No Poo - Week 2, Baking Soda May Not Be Good for Hair?

End of week 1 and what happens? I continually research and find out that baking soda is not the best thing for your hair. Upon further research, I read a lot of blogger feedback with comments like "made my hair soft at first, but now it's brittle," "fried my hair" and things along that line. WHAAAAA?

Let me explain. Baking soda is alkaline and has a pH of about 8-ish. The natural pH of your scalp is slightly acidic (called the acid mantle), at 4.5 - 5.5. Water is neutral with a pH of 7. So what does this mean? You want a shampoo or conditioner to be pH balanced, which should be as close to the natural pH of your own scalp as much as possible. Your scalp is on the acidic side to prevent fungus and bacteria from making a home there. When you use solutions that are too alkaline, you alter your acid mantle and make it less protective from what it's designed to do--keep bad bugs out. Also, when your hair is washed with something too alkaline, it damages the disulfide bonds in your hair, which is what makes it feel "softer." With this version of no poo-ing, you bring your hair to an alkaline state with the baking soda, then do an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse to bring the pH back down.

Issue number 2 is with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): this has a pH of 3.0, which is more acidic then your own scalp. If you dilute it properly, 1/2 teaspoon to 8 oz. of water, this dilutes it to closer to the scalp of your pH (info referenced here). Problem is, most bloggers tell you to dilute 1 TABLESPOON to 1 cup of water, which would still leave your hair in a more acidic state than at its baseline (4.5-5.5).

What did I do next? I scoured the internet for alternatives to baking soda and ACV, which a lot of other bloggers did. Turns out, several of them were on to this baking soda thing not being good for them. I discovered another recipe using homemade coconut milk and Dr. Bronner's castile soap. I liked this recipe because it also gave me a nice bit of sudsing.

But then what did I do? I went online to do more research, and found this video that told me castile soap's pH is even more alkaline than baking soda. HUH?? WHY internet, WHY?

Off I went, researching more….to find a better alternative.

I really liked the way this vlogger demonstrates the various pH's of commonly used "no-poo" solutions using litmus paper. She has shown me the light and was the inspiration for me to keep searching for a good no-poo solution that was a bit more pH-balanced.

And here's a great post from Empowered Sustenance about no-poo not being healthy for hair.