One of the most versatile ingredients that you can find in your pantry happens to be available in powder form.
This white powder is baking soda, also known as bicarbonate of soda. It is beneficial for your teeth, your skin and even your hair.
However, knowing how to use it properly is extremely important.
While it is touted as useful for hair, improper usage of baking soda for hair can result in a lot of issues.
By understanding how and when to use it, you can avoid many of the mistakes that people make here.
When Should You Use Baking Soda For Hair?
One quality that baking soda is known to have is that it can make anything squeaky clean. The same thing applies to your hair.
The abrasive granules of this powder can help to clean your scalp and your hair thoroughly. That’s why it is excellent for use in the following circumstances:
Scalp Issues
For people with mild scalp issues like dandruff or oiliness, baking soda can be a great way to exfoliate the scalp.
The granules will gently scrub the scalp and remove all the dead skin effectively. They are also gentle enough not to irritate the scalp.
While over-washing your hair can cause oiliness, baking soda has gentle granules and is free of any chemicals.
It also leaves enough natural oils to prevent your sebum glands from overworking. It can be a great way to help your scalp from time to time.
Note: Do not use baking soda for hair if you have severe scalp issues like eczema or psoriasis. In such instances, consult your skin and hair specialist before you try it.
Product Buildup
If you use a lot of hair products, you can use a paste made from baking soda and apple cider vinegar to clean your scalp.
This cleansing solution will remove all product buildup, not just from your scalp but also from your hair follicles.
Give your head a thorough massage, and you can improve blood circulation, remove all product buildup, and promote the growth of new hair.
The apple cider vinegar and baking soda both have cleaning properties that will leave your hair feeling squeaky clean.
Baking soda should not be used frequently because it can irritate the scalp or ruin the pH balance. It is known to be abrasive and using it too much can cause hair fall.
When used in moderation, you can get all the benefits and none of the negative results.
How Is Baking Soda Supposed To Be Used For Hair?
If you want to use baking soda for hair, you can actually use it in many different formats. Each one can be made by yourself and is based on your usage options.
The following are the different ways that you can use baking soda:
As A Rinse
A rinse made from baking soda can be used to cleanse the hair after you have washed it with a shampoo and a conditioner.
It needs to be extremely diluted and washed out of hair afterwards. Nonetheless, it will ensure that you can get out any chemical residue completely.
For the best effects, use it along with apple cider vinegar.
As A Shampoo
Many people also like to make shampoo from baking soda because it naturally has saponification qualities.
This means that in water, it will become slippery and have a quality that is very familiar to soap.
While it doesn’t create lather like commercial shampoos, many people find that it can be a perfect alternative for it.
As A Paste
In paste form, baking soda for hair is only used to exfoliate. Since it doesn’t have any nutritional value, making a hair mask for baking soda does not serve any purpose.
A paste can be applied directly to the scalp and then washed off with gentle circular motions. This helps to cleanse the scalp of any debris or product buildup.
As you can see, you can pick from any of the options to use baking soda. A good idea is to go for each option and see the results you get.
Some people like to use it as a rinse, whereas others like to use it in paste form or as a shampoo only. It comes down to your personal preference.
DIY Baking Soda Hair Solution
If you’re interested and ready to use baking soda for your hair, the following are a few DIY recipes that you can try out.
This is a flexible recipe that can be used to not only make shampoo but also for making a baking soda paste and a rinse too.
Baking Soda Shampoo Recipe
Use baking soda based on the length of your hair for all the recipes. You can use the following measurements for:
- Short to medium length hair – 2 tablespoons
- Long hair – 3 to 4 tablespoons
Ingredients:
- Baking Soda
- Water
- Bottle – for storage
Add the baking soda in the bottle according to your hair length. Now, add three parts of water.
This means that if you added two tablespoons, you need to add six tablespoons of water. Adjust the water measurements accordingly.
Give it a good shake and then use it as needed. Leave on hair for 5 minutes before rinsing it off thoroughly
Baking Soda Rinse Recipe
For a rinse, you can use the same measurements for the baking soda. You will need the following:
Ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Apple cider vinegar (can use white vinegar) – ¼ cup
- Distilled water – 2 cups
- Essential oils (based on preference) – 3 drops
- Bottle for storage
Mix all the vinegar with the water and baking soda together in the bottle. Make sure to mix it before adding the essential oils in the end.
If you want a pleasant scent, lavender, rose, or even geranium are excellent options. Use it in the end, after you are done shampooing and conditioning your hair.
Note: Make sure to do a patch test before you use any product made from baking soda. It can be an irritant for sensitive skin.
By paying attention to these things, you can use baking soda for your hair and enjoy all the benefits that it has to offer.
This account is run by a team of writers, researches, and more who simply love contributing to the site.