This post should be tagged "duh". For a long time I wished for something that would be as acidic as apple cider vinegar but without the smell. I use diluted cider vinegar as the last rinse or to clarify the hair. The water in my town is pretty hard and an acidic last rinse is the key to smooth shiny hair. Anyway, it does take some time for the vinegar smell to dissipate, so I avoid using it before going out.
So as I was cleaning my kitchen I suddenly realised that I could easily substitute vinegar with soap nuts! They are just as acidic, and my hair loves them. They have a neutral smell. The only downside is the extra preparation time: you need to cover a couple of nuts with hot water and by the time the water cools down it's ready. You can reuse the nuts a couple of times.
Of course soap nuts are not exactly the same as vinegar, for one they do not contain living bacteria cultures. Both work well for my hair but yours may prefer one or another. Soap nuts are more cleansing and can be used on their own to wash the hair.
PS I have read that we shouldn't use soap nuts because the people in India can't afford them any more -- I have almost never seen anyone in India actually using them for their hair or their laundry, apart from a small alternative community (who actually learned about them from an organic store in Germany). Soap nuts are often an ingredient in hair care products though.
Do you use soap nuts or cider vinegar for your hair?
So as I was cleaning my kitchen I suddenly realised that I could easily substitute vinegar with soap nuts! They are just as acidic, and my hair loves them. They have a neutral smell. The only downside is the extra preparation time: you need to cover a couple of nuts with hot water and by the time the water cools down it's ready. You can reuse the nuts a couple of times.
Of course soap nuts are not exactly the same as vinegar, for one they do not contain living bacteria cultures. Both work well for my hair but yours may prefer one or another. Soap nuts are more cleansing and can be used on their own to wash the hair.
PS I have read that we shouldn't use soap nuts because the people in India can't afford them any more -- I have almost never seen anyone in India actually using them for their hair or their laundry, apart from a small alternative community (who actually learned about them from an organic store in Germany). Soap nuts are often an ingredient in hair care products though.
Do you use soap nuts or cider vinegar for your hair?
