Are baking soda and apple cider vinegar really the best for cleansing your natural hair? Find out below!
Are you familiar with The Natural Haven blog? The name sounds like it’s about natural products but it’s really about the the science of natural hair, in other words hair that hasn’t been chemically processed. It’s written by a scientist who goes by the name of “JC” and she posted a very interesting piece on evaluating different types of mild cleansers.
She did an experiment where she collected her own shed hair which she divided into several groups: a negative control group that was left dirty and oily. A positive control that was washed with regular shampoo, and several test groups which she washed with different types of cleansers. then, and here’s the cool part, she took micrographs of group to determine how well the test products cleaned.
Here’s what she found:
- Best cleansers (all of the oil removal”>: shampoo, oat water (oats boiled in water to release natural saponins”>, and natural soap bar.
- Good cleanser (most of the oil removed”>: Hair conditioner (cowash”>, liquid castle soap, and clay.
- Poor cleanser (little to no oil removal”>: Baking soda, Shikaki (crushed acacia pods”> and the worst of all Apple Cider Vinegar.
The reason I mention this story is that It’s refreshing to see someone look for evidence rather than just say “ baking soda and ACV are best for cleansing your hair.” So kudos to you JC of The Natural Haven! The Beauty Brains salute you!
Some curlies swear by ACV rinses and others only co-wash, but as you’ll quickly find on your curly hair journey, what works for one won’t work for another.
What’s your cleansing regimen?
This article was originally published on The Beauty Brains and shared on CurlyNikki.
