Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

Hey ladies,

“I’d just love to kiss ya, but I just washed my hair – Bette Davis.”

The winter months are here at last and as much as we rejoice in sweet anticipation for all the good things this season brings, we aren’t oblivious to the not-so-good things too. The dearth of moisture does summon all the moisture-locking products to come out tenfold and when skin feels taut and heels show telltale signs of cracking and hair begins to lose its luster, we know we need that extra dose of TLC to keep all these nuisances at bay.

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

Here (Hair) Today Gone Tomorrow:

Let’s talk about hair shall we, as that’s, after all, our crowning glory. Wow suddenly remembered Dimple Kapadia in her Crowning Glory soap ad and boy what hair did she have! I just went to Youtube to see the ad and it cracks me up (yes thankfully advertising is much better and classier these days), but when you think of her hair, you know you’d want to own those tresses.

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

My hair has been through a lot over the past years in terms of colouring, constant blow drying and using hair products, so as the cold season seeped in, I noticed the ends were drier than I had fathomed and had lost all sheen too. At home, my hair’s usually in a messy bun and only when I need to go out, does my open hair reveal the unpleasant dryness (read a few split ends here and there..Arrrgh!!). So since I don’t want to cut my hair and lose the much-awaited length that I have been working towards, I thought it was high time to look into the matter before it was too late.  (By the way, I do trim the split ends myself as they have drastically reduced).

My hair is long (not as long as the princess in Rumplestiltskin…phew!), quite thick, gets very frizzy and keeps shedding. Had I not had the length, it would look like an afro. Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a wee bit, but you get the drift! My frizzy hair isn’t just limited to the humid monsoons, but all year round. What a bummer! Till date, I have not found a shampoo or serum that has tamed my hair except when I use a straightener or do a blow dry. Now, I have stopped using a hair dryer when at home and only if I go to a party/function do I use those heat-evoking gadgets, otherwise I stick to regular oil massages and less frequent shampooing.

So through trial and error, I found a very simple hair care routine for myself that actually worked (yes, I tried many, trust me) and the best thing was that it was easy-peasy and barely takes long especially if you have to go out and are short of time. I began this around mid-November and since then I and some friends too have noticed a difference in my hair. It’s no rocket science: the routine consists of a thorough oil massage with (ANY) pure Almond Oil followed by shampooing with a herbal shampoo and then culminating this with an ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinse.

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

I have always used good old coconut oil since as long as I can remember, but now that I have switched to almond oil, I dislike the heaviness coconut oil can give and that it takes at least 3 washes to rinse it all out. Almond oil is much lighter on the head as washes out easily. Almond oil also is rich in magnesium, polyunsaturated and mono fatty acids as well as vitamins E, D, B1, B2, B6 and A. Oilve oil and any oil of your choice works, but I am currently using almond oil as it’s suiting me for now.

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

I use an ACV rinse mainly because apple cider vinegar does wonders to balance hair and scalp pH, removes any product buildup (even oil), treats hair loss and makes hair super shiny. Best to use the organic version but since I couldn’t get my hands on one, I went for the non-organic one from Heinz which works just as well. Will go scouting for the organic one once I’m through with this bottle. If it’s good enough to eat, it’s good enough for your hair!

Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

Here’s what I do:

1. I damp my hair as almond oil readily absorbs into wet hair better than dry hair.

2. Massage a few drops on my scalp and roots to stimulate hair growth and condition it.

3. Divide my hair into 4-5 sections and again take a few drops and massage each section from roots to ends working my way through the whole hair length. (No need to drench hair in oil, a few drops will do on each section).

4. I take a shower cap and wrap my head (this allows the oil to seep in and prevents my pillow from staining).

5. Leave on overnight. (If your husband/partner is in the picture, advisable to oil after he’s asleep if you know what I mean 😛 … No one likes an oil-clad head in their face. How unromantic! )

6. The next morning, I wash if off with an herbal shampoo, preferably sulphate free.

7. Mix one part ACV with one part warm water and pour into a spray bottle to spray all over hair from root to ends. (I use a spray bottle as it’s easier to apply the ACV rinse throughout the whole hair and does not drip all over my face as it can sting your eyes).

8. Using fingertips, I massage this on my scalp to remove any build up, but pay special attention to my ends.

9. Leave this on for a few minutes (3-5 minutes will do).

10. I then rinse it off with cold water to lock in all the moisture and seal the cuticles.

After my hair has dried, the end result is soft, shiny, hydrated and squeaky clean hair and less split ends too…Voila!

