Rosemary and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

I LOVE doing vinegar rinses on my hair. They make my hair feel clean but not stripped as well as soft and smooth. Of course you shouldn't overdo them, but if you skip shampoo every few days and need to get rid of excess oil and whatnot then this can be a great thing to use. I also use it after using my coconut oil deep conditioner.

This particular rinse has rosemary and apple cider vinegar. Rosemary has been known to help promote healthy hair growth and even prevent hair loss. Apple cider vinegar is overall amazing for your health. Drink it, put it on your hair, make it one of your top 5 MUST have natural beauty ingredients. If it's RAW and UNFILTERED then it's best. That's when it has all the wonderful nutrients. Otherwise it really isn't THAT much better than other vinegars. Sometimes you will also see "with the mother" as well as/instead of 'raw.'

Look for this sediment in the bottom. That's how you know it's legit raw ACV.

Here's my recipe!

2 - 3 sprigs of rosemary (preferably fresh, but dried is alright)
1 cup of filtered/distilled water
1 cup of RAW and unfiltered apple cider vinegar (from here out called ACV)
1 tbsp Borax (sounds weird but it's just a mineral and really nice to your hair!)

*NOTE: Usually Borax comes in large boxes, far larger than you'll need for this recipe. But don't let that shy you away!! You can use Borax for a TON of other awesome things, and it's usually under $5 a box anyway. It's worth buying!

This is the ACV I got just because it was cheaper. I usually prefer Bragg's but it was about $6 whereas this one was $2.50. I'm a little cheap sometimes... :-(

Aaaand here's Borax:

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Step 1 -- Making your rosemary infusion
Put your cup of distilled water in a pan on the stove and set to high heat. Add your rosemary sprigs and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for about 3 - 4 minutes and then take off the heat. Let it 'steep' for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Step 2 -- Add your ACV and Borax
After the infusion has set, you can move it to another container. I usually leave at least one sprig os rosemary so any left over essence can infuse with the final mixutre, but that's up to you. Add your ACV and Borax and stir well. I usually put mine in a spray bottle for easier application but go with whatever works for you!

Step 3 -- Applying the vinegar rinse
Some people prefer to do their rinse and then immediately rinse with water. However I recommend letting the rinse sit in your hair for 3 - 5 minutes. Massage it into your scalp and make sure it has reached your roots. That's the place that needs it most! Afterwards just rinse out. You can shampoo and condition over it if you want or you can just rinse super well and let that be your hair wash.

Note: it WILL make your hair smell kind of like a pickle, so if you don't follow it with something else then maybe do one of two things: add some kind of strong but nice smelling essential oil or extract to the rinse to quell the acidic vinegar smell, or have a perfume/cologne/body spray to put on after you shower.

Enjoy! :-)

Single Ingredient DIY Hair-Care Products

While blends of oils, crazy concoctions, and all that fun stuff can be beneficial for your hair, you can also get beautiful results with single ingredient rinses and conditioners.

- Olive Oil Conditioner: comb olive oil through your hair. It will look like you haven't washed your hair in weeks so obviously make sure you do this before showering. :-P Massage it into your scalp and run a wide-tooth comb through your hair so it gets evenly distributed. Let it sit on your hair for about 15 - 30 mins and then shower as usual. This will heal your hair and leave it silky smooth.

- Honey-dipped tips: honey does wonders for hair and skin. I never do my entire hair with honey because I just have too much hair and it would not only be expensive but also messy and sticky and gross. So I just do the tips and, when I'm feeling messy, the roots as well. Get your tips (and roots, if you're doing those too) wet with warm water and massage honey into the hair. Let the honey sit for 15 - 45 mins and then shower as normal. It will make your tips feel less frizzy and, if done to the roots as well, promote a healthy scalp.

- Vinegar rinse: if you've already read my henna post then you're familiar with vinegar rinses. Vinegar rinses help to strip your hair of unwanted build-up of chemicals and minerals. Any hair products, including conditioners, can leave minuscule layers of build-up on your hair. Also, if you live in a city with hard water like I do, then you will also have mineral build-up on your hair from the water. Mixing vinegar with equal amounts of warm water and running it over your hair will help clean your hair of this unwanted gunk. Run the rinse over your hair (preferably after you've shampooed it) and let it sit for about 5 mins.

- Beer rinse: yes, that's right, beer. It can make your hair super soft and silky. I can't tell you the science behind this, but I assume it's a combination of the alcohol and the hops/barley make-up of beer. Just grab a can of beer, pour it over your head, let it sit for a few mins, and then rinse it.
Downside to beer rinses: if you don't use perfume or a strong smelling something afterwards, then you smell like an alcoholic. So either be sure to have something to cover the smell or do this on a day you don't have work or anything special planned. If I do this again I'll likely try putting essential oils in the beer to maybe cut the alcohol odor.

- Rosemary infusion rinse: rosemary is known for it's benefits, especially for hair. Rosemary essential oils and infusions can help promote healthy hair growth and can even help delay the onset of hair loss. You can add rosemary essential oils for your conditioners and other rinses, but if you have room outside in your garden, maybe grow a rosemary bush! Fresh rosemary is easy to grow and a much cheaper alternative to buying fresh rosemary from the grocer. But however you get rosemary, you'll need several sprigs for this infusion. Bring some distilled water (tap-water may have minerals that build up on your hair) to a boil on the stove and add your rosemary. Steep the rosemary in the lightly boiling water and then remove from heat. While the rosemary continues to steep, pound it with the back of a spoon, a potato masher, whatever. This helps squish the extra rosemary juices out into the water. Let the infusion cool and then strain so that the sprigs and any loose leaves are removed. Then use this rinse just like the vinegar rinse. There won't be any immediate effects, but over time this could really promote healthy hair.

That's all I have for now. I'm going to be experimenting with other oils and rinses soon though so look out for Part II! :-)