makes it not work as it should. I much rather let each product do what it's supposed to do, complete its job and then go on to the next. For example people with low porosity may find using an alkaline before conditioning works well for them as it opens up their strands to receive conditioner. They may then prefer to return to the closed state their hair was and so want to use a dilute ACV rinse just because low porosity hair can hold onto moisture like no other so once it's received it, returning to how it was would be a blessing. Now if they instead decided to mix the baking soda with ACV first, they'd end up with a solution that might be neutral and that would not have any effect on their hair. And so get different results from the ones they'd get if they'd let each compound do its own thang first.

I just meant if anyone had ever added the acv to the conditioner as opposed to straight acv rinse/solution...it shouldn't affect the chemical compound of the conditioner that much. I hate the smell and don't like how it makes my hair feel. I guess it's just me, tho. I probably won't fool with it. I scritch and deep massage with oils sometimes, sometimes without and don't have scalp buildup. Right now, I'm using the Wen technique.


Sooooo, anybody mixing acv with their conditioner???? :bump: What are your results?
 
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Just checking in to say I do an ACV vinegar rinse after pretty much every wash and love the results. I have done this for about the past year or so. It helps me manage SSKs.
 
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I just meant if anyone had ever added the acv to the conditioner as opposed to straight acv rinse/solution...it shouldn't affect the chemical compound of the conditioner that much. I hate the smell and don't like how it makes my hair feel. I guess it's just me, tho. I probably won't fool with it. I scritch and deep massage with oils sometimes, sometimes without and don't have scalp buildup. Right now, I'm using the Wen technique.

@Guitarhero, I understood what you meant and that's what I was responding to. You may be right about ACV not affecting conditioner; hopefully someone who has mixed them can share their experience.

I just wanted to mention that if you use a concentrated solution of ACV then you are likely to have bad results (because too much acidity can tear at your strands). If the smell stayed after your hair dried, that's even more proof that you used too much.

But it isn't necessary, so don't do it if you're happy with your regimen as it is. Sometimes we screw up when we try to jump on bandwagons we were doing well without. Only consider using ACV if you feel your regimen could be improved (eg. tangles lessened, moisture retained better, etc).
 
Curlykale - What ratio flax seed gel/ACV do you use in your mix? I usually have about 8oz flax seed gel that I put in a hair color bottle that I store in the fridge (to keep my fingers out).
 
@greenandchic I keep it in a hair color bottle as well since it took me ages to grab it. It depends (if I use a nettle tea or I add a tablespoon of aloe I need slitghtly less), but for about 8 oz of pure gel made with water I add about 2 teaspoons of raw unfiltered ACV ( the final ph is 4 to 5 and I use spring water).
 
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@greenandchic I keep it in a hair color bottle as well since it took me ages to grab it. It depends (if I use a nettle tea or I add a tablespoon of aloe I need slitghtly less), but for about 8 oz of pure gel made with water I add about 2 teaspoons of raw unfiltered ACV ( the final ph is 4 to 5 and I use spring water).

Thanks for the heads up! I use the hair color bottles to cut down on the potential germs getting into the FSG, plus it is easier to use!
 
I did this w/last nites wash... afterwards I used a leave in and twisted/did the ghe.. this morning my hair felt softer than I ever remember it being... I dont use a comb but when I took out twists and began to style... my hair just melted... no tangles at all!!! I will DEF revisit this! :yep:

Im curious... can I use acv with water in a spray bottle regularly to detangle or would that be doing too much??

ETA- nvrmnd.. I re-read all posts , I think I have my answer :look:
 
I did this a couple days ago and the next day my hair was a lot softer than usual.
Normally, I would put some diluted ACV in a bottle and pour it over my head, but I never really noticed a difference.
 
I did this a couple days ago and the next day my hair was a lot softer than usual.
Normally, I would put some diluted ACV in a bottle and pour it over my head, but I never really noticed a difference.

Yes the submerging makes all the difference.

For those that say that cowashing has negative effects, you have to try this dunking. My scalp and hair could not deal
with the residue it left behind but now i get all the benefits of a cowash.....at last.
 
I tried this tonight after washing my hair (mostly my scalp) with CON Argan Oil Shampoo. I filled up my kitchen sink with warm water and added a tablespoon of ACV. It only took a few seconds to clear my hair from any residue left behind without drying it out.
 
I tried this today.

Last night, I DCd my dry hair and rinsed it out this morning, then went about my day with a wash n go. tonight I was going to wash, got lazy and dunked my head in the sink with ACV in it. BOY when I tell you the water was cloudy! wow! it was pretty amazing.

how long do you scrub your scalp for? I have a lot of build up that i need to get rid of. i was so pooped that i didnt do a great job and i am sure my hair is still 'dirty'.

I think I will really *wash* sometime mid week.

I had an amazingly easy time detangling. Like seriously, i think i am going to do this everytime. I am so impressed.
 
tamz412 I'm so glad you got good results....the cloudy water is kind of worrying isn't it - to think we spend all that time rinsing and soo much residue is left behind - esp on the scalp.

To answer your question, i just massage my scalp as long as i can be bothered to - bending over like that is not that comfortable!

If you feel like you have alot of build up at the moment then perhaps you should start all over and clarify your hair with shampoo. You can still incorporate the acv dunk after your condition on that day.
 
I've done an account rinse twice lately. I added some to a measuring cup and drenched mu strands in it. I am going to try the sink next time and I will try it bending over backwards.

When I did my rinse my hair was smooth, soft, shiny, and my coils more defined

Sent from my LG-LW690 using LG-LW690
 
I've done an account rinse twice lately. I added some to a measuring cup and drenched mu strands in it. I am going to try the sink next time and I will try it bending over backwards.

When I did my rinse my hair was smooth, soft, shiny, and my coils more defined

Sent from my LG-LW690 using LG-LW690

:blush: Hunny, how are you going to get your scalp submerged doing it backwards? You must have a very bendy spine.
I assure you if you bending forwards you'll not get your face in it. Try using a plastic bowl on the floor and kneel down beside it. I'm know i'm tall so not everyone will able to do it at the sink bending forwards.
 
Idk have a picture in my head but I wasn't sure if it will work LOL. I have 4a natural hair if I bend over toward I imagined just my front getting covered but I will try it. Either way I love acv.

Sent from my LG-LW690 using LG-LW690
 
i did the 'dunk' this past wkend (2nd time doing this) THIS is def a keeper for me!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using SAMSUNG-SGH-I897
 
I dunked this past weekend as well and saw the cloudiness/residue swirling around in the water. no bueno. I do it the same way nonie does -- putting a plastic bowl in the tub, leaning over and dunking that way.

I've tried acv rinses in the past and could never understand the hype. Now i've figured out that i was using wayyyyy too much acv and wasn't diluting it enough. I think i'll be trying this more regularly, especially since I'm pretty sure i have highly porous hair.
 
I will dunk before doing a henna treatment tonight. I normally shampoo before hennaing, but I think dunking will be just fine...
 
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