Optional (Adding Rosemary to the ACV rinse):

I have tried this a few times, but currently have run out of rosemary, but you can infuse rosemary oil into the ACV rinse too as it is good for slowing the progress of premature hair loss by stimulating the hair follicles. Rosemary also fights dandruff and dry, itchy scalp and keeps your hair shiny and soft.  Either add a few drops of rosemary essential oil in the rinse or boil rosemary leaves in the ACV rinse and allow it to cool before you spray it on. Adding rosemary is optional and works just as well without.

Conclusion:

Don’t worry about the ACV stench as it’s vinegar after all and will smell but when your hair is dry, the smell goes away.  Almond oil conditions hair hence I don’t require using any extra conditioner and opt for 100% pure almond oil and Apple cider vinegar (organic or non-organic), but stay away from synthetic ones. Please remember that the ACV rinse should not be done frequently, so stick to once or twice a week to start with and then once you see results, you can reduce to twice a month maybe as per your best judgement.

Hope this helps in keeping your hair luscious this season and you can continue all year round too! Now my hair is happy and so am I 🙂

Au revoir!

xoxo

Image Sources: 1, 2.

Khadi Sweet Almond Oil
Beauty Benefits of Almond Oil
Aroma Magic Almond Oil
Biotique Almond Oil Cleanser
Divya Badam Rogan Almond Oil
Dabur Almond Hair Oil
Dove Elixir Rose & Almond Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar Review, Uses
Apple Cider Vinegar: The Beauty Elixir
Pore Tightening Lactic Acid Face Mask: Do It Yourself
8 Ways to use Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair and Skin
L’occitane Repairing Shampoo for Dry Dull Hair
How To Fix Damaged Hair
Homemade Hair Packs for Dry Damaged Hair
Mayonnaise Hair Treatment For Dry and Damaged Hair: DIY

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17 thoughts on “Almond Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Routine To Treat Dull and Damaged Hair

    1. Welcome Lisha! BTW, I’m also trying a hair reconstructor along with this for extra benefit…will post once I see results 🙂

  1. I have dry and frizzy hair too. I have started using almond oil just 15-20 days back and I’m already seeing a difference..my hair is lot better than before in terms of softness buty split ends are still there. I hate to trim my hair after every 6-8 weeks because the the parlour lady always cut my hair more than the required and I lose a little hair length everytime which pains me a lot :'(.

    1. Hmmm…..keep the regular oiling going and unless you have lots of split ends, try and trim only the split ends yourself at home as I know the parlour guys always get carried away and cut off more than needed. I literally have to show them exactly how little I want trimming and keep my eyes on their scissors otherwise my hair will never grow long at the rate they cut off.

  2. Even I follow a similar procedure…but instead of rosemary oil I add lavender oil to the ACV rinse. This has helped my hair as well. 🙂 🙂

  3. wow …thanku. ..much needed post for me.
    i get my hair dry the very next day of wash in this season….n felt coarse. i will try this ACP . cant thank you enough dear.

  4. Great article…!!!! I have one question though. I had been using shahnaz’s herbal shampoo(shamla) for the last year or so. My parlour guy went into mild shock after hearing this. He advised me to stop using it immediately as herbal shampoos strip hair of shine,bounce etc etc. I really dont buy this. Which herbal shampoo would u recommend for dry,wavy,long hair which can keep my hair shiny, bouncy and soft. Thanks….!!!!

  5. Thanks Vidhi. ..So I’m gonna be completely honest with you. Today’s parlours (in keeping up with the latest products and client demands) mostly stock up on the loreal professionals, wella’s, kerastase’s of the world which claim a zillion miracles and aren’t cheap. I’ve tried them all including the kerastase hair masks which are known to be the best but nothing has worked. I’ve been told by many parlour guys that my hairs dry and need a zillion products and treatments…good marketing on their part but doesn’t work for me. Maybe certain shampoos work for some hair and that’s great but you should go with what ultimately suits you and not fall for marketing. So currently I’m still trying to find my best shampoo and hope i do one day but till then im trying out cream shampoos from Blossom Kochhars Aroma Magic collection and BiotiqueS range of shampoos like the kelp protein one(not the best but it’s ok to clean out build up and oil). I don’t believe any shampoo that is in a bottle is 100% chemical free unless you make it at home so my search for a really good shampoo is still on. At least I’ve quit using the ones with sulphate in them. Sometimes I also use amla, shikakai and reetha at home if I have time.

  6. Btw my dermatologist told me to never oil hair….errrr. ..but I can’t live without oil. So till I find my best shampoo that’s harmless, what’s working for me is regular oiling, less shampooing, natural hair rinses, use of natural products, drinking loads of water and staying away from blow drying as much as possible.

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