Achieving an effortlessly beachy look requires just a bottle of Coke, or so claims the trending Coca-Cola hair rinse seen on YouTube and beauty blogs like Pinterest. You might have already tried this hair hack if you’re one to experiment. For those yet to dive in, read on to discover whether this playful trick delivers supermodel-worthy locks. So, let’s delve into the reality of the Coca-Cola hair rinse and see if it lives up to the hype.
Where Did It Come From?
Well, rinsing hair with soda is a year-old concept. If you do your research, you can find that many beauty bloggers discussed the benefits of using fizzy soda on hair, and that was years before this trend became viral. However, people started taking the suggestion seriously once the British model-cum-actress Suki Waterhouse talked about the Coca-Cola hair rinse in one of her interviews with Us Weekly. When asked about her gorgeous, red carpet-ready, lightly tousled waves, she replied, “I don’t like my hair when it’s washed — it’s fine and limp — but Coca-Cola makes it tousled, like I’ve gone through the Amazon or something,” Suki’s unconventional way of using sticky soda might sound like a pretty bizarre trick. Still, she claimed that it gives her perfect locks by adding the right texture and volume.
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What Is The Fuss All About?
While Coca-Cola is mainly known as a soft drink worldwide, its use as a texturizing hair product is quite surprising. However, Suki’s theory has made numerous girls with fine, straight, and limp hair interested in trying the Cola rinse to get soft, defined, ‘just-rolled-out-of-bed’ strands with minimal effort. Here is what you need to do for it:
- Pour 1 or 2 bottles (based on the length and volume of your hair) of Coca-Cola straight on your head. Make sure that all your hair is saturated well with the soft drink. Also, try to pour the beverage all over your head so that each part gets it in equal amounts, leaving you with a uniform result.
- Once you pour Coke onto your hair, it turns into a sugary mess with extreme stickiness. This is because the liquid is loaded with sugar, which leaves a gummy (sometimes even crusty) film/residue around the strands easily. It also makes the hair smell like Coke, at least for some time (the smell goes away as you start washing). However, you need to wait 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing.
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- Then, wash your hair with regular water and a mild shampoo. You might need to spend 3 to 5 minutes underwater to thoroughly rinse the soda out of your hair. People skip the shampoo to see what the Cola can do to the hair, but it might make it hard and clumpy after drying. So, we recommend you use a shampoo that will be gentle enough for your hair but stay away from conditioner and other products.
- Absorb the excess water from your dripping wet hair with a soft cotton t-shirt and let it air dry to some extent. At this time, you can comb your hair carefully with a wide-toothed comb to get rid of tangles. Then, flip your head over and blast your hair roots with a blow dryer for a couple of minutes. Voila!
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How Does Coca-Cola Work On Hair?
According to HairFinder.com, “Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid. This means the Coca-Cola solution has a shallow pH level (Coca-Cola Classic has a pH of 2.5). As an acidic solution, when applied to the hair, it causes its cuticle to contract (or tighten), making it appear smoother and shinier. This also means that the hair (particularly hair prone to curl) will enhance its natural curl.”
To be more precise, Coca-Cola doesn’t create curls in our hair. Instead, it defines the natural waves or curls and brings them out by transforming the hair texture. It also adds ‘body’ to the hair and makes it look fuller. However, it doesn’t keep the scalp clean and healthy. The sugar and corn syrup in the beverage make the hair sticky and form build-ups by attracting more dirt and dust. Hence, this rinsing practice might harm our scalp in the long term. You may also end up getting fragile hair over time.
While Coca-Cola hair rinse is quite a thing these days, you must do enough research on it and use your judgment to decide whether it is going to be a failure or a holy grail for you. So, are you game to give your hair an effortlessly cool look with this hack?
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Summary
The Coca-Cola hair rinse, a trend circulating on YouTube and beauty blogs, originated from Suki Waterhouse’s endorsement. The unconventional practice involves pouring Coca-Cola on hair to achieve texture and volume. Despite creating tousled waves, the sticky residue from the sugary beverage may lead to challenges during rinsing and potential harm to the scalp in the long term. While popular, its effectiveness and long-term impact warrant careful consideration before attempting this beauty hack.
