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The more you style your hair, the more build-up is left, making it increasingly difficult to style your hair. The vicious cycle continues until you find a way to remove that nasty build-up. Fortunately, there are many inexpensive, natural solutions.
Prevention
The best way to get rid of build-up in your hair is to avoid it whenever possible. Build-up occurs because many of the shampoos, conditioners and styling products we use contain silicone, wax, lanolin and other ingredients that are hard to remove. Though it is hard for some ladies, you can significantly reduce build-up by using fewer styling products in general. Also try changing your shampoo and conditioner every few weeks instead of always using the same one. Clarifying shampoos can also do a good job of removing product build-up.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can pull conditioner build-up out of your hair even faster than it removes those odd smells from your refrigerator. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda in with your shampoo about once a week. You'll also help to get rid of any impurities that may be lurking in your water, which may lighten your hair a bit. Baking soda has been known to react with colored hair, so you may want to skip this one if your hair is dyed.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Safe to use every time you wash your hair, apple cider vinegar is a favorite among those looking for a natural way to get rid of build-up. Some proponents of this method recommend adding up to a half-cup of apple cider vinegar to two cups of water to make a vinegar rinse. Use the rinse after you have washed your hair as you normally would. Others recommend combining a teaspoon of vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil and 3 egg whites. This concoction is then applied to the hair, followed by a shower cap, and allowed to sit for 30 minutes before shampooing. The addition of the egg and olive oil provides a deep conditioning treatment in addition to removing build-up.
Beer
Looking for something to do with the left-over beer from Saturday’s party? Try putting it on your head. Instead of shampoo, lather some beer into your head and let it sit for a few minutes. This not only removes build-up but actually helps to repair and smooth damaged cuticles. Make sure you don’t go to work smelling like a brewery after a beer treatment by rinsing your hair thoroughly with cold water.
