You may have read about various ways in which you can use baking soda on your hair to address common hair problems. So many DIYs recommend this hack that it won’t come as a surprise if you end up using more baking soda on your hair than your food.
Often used as a replacement for shampoo or mixed with shampoo, this harmless-looking ingredient may not be that harmless after all. We did some research and found out that is not the safest thing to put on your hair. Here’s everything you need to know
What does baking soda do to your hair?
While baking soda has been said to soften hair, make it shiny and remove excess oil, some people have complained that it causes dryness, frizziness, irritation and hair breakage. This is because baking soda has a pH value of 9, whereas the average pH level of hair and scalp is between 3 and 5. It will definitely remove scalp build-up but at the same time cause extreme dryness and strip scalp of its natural oils.
What are the alternatives?
When it comes to beauty, there are always safer and better alternatives to everything. Instead of emptying that baking soda bottle, use the following instead.
Clarifying shampoo
Product build-up and greasiness can hamper hair growth and it is necessary to get rid of it. Instead of reaching out for baking soda, invest in a clarifying shampoo that will safely remove product build-up without causing damage to your tresses. However, clarifying shampoos are not formulated for regular use, wash your hair with it not more than once a month to prevent the risk of seriously drying out your scalp.
Scalp scrub
Exfoliating your scalp isn’t very common, although every woman should be adopting this habit. It removes accumulated dirt, greasiness, product build-up and dandruff. You can use DIY methods but avoid adding baking soda to it. Instead, opt for gentler ingredients such as brown sugar with olive oil and honey or brown sugar and oatmeal. These combinations remove product build up as well as maintain the pH level of your scalp.
Baking soda certainly has more cons than pros when it comes to using it on your hair. However, if this method works for you, we suggest using it once every two weeks in order to avoid damaging your hair.
Written by Sanya Hamdani on Jan 17, 2020
Sanya Hamdani is a skincare enthusiast and lipstick hoarder, she truly believes no two red lipsticks look exactly alike. With a Master's degree in Communication & Journalism and 5+ years of digital writing experience up her sleeve, Sanya has some of the biggest beauty experts in the country on her speed dial. When she's not swatching products or writing about the latest trends in beauty, you will find her watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.