Did you know that baking soda makes for a great shampoo? You must have used it as an ingredient in the kitchen and as a cleaning agent but not on hair. Recent discoveries reveal that bicarbonate soda is a natural remedy for skin and hair conditions. This is an affordable ingredient for homemade shampoo. It continues to stand out as a natural remedy for healthy hair and glowing skin. This article lists some of the benefits you get from using baking soda to shampoo your hair.

How to Use Baking Soda Shampoo

1. Wash Your Hair with Baking Soda  

• Prepare the Solution: Before you start, get all the tools ready. You need a squeeze bottle. You can use an old conditioner or shampoo bottle. You also need baking soda and water. Once the ingredients are ready, prepare the baking soda solution. Pour 4-5 spoons of baking soda into the bottle. Add 400ml of water of warm water and shake it to make a solution.

• Shampoo Your Hair: Wet your hair and squeeze the homemade shampoo into the hair. Part the hair into sections for easy access to all parts of the scalp. Rub the mixture in as you massage the scalp. Make sure that the shampoo penetrates the roots of your hair for complete cleansing. Allow the shampoo to sink for a few minutes. You can take the time to do something else like brushing your teeth as you wait for the shampoo to penetrate the roots. This is particularly suitable if you have damaged and treated hair. Rinse it thoroughly and dry.

• Caution: High alkaline products influence the absorption of more water. Baking powder is a high alkaline product. At an average pH of 9.0, it will open the hair cuticles enabling more water penetration into the scalp. When this happens, your hair tends to weaken and break. It is advisable to include apple cider vinegar in the baking soda shampoo. The acidic properties of the vinegar have the ability to restore your hair’s pH. It closes the hair cuticles leaving your hair stronger and healthier. Do this if you have African American hair or hair that’s prone to breakage. 

2. Condition Your Hair with Vinegar  

• Make the Apple Cider Conditioner: Every time you use a shampoo, you should follow it up with a conditioner. Normally, the shampoo cleans the hair while a conditioner softens or treats the hair. If you skip this second step, your hair will appear kinky and rough. To prepare the conditioner, you need a spray bottle, apple cider vinegar and water. Use a ratio of 1:4 to mix the vinegar and water. Use a spray bottle because it spreads the solution more evenly.

• Condition Your Hair: After shampooing your hair, pat dry your hair to remove excess hair. Using the apple cider contents in the spray bottle, spray all over your hair and massage into the scalp. If you have a dry scalp and dandruff, ensure that the vinegar penetrates deep into the scalp. Rub in the natural conditioner and give it time to sink in, then rinse well. To reduce the strong smell from apple cider vinegar, add essential oils like rosemary and sage.

How Does Baking Soda Shampoo Benefit Your Hair?

1. Remove excess products

Every time you clean, oil, spray or treat your hair, excess products build up leaving residues. Baking soda cleans your hair thoroughly to remove excess products from your hair.

2. Protect and restore chlorine damaged hair

Every time you spend time in a swimming pool, you expose yourself to chlorine, which damages the hair. If you are a regular swimmer, you will notice the change in your hair color. To restore your hair back to normal, make shampoo from baking soda for regular use.

3. Promote healthy hair growth

One of the reasons for slow growth of hair is the use of chemicals. Use baking soda shampoo for chemically treated hair. It is more effective than shampoo in removing harsh residues and restoring the strength of your hair.

4. Treat Smelly and Oily Hair

Nobody likes the embarrassment of having smelly hair. Oily hair tends to collect pollutants from the surrounding giving it an unpleasant smell. You can fix the problem with baking soda easily. This ingredient helps to reduce oiliness and hair odors. It also has an alkaline property for balancing the scalp’s pH for healthy and clean.

• Mix a part of baking soda with three parts of water. Apply the solution to your hair. Ensure it is damp before you do so. Wait for about 5 minutes, and then rinse it off. Do this once or twice every month. .
• Add some baking soda to your regular shampoo and use it once or twice every week to wash your hair.
• Baking soda can also be used as a dry shampoo. Mix baking cornstarch and soda in equal amounts and sprinkle some at the roots of your hair. Brush your hair systematically with a high quality brush. The results will impress you.

5. Remove Dandruff

Dandruff is a common hair condition that often increases during winter. Many people have tried unsuccessfully to get rid of it. It is possible to deal with this condition. It just requires proper and regular care. Use baking soda to remove the unsightly flakes from your scalp. Besides its alkalinity, baking soda shampoo also cleans the scalp to give you a healthy scalp.

• Take a tablespoon of baking soda and rub it into your hair. Make sure your hair is wet before doing so. Wait for about one minute, and then rinse it out. Do this once a week.
• Alternatively, apply it to your scalp and wait for about 2-3 minutes. Rinse it off with some water. Do this once a week to keep your scalp dandruff-free.

6. Clean Your Hair Brush

Want an effective way to clean your hair brush? Why not try baking soda? Simply place the baking soda in a bowl of warm water and soak the items. Add a few drops of bleach if you need to disinfect.