In our last article, we presented two methods to get rid of chemical residue in your hair and get off to a good start with a transition to natural care.

This week, let’s take a closer look at baking soda clarification. We know the many talents of this ingredient, which is notably used in deodorants in natural cosmetics. But did you know that its stripping properties also let you rediscover the true nature of your hair?

Why do a baking soda clarification?

Using conventional shampoos and hair care products for years leads to chemical deposits on your hair. Thanks to their film-forming effect, these residues (silicones, quats...) give the impression of healthy hair, but in reality they weigh down the fiber, hide its true condition and damage it over the long term.

A pinch of food-grade baking soda dissolved in a natural shampoo helps remove any buildup of oils, silicones and other ingredients.

By removing this buildup, you rediscover the true nature of your hair and you can finally see the damage, more or less significant, caused by conventional hair cosmetics and everyday stressors (pollution, heat, UV, friction...). If your hair is dry, check out this guide.

Its powdery texture makes baking soda an exfoliant, so it can also help remove dry skin from the scalp. Avoid it if you have a sensitive scalp.

You can do a baking soda clarification in several cases:

• If you have sticky hair after switching to natural products: your hair then still contains residue from film-forming products that natural shampoos alone can’t remove.
• If you find your hair duller or oilier than usual.

The Step-by-Step Method

1. To your dose of natural shampoo, add a teaspoon of food-grade baking soda (the finest kind), 1 to 2 times a month.

2. Massage your scalp and your lengths.

3. Leave on for a few minutes.

Since baking soda is stripping for your hair, it’s important to do a natural Bond Repair hair mask after your clarification, to repair the fiber’s bonds and re-coat your lengths.

Baking soda has a very basic pH (pH 9) compared to that of hair (around pH 5). An apple cider vinegar rinse after a clarification helps close the cuticle scales and keeps the fiber from getting damaged. Vinegar also restores the natural pH of your hair. To learn more about the pH of hair and cosmetics, head over here.

Be careful not to apply pure apple cider vinegar to your hair: dilute 1 part vinegar in 10 parts water.

Contraindications

A baking soda clarification should be done every 3 to 4 weeks, and only if you feel the need. There’s no point in doing one if you weren’t using conventional products before: baking soda would strip away the protective sebum, which is essential to the balance of your scalp. The amount of sebum varies from person to person.

While an excess of sebum can make hair oily, a small amount is still needed to keep the scalp healthy and naturally coat the lengths. Removing it all would leave hair looking dull.

If your hair is very dry or damaged, a clarification isn’t recommended either: it could weaken it further. baking soda is in fact a type of salt made up of tiny abrasive crystals.

The hair fiber is delicate: these tiny crystals can scratch it and encourage the appearance of split ends. For lengths that are already sensitized, you’re better off turning to care for damaged and weakened hair.

Not sure which products are right for you? Take your personalized hair diagnostic in just a few minutes and discover your ideal routine.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a baking soda hair clarification?
It’s an occasional treatment that involves mixing a teaspoon of food-grade baking soda into your natural shampoo to remove residue from silicones, mineral oils and other film-forming agents left behind by conventional products.

2. How often should you clarify?
No more than once every 3 to 4 weeks, and only if your hair needs it. Done too often, it can dry out and weaken the hair fiber.

3. Who should avoid baking soda clarification?
People with a sensitive scalp or very dry, brittle or damaged hair should avoid this method, because baking soda is abrasive and can weaken the fiber further.

4. Why do you need to rinse with apple cider vinegar afterward?
Baking soda has a basic pH (≈9) while hair is slightly acidic (≈5). Rinsing with diluted apple cider vinegar (1 part to 10 parts water) closes the cuticle scales, balances the pH and adds shine.

5. What products should you use after clarifying?
Always finish with a natural deep treatment: a Bond Repair hair mask to repair the fiber’s bonds and prevent dryness. Your hair stays soft, shiny and protected after the baking soda “reset.”

Sources

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321225, March 16, 2018, author not specified.