When your hair feels dead, and heavy from product residue, you probably try the same thing every time — you use shampoo and give your hair a good wash. Sometimes, however, shampooing doesn’t get the job done. If you ask a salon, they usually recommend using a clarifying cleanser at home, or have you make an appointment for a thorough cleaning. Unfortunately, both options can be expensive.
There’s a simpler, much cheaper option to try: baking soda. It’s a clarifying agent, it’s natural, and it gives your scalp and your hair a detox. In addition, it makes limp hair bouncy, exfoliates your scalp, and dissolves dirt. It washes off without creating buildup of its own, and neutralizes the fragrances left behind by all your other products.
Making your own baking soda shampoo
You will need a box of baking soda, a bowl, and water. All you need to do is to mix one part of baking soda with four parts of water in a bowl, and pour the mixture into an empty shampoo bottle to keep on a shelf next to your shower. To use it, you only need to wet your hair, apply the baking soda shampoo to your scalp and all your hair, let it soak in for a minute, and then rinse with water.
Baking soda shampoo, however, isn’t something you should use every day. Baking soda has a pH of 8.1; hair, on the other hand, needs to be at a pH of 5.5 if it is to stay glossy and soft. This kind of shampoo, then, is best used about once every two weeks.
Baking soda shampoo isn’t right for every kind of hair
Baking soda can dry out your hair. This means that if your scalp and hair tend to be on the dry side to begin with, this kind of shampoo can cause excessive dryness. You would be better off with a clarifying shampoo enriched with natural fatty acids from coconut or avocado.
Baking soda shampoo also tends to be unsuitable for curly hair. This kind of hair texture tends to come from hair strands of small diameter, with weak internal bonds among the layers of each strand. These bonds can be further weakened by baking soda.
If you have color in your hair, baking soda can lighten it. The substance is able to open your hair cuticles, go down to the cortex, and scrub out any color pigments stored there. It can make your hair color appear less intense.
If you suffer from psoriasis, eczema, or excessive hair fall, baking soda can be unsuitable, as well.
The takeaway is that baking soda shampoo can be a great way to improve dull hair if you have the right hair type. Under the right circumstances, using it on your hair once every two weeks can be a great way to get your hair and scalp clean and healthy.
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