Can I reuse the soap nuts to make more than one batch of apple cider vinegar shampoo ? If you don’t have access to soap nuts, your best bet would be to make a post-shampoo ACV rinse. Soap nuts are the only option I know of for this recipe. Is there an alternative to soap nuts I can use ? You can let it sit in your shower for up to 3–4 days before it’ll start to go bad. Can I store a small amount of this shampoo in my shower in between uses ?
This shampoo is also great for skin, especially troubled skin, so feel free to let it linger on your chest and back (or any place you might be prone to breakouts) before rinsing off. Yes! Unlike most commercial shampoos that use chemical detergents, soap nuts release a gentle, natural sudsing agent that cleanses hair without stripping it of moisture.
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo FAQ Are soap nuts good for hair ? When you’re done making shampoo, don’t throw out your leftover soap nuts.
When you’re ready to use it, thaw it out overnight, and store it in a small squirt bottle until it’s gone. Simply make a big batch of this shampoo and freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray. Plus, they’re incredibly inexpensive, and a little goes a long way.
When mixed with water, saponin suds up like regular soap, which makes it an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergents.Īlthough soap nuts are mostly used in the west as a laundry detergent, Ayurvedic medicine often recommends them for treating skin issues, like eczema and psoriasis.īecause soap nuts are so gentle and soothing, they make the perfect soap base for homemade shampoo. Soap nuts are a type of berry shell typically found in India and Nepal that contains a natural detergent known as saponin. Then one day, I stumbled onto a shampoo recipe that uses soap nuts. But adding an extra step to my morning routine doesn’t exactly solve my time issue.
My next thought was to use plain ACV as a post-shampoo rinse. It might get your hair clean- ish, but you won’t really reap the apple cider vinegar benefits. While it’s not harmful, mixing an acid (like ACV) with a base (like Castile soap) effectively cancels each other out. When coming up with my own ACV shampoo, my first thought was to simply combine Castile soap with apple cider vinegar, but Google tells me that’s not such a great idea. It’s also acidic and can be used to lower scalp pH and bring hair health back into balance.īut it’s the acidity that makes it a difficult ingredient in most shampoo recipes. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals that nourish hair and alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliate the scalp and keep dandruff at bay. Although it smells funky and tastes even funkier, it’s said to do everything from lower blood sugar and help you lose weight to soothe an upset stomach.Īnd applying it directly to the skin has just as many benefits.ĪCV is antimicrobial and helps control the bacteria or fungi that can lead to scalp issues. Health enthusiasts have been singing apple cider vinegar’s praises for years.
With a bit of trial and error, I finally came up with a clarifying ACV shampoo that I love. Not to mention, it leaves my hair feeling squeaky clean and softer than anything else out there.īut as much as I love it, I’ve always wondered if I could make my own apple cider vinegar shampoo for less. It clarifies and cleanses at the same time, saving me a step and some much-needed time in the morning. The real heavy-hitter in my hair care arsenal is a fancy apple cider vinegar shampoo. As someone with suuuper fine hair, I’ve long used apple cider vinegar as a cleanser when the locks get limp and a tad over-styled.