If you’re finding that shampoos are sometimes a little too aggressive, leaving your hair and scalp too dry, an apple cider vinegar hair rinse could be the cleansing solution you need.
Why use an apple cider vinegar hair rinse?
Apple cider vinegar is loaded up with vitamins and minerals that promote good hair health. It’s also somewhat acidic, so it’s a great gentle exfoliant to clear away dead skin without stripping away natural oils. With those two functions together, a good apple cider vinegar hair rinse will cleanse your scalp and leave your hair surprisingly smooth and shiny. Plus, it’s more natural than chemical-based cleansers, which can be appealing.
Hold up, what exactly is a hair rinse anyway?
Ultimately, there’s no scientific definition here; a rinse is just the grooming industry word for a cleanser that you rinse out. But rinses aren’t merely fancy shampoo. In terms of the effects on your hair, rinses tend to land somewhere between a shampoo and conditioner because they do a bit of cleansing and conditioning.
The clearest analogy we can think of is this: A good face skincare routine uses a face wash, a face cleanser and a moisturizer; a good hair care routine uses a shampoo, a rinse and a conditioner. The rinse is that less aggressive middle step to further cleanse and condition hair. For that reason, rinses are often used alone, but they can fit into any hair care routine or replace some or most of your shampooing.
OK, that sounds great, but how do I use an apple cider vinegar hair rinse?
Whether an apple cider vinegar rinse or otherwise, rinses are really easy to use.
Related Stories
- Start with a wet scalp and hair.
- Wring out excess water from your hair.
- Apply the product directly to your scalp, moving hair out of the way as needed and massaging it in along the way. As you do so, spread and pull it through your hair.
- Let it chill for a few minutes and then rinse!
- For best results, read the directions on the bottle. Most rinses need to chill for one to five minutes, but some products recommend letting them soak a bit longer.
And them’s the basics! With those out of the way, check out some of the best apple cider vinegar hair rinses below. And if you’d rather make your own rinse — it’s a lot cheaper than buying a retail rinse — jump to the bottom for a really easy DIY apple cider vinegar hair rinse recipe.
1. dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse
BEST OVERALL
The dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse is a high-quality apple cider vinegar rinse that promises to cleanse your scalp and repair your hair, with some help from aloe vera and lavender extract. Whatever kinds of hair you have, let this apple cider vinegar hair rinse soak for one to three minutes before rinsing for refreshed and rejuvenated hair.
2. R+Co Acid Wash Apple Cider Vinegar Cleansing Rinse
RUNNER-UP
R+Co makes some of the most interesting hair care products so it’s no surprise the R+Co Acid Wash Apple Cider Vinegar Cleansing Rinse is good.
Key ingredients include exfoliating and protective apple fruit extract, moisturizing aloe leaf juice and nourishing tamanu seed oil. With this rinse, you’ll have a soothed scalp and soft, shiny hair in no time.
3. Mountaineer Brand Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse
HONORABLE MENTION
The Mountaineer Brand Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse makes rinsing your hair and beard easy. Apple cider vinegar and essential oils cleanse and condition hair, minimizing dryness and itchiness. The fact the rinse comes in a spray bottle is all the more convenient.
4. Head & Shoulders Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
BUDGET PICK
The Head & Shoulders Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse is the cheapest option we found but it’s still a great rinse. The apple cider vinegar does what it does best to clarify skin and hair, and castor oil ensures everything’s nice and moisturized. If you trust Head & Shoulders for dandruff, you’ll enjoy this rinse too.
5. Cantu Refresh Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse
AMAZON HIGHLY RATED
The Cantu Refresh Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse adds two of our favorite ingredients into the mix, tea tree oil and shea butter, as well as exfoliating acids and other moisturizing essential oils. Everything works together to detoxify and cleanse your scalp and condition your hair and skin. Whatever condition your hair and skin are in, this apple cider vinegar hair rinse has something for you.
6. Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse Concentrate
HIGHLY CONCENTRATED
If you don’t mind mixing the rinse with water yourself, you’ll get great value out of the Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse Concentrate. The 9 oz will go a long way because you don’t need much of the concentrate to mix with water to achieve the desired cleansing and conditioning. Plus this stuff is about as natural as it gets. It’s just raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with some essential oils and botanicals here. Just make sure you have your own spray bottle handy, and be aware there’s a light summer rain scent.
7. Creme Of Nature Argan Oil Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse
MADE WITH ARGAN OIL
Anything that’s argan-oil-forward is going to have a great conditioning effect. But the Creme Of Nature Argan Oil Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse also features a number of other repairing, soothing and cleansing ingredients to bring your hair back up to snuff.
8. Renpure Apple Cider Vinegar Clarify + Shine Scalp Serum
EXTRA INVIGORATING
The Renpure Apple Cider Vinegar Clarify + Shine Scalp Serum delivers as promised. Apple cider vinegar, oils and plant extracts remove buildup and flakes to condition your hair and give it that refreshed clean feeling and a healthy shine. Be aware this one’s a little runny, so make sure to get it right on the scalp to spread into your hair.
DIY Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse Recipe
You’re going to be mad when you see how easy this recipe is.
- Start with 1/8 cup of organic apple cider vinegar with the mother and 3/4 cup purified water. (FYI: “The mother” is just the enzymes and bacteria that make vinegar vinegar and give the product its cloudy appearance. It’s perfectly normal and safe.)
- Add the apple cider vinegar to an enclosable bottle. Now add the water.
- Cap the bottle and give it a good shake.
That’s it! If you’d like to add essential oils for fragrance, just add them after the first shake and then shake again to ensure they’re thoroughly mixed too.