[Mosey_2003]

You need an acid to counteract the basic baking soda, it smoothes the cuticle back down. Either vinegar or citric acid or maybe lemon juice. The vodka will help, but from my experience it's not strong enough. What I've finally perfected is do the baking soda, scrub scrub scrub. Rinse. Spray vinegar on and apply Triple Condition conditioner right on top, then tie it up and do the rest of my shower, then rinse. This seems to be the magic combination for me, plus much less baking soda.

[Beentheredonethat]

I am having a bad week. I need something happy. This thread makes me happy.

Bicoastal--How's it going? Did you try adding vinegar into the mix and doing a rinse with that after the baking soda.

My routine is still going great. I DID have to stop SO from stealing my vinegar out of the shower, though.

[pony baloney]

I started this the first week of Sept. (w/o vodka) and so far I'm liking it. It's a bit more work but my hair feels like real hair again; the CO method was building up so much that my hair repelled water and felt like a rats' nest when it eventually got wet.

It is staying cleaner longer, but I'm in my mid 40s so maybe my greasy hair phase is finally done. Not a fan of the scent, which is nice when just washed, but then gets a sort of scalpy smell. My vinegar has some EO for fragrance but it doesn't last very long.

[GingerJumper]

I tried the baking soda then vinegar yesterday and today and my hair looks fantastic!! Love it!

[Beentheredonethat]

Yeah! Pony, I notice that, too. It really does stay cleaner much longer, and the next day it feels like I just washed it.

[Beentheredonethat]

Oh, come on, people! We have to have recruited more people onto the baking soda and vinegar train. I found out my sister in law does it, too!

She's Philippino/Japanese so that straight hair that lays flat and doesn't need the vodka part like frizzies like me do.

[Beentheredonethat]

Since I just washed my hair, and it feels so clean, as ever, I thought I'd bump this up. We need to end OT days with happy stuff. Though I suspect it may stay open a few more days to deal with things, I think hair washing is REALLY important!

[IFG]

Have not read all the posts, but all you curlys should look at naturallycurly.com. Lots of awesome ideas for low-cost curly hair treatment, including the no shampoo or lopoo approach.

For me, I find that the Nature's gate products are great. I stay away from anything with sufates, and I use Apple Cider Vinegar a few times a month.

[Bicoastal]

I am having a bad week. I need something happy. This thread makes me happy.

Bicoastal--How's it going? Did you try adding vinegar into the mix and doing a rinse with that after the baking soda.

I haven't tried the baking soda then immediately vinegar then conditioner yet- several life speedbumps (travel for work, death in family, sick).

Did I get that right, though? Baking soda. Vinegar. AND conditioner?

[Mosey_2003]

I need the conditioner because my hair is SO dry, you might not, especially if your hair is fine.

[Beentheredonethat]

I haven't tried the baking soda then immediately vinegar then conditioner yet- several life speedbumps (travel for work, death in family, sick).

Did I get that right, though? Baking soda. Vinegar. AND conditioner?

Squeal!! You guys bumped this up!

Yes, you have it right. I did the volcano for awhile and used baking soda AND vinegar, and then someone pointed out the baking soda cleans, and the vinegar closes the pores or something. Dump on and scrub with one, rinse, sump on and scrub with the other. It's very quick.

And for dry, frizzy haired people, conditioner with vodka REALLY makes it sleek and soft. I can't stop touching my hair it feels so great the next day.

My hair is quite dry AND fine AND curly AND I have a lot. I use a lot of conditioner and vodka.

[Mosey_2003]

The vinegar smooths the cuticle back down. I've been at this, oh, six months now? My hair is *almost* back to how it was perfect before I messed up my hormones. So frustrating, I turned about 22 and my hair got GREAT, I assume my girly hormones leveled out right at that point. But when I got on the pill my hair went straight to hell, and it's taken a LONG time to get it back to even manageable. Just straightened my hair after washing it last night, letting it air dry loose, and not putting any product on it and it's close to as perfect as my hair will get, I'm *quite* pleased!

[Rubyfree]

OK! I keep glancing through this thread but there are so many methods now.... someone just tell me what to do!

