You must have already heard a lot about baking soda shampoo for hair. The fact that it can combat two major issues like dandruff and hair loss successfully has also amazed you. But the chance is significant that you have never thought of trying it, assuming it will not work on your locks or they will get destroyed. Relax! This common kitchen ingredient is a safe and effective alternative to your regular commercial shampoo, especially if you desperately try to prevent dandruff and hair fall. (1)
Why Ditch Your Regular Shampoo?
Now the question is, why should one replace her regular shampoo with a simple kitchen ingredient like baking soda? What is so bad about those colorful, attractive bottles? They are loaded with highly damaging chemical compounds, most known to be carcinogenic. These include:
- Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate
- Parabens
- DEA/Diethanolamine
Besides, regular shampoo formulas may contain as many as 4000 distinct chemical components under the label of ‘fragrance,’ potentially dangerous for our tresses. All these can drastically aggravate the conditions of hair loss and dandruff.
How Does Baking Soda Work?
Before knowing various baking soda shampoo options to fight against hair fall and dandruff, it is essential to know how the inexpensive ingredient works:
- It can absorb excess oil from your scalp and make it grease-free. It works as a dry shampoo and frees the scalp of oil and grime.
- As the scalp becomes unsoiled with baking soda shampoo, the locks also turn squeaky clean.
- While cleansing the scalp, it also sucks out those white flakes, i.e., dandruff, completely.
- It does not rip the natural moisture off our scalp and hair (unless and until you use it excessively). So you do not develop dandruff anymore. Also, hair remains soft and manageable always.
- As the high pH of baking soda protects your scalp from dandruff and all sorts of chemicals (precipitated from hair styling products), you experience less or even zero itchiness, which reduces hair fall to a considerable extent.
Also Read – How to Use Baking Soda to Cure Dandruff and Promote Hair Growth
Different Types of Baking Soda Shampoo
Baking soda can be used in several ways when driving away dandruff and stopping hair loss. We tell you the three most common methods to include baking soda in your hair care routine:
Method 1:
This is the simplest method of using baking soda on your locks and removing dandruff and excessive hair fall.
Ingredients:
- Baking soda – 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Lukewarm water – a cup
Steps:
- Put the baking soda in a cup of lukewarm water.
- Keep stirring until a lump-free mixture is formed.
- Apply it carefully all over your scalp and massage it gently with your fingertips.
- Let it sit for the next couple of minutes.
- Rinse off with fresh, cold water.
Method 2:
Washing hair with baking soda and a mild herbal shampoo can effectively cure dandruff and reduce hair fall.
Ingredients:
- Baking soda – (1/2) tablespoon
- Herbal shampoo – pea-sized amount
Steps:
- Pick any good herbal shampoo and pour a pea-sized amount onto your palm.
- Add baking soda to it.
- Mix well with your fingers.
- Apply the mixture to your hair as regular shampoo.
- Rinse well with plain water.
Method 3:
The best way to wash your hair with baking soda is to balance its pH with an apple cider vinegar rinse afterward.
Ingredients:
- Baking soda – 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – 4 to 5 drops
- Water – 1 mug
Steps:
- Take a cup of water and add baking soda to it.
- Stir well to prepare a lump-free concoction.
- Rub your scalp carefully with it. Be gentle throughout the process.
- After 2-3 minutes, wash off with plain water.
- Now, add apple cider vinegar to the rest of the water in the mug.
- Blend well.
- Rinse your washed hair with it.
A Few Important Things to Remember….
- Being an alkaline product, baking soda can make your hair look rough and frizzy after the first wash. But it would be best not to worry about it as your hair will appear much healthier than earlier, only after a few more washes.
- You can apply baking soda shampoo on your hair 2-3 times weekly. Prepare the baking soda-water mixture in large batches and store it in bottles.
- Do not apply the baking soda-water mixture throughout the length of your hair. It will make the ends of your hair super dry.
- Baking soda shampoo is suitable for color-treated tresses, too.
- The result of baking soda rinse might not be the same for all. If you find that your hair’s condition is worsening, stop using it immediately.
Also Read – Baking Soda – The Best Natural Way To Remove Color From Your Hair
Summary
Baking soda, a kitchen staple, is an effective and safe alternative to commercial shampoos, especially for combating dandruff and hair loss. Regular shampoos often contain harmful chemicals, but baking soda’s absorbent and cleansing properties make it a natural solution. Various methods, including a simple baking soda and water mix or combining it with herbal shampoo, can be employed for hair care. Additionally, balancing pH with an apple cider vinegar rinse enhances the effectiveness of baking soda.