Apple Cider Vinegar: pH Balance and Seborrheic Dermatitis

1BlessedNatural: Apple Cider Vinegar: PH Balance and Seborrheic Dermatitis

Happy Thursday, my blessed naturals!
Through my 3-year natural hair journey, I've heard a lot of things about Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) being beneficial for natural hair. Some of the things include it being a great frizz controller and conditioner, but I've never tried it until now.  Many of you may be aware that I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis. Although I've had the condition for my whole life, my scalp itchiness and irritation have gotten worse within the last 2 years. I've been using a prescription shampoo and oil to control it. In the past, I've tried natural remedies like tea tree oil to treat the condition naturally, but to no avail. I have to give a shout out to the lovely ladies at +Enjoyable Inspiration for suggesting that I try doing an ACV/Beer Rinse infused with tea tree and geranium oil to treat the inflammation of my scalp, but I only did the ACV rinse. Thank God it worked!

This time, I poured a small amount of Goya Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle. I have read of people using unfiltered ACV, but I just used what was available. I was going to mix it with water, but I decided not to do so for my first time. I put my hair in 4 sections, parted small sections, and sprayed the ACV directly onto my scalp. ACV is acidic and may burn your scalp if you are not careful. As a result, I would suggest diluting it with water especially if you've been scratching your scalp. Afterwards, I covered my hair with a plastic conditioning cap.

After letting the ACV sit on my scalp for 45 minutes, I rinsed it out and shampooed my hair with my seborrheic dermatitis shampoo. Because I did not use an oil on my scalp, it still had flakes on it. However, I wasn't experiencing any itching and burning. It has been 7 days since I have used the ACV on my scalp and it is still fine. My scalp is usually aggravated by sweating when I work out, but that did not happen, thank God! This week, I'm going to try mixing it with tea tree oil as was suggested by my natural friends. My goal is to get to be able to use all natural products to treat my Seborrheic Dermatitis.


 

1BlessedNatural: My scalp was less itchy after doing the ACV rinse.

Here's What I Forgot...

In all of my product junkiness (that's not even a word lol), I forgot about checking the pH balance of the products I used. It's as simple as checking the product labels. pH stands for the potential of hydrogen. It is used to measure the acidity and alkalinity of a solution. Any solution with a pH of 7 is neutral. Any number below 7 is an increase in acidity, and any number above it is an increase in alkalinity. Curly or kinky hair should be between level 4.5-5.5 because the hair cuticle is partially open. Higher levels can raise the cuticle and make it more prone to damage. In my case, I was using products that were above 7 or high in alkali. WikiHow says this:

If you a have problems with fungi or bacteria on your scalp [i.e. my seborrheic dermatitis] it is likely that your scalp and hair are too alkali. Usually this means that you are using a product that has a high pH above 7, and it is stripping away your naturally acidic sebum that fights bacteria.

As a result, the ACV rinse  restored my hair's acidity. I will of course keep you all updated on my progress!

 Do you do ACV rinses?

Sources and Further Reading: 
Skin Rashes and Apple Cider Vinegar
How to Balance pH in Hair Naturally
Potential of Hydrogen
PH Levels: pH Balance in Hair Products


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