bicarb/acv update
So, I've been doing this for about a month now. I still wash my hair with traditional shampoo about once a week. Regarding the baking soda and apple cider vinegar treatment, pluses and minuses.
PLUS
My hair is clean -- it's not dirty or stringy or greasy or itchy.
My hair is noticeably less oily, and it does not have to be washed as frequently.
I have dry scalp issues, and they seem to have decreased with this treatment.
Baking soda and apple cider vinegar are less expensive than traditional shampoo and conditioner.
MINUS
What Tallulah warned about -- my hair gets dried out. It's not as vibrant as with shampoo. It's not the sort of thing you notice on a day-to-day basis, because my hair is clean. But if I'm doing something where I need to look particularly nice, or make a first impression, or where someone else will be touching my hair, I wash with shampoo on those days.
This has become more problematic since I slightly upped the ratio of bicarb to water. It's been pleasant that the mixture has a little more texture to it, and I don't just feel like I'm pouring plain water over my hair, but it seems to be leaving my hair a bit coarse. If anyone else tries this method, my advice is to go easy on the baking soda.
I also tried brushing powder through my hair once, but I wasn't thrilled with the results. It was annoying to get out and used a lot more than I normally would, without an obvious difference in my hair afterwards.
Overall, I'm cautiously content with my current routine: shampoo once a week, powder/ACV the other days. My hair looks good longer after washing than when I used shampoo, and one traditional wash has it shining and radiant again if I need to impress. I am concerned about the dryness, which has increased recently, but for now I think it's probably more about the powder-to-water ratio than any lasting damage.
Anyone else have interesting updates?