Deodorizing hair - Baking soda ?

[Britt]

Help !
I'd like to go back to washing my hair 1x/week. After I exercise, I like to spray my scalp and hair w/ a mixture of Suave coconut and water. If I add some baking soda to the water bottle, will that help w/deodorizing a bit? And if so, would it be harmful to my hair? I know people use it to clean their hair.

Thanks !

 

[LaidBak]

? Wouldn't that leave white powder in your hair when it dries?

 

[LaidBak]

Excerpt From Hairfinder.com

Currently, I have found two products on the market that could be helpful in this situation. One is African Pride Fresh Hair Deodorizer and is made specifically for use on hair that is braided to help deodorize and freshen the braids between shampoos, but it can work equally well on many other hair types and problems. The product retails for $5.00 (U.S. Dollars) for a 2 ounce bottle and comes in Strawberry Floral, Fresh Floral, Cucumber Melon, Coconut Rum, Sweet Amber and Citrus Fruit scents.

The other product is one designed for use by smokers and is a personal deodorizing product called Banish. The product is made of natural ingredients and is reported to remove odor from hair and clothes. While the product is created to remove smoke odors, users have reported that it works well to remove the odor from permanent waving processes.​

 

[Britt]

Thanks!
I was thinking of adding a bit of baking soda to my conditioner and water mixture in a spray bottle.

 

[classychic1908]

I think a dry shampoo is a better alternative, or even regular baby powder lightly dusted on hair, not mixed into a water mixture.

When I cheered and danced in college I would just put a little baby powder on my hands and sort of work it through my hair and my hair always smelled nice between washings.

I would be quite cautious about using baking soda as a leave in...

 

[omegachick31]

Baking soda is akaline so it can cause your cuticles to rise and a lose of moisture. If you decide to add it make sure it is diluted enough that the pH falls in a range close to the pH of hair about 5. It's a real good investment to purchase pH strips so you can be sure your homemade products fall within an acceptable range for optimal hair maintenance.

 

[Britt]

Thanks guys! I just can't get w/ the washing more frequently b/c the drying part is what's a pain. Ideally, I'd love to go back to washing 2x a week, but it's a lot of manipulation and then I'd prob have to blowdry my hair b/c I refuse to go to bed w/ a sopping wet head. Idk... it's a pain.
Yesterday, my SO told me hair looked so nice and he put his face in my head and said "ummmm, what's going on here, your hair doesn't smell too good" .. ... The thing is, I knew it b/c I had rubbed my fingers through my scalp earlier in the day at work. I think it's b/c I exercised the day before and my head prob sweated a little bit. I've watched several vids on youtube about cowashing/washing and I still can't figure out how to effectively airdry my hair so that it dries smoothly and so that it dries by morning time. He's use to having my hair smell like conditioner all the time.

 

[LaidBak]

OP can you maybe co wash your hair at the gym during the day and wet bun after that so it air dries?
That's what I do. After I work out I just do a quick rinse with conditioner in the shower, wet bun (with a fake braid wrapped into a bun), then go back to work. The bulk of my hair is dry by the end of the day and the rest dries once I take off the fake bun.

 

[Nonie]

Britt, what about a waterless shampoo? They are products made to take the place of a real shampoo wash, so I think they'd work better.

I DO NOT like baking soda topically unless I'm treating mosquito bites. It made my hair hard and rough and made it smell as if it was being relaxed. Used it once and never again. On my skin it made it raw and not so nice. The only other good thing I know it for is dissolved in water to help with treating UTI or just to make your body more alkaline.