Apple Cider Vinegar hair rinse

If you suffer from hair that is frizzy, dull or rough to the touch, then an Apple Cider Vinegar hair rinse may be the answer to all your problems! As you probably know, vinegar is acidic. An acidic solution will help to close the cuticles of your hair, thus resulting in smoother strands that look healthier and shinier. Also, since the cuticles are lying flat instead of up, they are less likely to catch on neighbouring strands of hair, so you will have less tangles too.

My recipe for the Apple Cider Vinegar rise is as follows:
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (I used Bragg's, which has "the Mother" in it)
600ml of cool water (room temperature is fine, I just mean not warm or hot)

Use this as a final rinse after your shampooing and conditioning. You may choose to leave it in or rinse it out. I personally rinse it out with cool water to prevent my towels from smelling of vinegar. However, if you choose to leave it in, rest assured that the vinegar smell dissipates as your hair dries, so you won't walk around smelling like a salad. =) Do take note that using cool water for the rinse is very important! Cool water also helps to flatten the cuticles for that smooth shiny look. Oh, and those suffering from itchy scalp? The vinegar rinse will also help cure it! (or at least help lessen the itch) It balances the pH(acidity level) of your scalp to its optimum level, which is slightly acidic, and helps to clarify any shampoo or conditioner residue left. I find that leaving in the rinse works better to curb the itch, so I rinse my length with plain water after the vinegar rinse, but leave my scalp alone.

As always, everyone's hair is different, so you may have to play around with the recipe to get the best results on your hair. Increase or decrease the amount of vinegar as you deem fit, but remember that this rinse should never leave your hair feeling rough and unmanageable! If so, it is likely that you are using too much vinegar.

Frequency of this rinse is up to personal preference. I use it every single time I wash my hair (ranging from everyday to about once every 2-3 days), and it never comes out feeling dry. I do know some others who only use it once a week, once a month, or even once every few months. Just experiment with it, and have fun!

Silk scarves for sleeping

Those of you who have not gotten a silk or satin scarf for sleeping, do so now! Ever since i started wrapping my hair in a silk scarf before I sleep, I have woken up every morning to smooth, beautiful hair. Before, my hair was tangled and frizzy each morning, requiring careful and time-consuming brushing. Now, I just have to run my fingers once through to check for tangles, and there are hardly any!

Silk scarves don't have to be expensive. I got mine from Dharma trading and they are very affordable, even for international purchases. I bought 2 44" x 44" silk scarves, one Habotai and one Silk Satin. The Habotai one was cheaper, but the Silk Satin one was way smoother and silkier. That is not to say the Habotai one wasn't silky, but it had more of a texture than the Satin one.

I tie the Silk Satin scarf around my pillow, and the Habotai one I wrap around my head and hair after loosely bunning hair into a low bun at the nape of my neck. This is simply because the Habotai one is slightly lighter and thinner, and thus I feel it allows my head to "breathe" more easily. You could probably make do with smaller sized scarves if you are just going to tie them around your head,but I got the biggest size they had as I wanted to use it for my pillow as well. On that note, they do carry silk pillowcases as well, but I thought that a scarf would fit more easily around pillows of different sizes.

To silicone or not?

There has been alot of controversy revolving around the use of silicone in hair products. It is said to mask damage and split ends, such that when one stops the use of silicone, all the accumulated damage shows through at once. While this may be true, some people have found that their hair cannot live without silicone! In the past, my hair was very happy with silicone serums, and was shiny and smooth from the use of them. However, it has become very finicky of late,and ends up crunchy if I use a leave-in that contains silicone. Thus, I decided to do a little experimenting to see decide if I should stick with silicone or not.

First thing I did was to abandon my silicone serum in favour of my trusty coconut oil. I shampooed my entire length to get rid of the silicone serum in my hair, and then applied coconut oil when damp. Lo and behold, my hair was much softer and happier with the use of coconut oil. To ensure this was really the result of switching to oil, I tried this for a few more washes, achieving the same result. My silicone serum is happily collecting dust on my shelf now, at least until my hair decides it needs a change again.

Next, I thought that maybe I should try a silicone-free wash-off conditioner too. So I went out and got one, using it for my next wash. This one was a no-go. My hair was tangly and unmanageable, oiling it did not help either. So...I went back to my silicone-loaded conditioner.

Funny isn't it, that my hair loves a silicone wash-off but hates a silicone leave-in? For those having hair problems, it's best to do some experimenting of your own, but be sure to only change one element at a time, so you know exactly what you changed that made a difference. For example, try a different serum while keeping all other parts of your routine the same. Don't change your leave-in and wash-off and the same time! Also remember that hair, like your skin, is always changing. Products you have been happy with for a long time may suddenly stop working!

Methods of washing hair: WO, CWC, CO-ing, OWC

Recently, I have been trying out a few different methods of washing my hair, namely water-only(WO), conditioner-water-conditoner(CWC), conditoner-only washing(CO-ing) and finally oil-water-conditoner(OWC). Here's my take on each of the above mentioned methods:

WO didn't work for me at all. My hair was a tangled mess after washing with water, and i couldn't run my fingers through it while it was still wet. So, I toweled dry and waited for it to become damp before trying to detangle again. However, even after applying leave-in conditioner and oil, there were still masses of tangles that took me very long to carefully pick out. This is definitely something I will not try again.

CWC was much better compared to WO. In fact, it is one of my favourite methods, other than OWC, but more on that later. I used a rather cheap conditoner for the first C, coating my hair from ear down and massaging in to loosen dirt and buildup. Then I shampooed my scalp and washed both shampoo and conditioner away at the same time. For the next C, I used my usual conditioner, once again coating from ear down, and rubbing the leftovers lightly over the scalp area. This method keeps my hair tangle-free and much less dry than a normal shampoo + conditioner wash would do.

Following my success with CWC, I decided to try out CO-ing, where only conditioner and no shampoo is used. This did not work for me as I have a oily scalp and the conditioner could not clean it properly, thus leading to and itchy scalp. Also, the conditioner built up on my hair very quickly, leaving me with white flakes whenever I brush.

Lastly, i tried a modified version of CWC, the OWC. I applied coconut oil liberally to my hair from ear down, and left it in for at least an hour before proceeding to wash. During the wash, I shampooed my scalp and let the suds flow down to the rest of the hair when I rinsed. After that I followed with conditioner as per the method in CWC.

Both CWC and OWC left the best results, but I think I would probably use OWC more often, as I like to use coconut oil in my hair as a deep treatment.

Secure your Hair when Sleeping to Protect from Damage

It is tempting after a long tired day to just lay down on bed and go straight to sleep. However, most of us use cotton pillowcases, which create a lot of friction between your pillow and your hair, resulting in tangled, frizzy hair, especially for those who toss and turn a lot in their sleep.

To ensure you wake up with beautiful hair, and to save yourself the pain of having to carefully take out knots, here are some steps you can take:

1. Change your pillowcase to a satin or silk one. These smooth materials will allow your hair to glide over it throughout the night, preventing it from catching and knotting.

2. Put your hair into a bun or braid before sleeping. I always sleep with my hair loosely braided and secured with a hair-safe ponytail holder as I toss in my sleep and thus find that my bun tends to come loose during the night. If you do however choose to bun your hair, a bun high on the top of your head would probably feel the most comfortable.

3. Wear a satin/silk nightcap or bonnet instead of putting hair into a braid or bun. Alternatively, further protect your hair by wearing it over your updo. Do take care to choose a nightcap that is not tight as it will probably feel uncomfortable wearing it for hours. You can even wrap your hair in a satin/silk scarf if you have one.