I have VERY fine, VERY thin, VERY dry straight-ish hair. I've recently switched from traditional shampoo (occasionally) & conditioner (lots, daily) to the Loreal Cleansing conditioner and I LOVE the stuff, but it's spendy for me. I do still need to use some conditioner with it.

So- I have baking soda & vinegar on hand. Scrub with the soda? After hair is wet? Make a slurry with the soda first or what? Then dump/spray on vinegar? Then rinse or then conditioner and THEN rinse?

Halp, I needz hand holding.

[Bicoastal]

My hair is *almost* back to how it was perfect before I messed up my hormones. So frustrating, I turned about 22 and my hair got GREAT, I assume my girly hormones leveled out right at that point. But when I got on the pill my hair went straight to hell,...

I, too, noticed my hair was better as an adult. Well, as a wee child it was hair every parent wanted for their child: blond ringlets and loooooong.

When hormones kicked in, it went to hell. I did not pay attention to any change caused by going on the pill but I wish I had.

Will definitely try this again next week. Traveling this weekend so I can't. There's a question: how do you do this routine 'on the road'?

[Mosey_2003]

Rubyfree:
If your hair is dry do NOT scrub with the soda, way too harsh. Put a tablespoon in two cups of hot water and put that in a bottle. Wet your hair, distribute that all over, scrub your scalp, and rinse.

Then mix some vinegar, ohhhh, about 50/50 with water and pour that all over your hair. You can rinse that out or do like I do and put your conditioner on top of it. Then I tie my hair up and finish the rest of my shower and rinse my hair last. That is all.

Bicoastal:
I had blonde ringlets too!!! I'm sorry, I don't have much experience traveling, but I would think you could get some small water-tight bottles and put the mixtures in, or even take baking soda dry in a baggie and bring an empty bottle. The pill turned my hair to worse than a brillo pad and more than a fourth of it straight FELL OUT! Took two years off the pill for it to get back to pre-pubescent crappy hair, and now it's finally back to 'might be human after all' hair.

[Mosey_2003]

Also wanted to add, if you use shampoo/conditioner/product with any sort of silicone (dimethicone is VERY common) you really should use a clarifying shampoo to strip that off the hair first, I'm not positive baking soda alone will do it (although it might, I just don't know). Anything like that left on is going to keep your hair from soaking in moisture and getting full benefit. Yeah, it makes your hair look better the first couple times you use it, but it builds up, and I think that's why a lot of the time your hair responds better when you rotate different brands. I get away with using a little gel or curl spray occasionally but when I first started I had quite a buildup and it hindered my progress.

[Bicoastal]

or even take baking soda dry in a baggie and bring an empty bottle.

I thought about this but imagine it would raise a LOT of eyebrows at airport security.

[Mosey_2003]

Use small, cleaned out shampoo and conditioner bottles then?

[Beentheredonethat]

Mosey--You are my bff!

Actually, taking the baking soda in a baggie works great for travelling. I do it all of the time now and skip the vinegar on vacation. I just have a small baggie of baking soda and its more than enough for a couple of weeks. You could bring the vinegar, conditioner and vodka in little travel bottles, too. I only travel with carry on, and this works fine.

When I go to all inclusive places with free booze (I don't drink) I just get vodka for my hair there.

Put saran wrap over the top and then screw on the cover with liquids. Helps prevent spillage.

I keep an old shampoo bottle full of baking soda and water ready to go. The vinegar bottle is already a cool, narrow shape, so that just stays in the shower.

[Beentheredonethat]

Mosey--You are my bff!

Actually, taking the baking soda in a baggie works great for travelling. I do it all of the time now and skip the vinegar on vacation. I just have a small baggie of baking soda and its more than enough for a couple of weeks. You could bring the vinegar, conditioner and vodka in little travel bottles, too. I only travel with carry on, and this works fine.

When I go to all inclusive places with free booze (I don't drink) I just get vodka for my hair there.

Put saran wrap over the top and then screw on the cover with liquids. Helps prevent spillage.

I keep an old shampoo bottle full of baking soda and water ready to go. The vinegar bottle is already a cool, narrow shape, so that just stays in the shower.