Caring for your hair has never been easier than with a natural hair rinse. It leaves your scalp nourished and healthy while giving you luscious locks! Not only is it beneficial for your tresses, but it also results in gorgeous, healthy hair.
These simple, straightforward rinses will make your hair look and feel healthier in no time! Crafting the recipes is a breeze, and using them couldn’t be easier.
From dry to oily hair, these rinses benefit almost any type of tress. We will also share the purpose of each remedy so you know exactly what it’s used for!
What is A Hair Rinse?
Hair rinses are in liquid form, either blended or mixed, or can be diluted concoctions used to rinse your hair. As the name suggests, you only need to rinse your hair and scalp with the liquid. Easy right?
The best part is that they’re easy to prepare, natural without all the hype and chemicals that products off shelves are loaded with, and can be crafted for any purpose – hair growth, hair thinning, dry hair, frizzy hair, to curb hair fall, for brightening or lightening hair color, for conditioning, for softening, for silky locks, texturizing and whatnot!
That said, we will look at conditioning hair rinses that will leave your hair soft, silky, and happy after a wash. Depending on the added ingredients, they can double up for other benefits. So, let’s get started.
10 Homemade Hair Conditioning Rinses
Conditioning uses ingredients, typically botanical extracts, that add moisture and shine, soften, and help detangle hair, but most importantly, it seals cuticles opened by surfactants in shampoos during hair wash.
Hair conditioners or conditioning agents can be mildly cleansing or clarifying to get rid of build-up. It is important to use a hair conditioner every time after a hair wash. Hair conditioners can be used once or twice a week.
However, for fine or thinning hair, go light on the hair conditioner to avoid weighing down your hair. Most hair conditioners have protein, botanical extracts, and oils, making hair soft, shiny, smooth, manageable, and lustrous.
You can also use homemade hair conditioners, and they’re easy to prepare, though some rinses listed here double up as one. Even simple recipes made from readily available ingredients can do wonders to condition your hair and more.
Let’s take a look at a few natural hair rinses for healthy tresses and scalp. We have kept the recipes fairly suitable for all shades, though we can cover more rinses specific to hair types later.
1. Vegan Baking Soda Hair Rinse
A humble and affordable ingredient, baking soda does wonders to clarify your scalp, restore hair’s natural pH balance and get rid of scalp build-up. It also removes dirt and grime, leaving your locks shiny and happy.
What You’ll Need
- Baking Soda – 3 tbsp
- Water – 3 Cups
- Geranium Essential Oil – a few drops
How To Make
- Add baking soda to three cups of water along with geranium essential oil.
- Mix, done!
How To Use
After using a shampoo to your hair, pour this over your hair and scalp.
Wait for about five minutes.
Rinse off, condition & and air dry your hair.
Style as usual.
Notes
Don’t use this rinse more than once a week, especially if you have dry or damaged hair. Overuse of this clarifying hair rinse can lead to hair breakage.
It’s important to understand that clarifying or getting rid of scalp build-up not only lets your scalp breathe but also boosts hair growth. It makes way for the absorption of nutrients through hair follicles and roots. So use this rinse at least once a month, especially if you have an active lifestyle, go out for work or physical activities, use hair products, etc.
You can add a spoonful of coconut oil or argan oil to these hair rinses for added benefits and moisturization.
2. Vegan Coconut Milk Hair Rinse
Richly nourishing and moisturizing, coconut milk hair rinse can take your hair’s silkiness, softness and health up a notch. It’s also easy and one of the best hair foods, promoting hair growth while curbing hair loss.
What You’ll Need
- Coconut Milk – 1 Cup
- Lavender Essential Oil – a few drops
How To Make
- Shred or grind the flesh of fresh coconut to extract the milk.
- You can use a little water if grinding instead of squeezing out milk from shredded coconut.
- Also, sprinkling slightly warm – hot water on sprinkled coconut and letting it sit for a few minutes before squeezing makes milk extraction easy.
- Add lavender oil to the extracted milk and stir.
- Done!
How To Use
Pour the coconut milk mixture on your damp hair and scalp after you wash your hair.
Massage gently to help your hair follicles.
Let it sit for 7 – 15 minutes before rinsing off.
You don’t have to wash; just rinse off with cold water.
Condition, air dry your hair and style as usual.
Notes
You can wait anywhere around 5 minutes in case you can’t wait longer due to health reasons.
You can also spray this on your hair and scalp, let it sit for a few minutes, and wash it off.
You won’t get greasy hair when using this rinse; it will also prevent hair breakage.
3. Vegan Epsom Salt Hair Rinse
Have limp or fine hair and want to add volume to your hair or bounce to your curls? Nothing does it better than a little epsom salt.
What You’ll Need
- Epsom Salt – 2 tbsp
- Water – 2 Cups
- Clary Sage Essential Oil – 3 drops
How To Make
- Warm up the water in a bowl.
- Remove from heat – the water should be lukewarm.
- Add the Epsom salt and warm water and stir to combine.
- Done!
How To Use
After washing your hair, pour this rinse on your hair and scalp.
Alternatively, you can transfer the rinse to a spray bottle and spray it on your hair and scalp (part your locks while covering your scalp).
Let it sit for a few minutes.
Air dry and style as usual.
Notes
You don’t have to rinse off after, as this is a final rinse.
This hair rinse will leave you with a hair texture that mimics salt spray – so ideal when you want to texturize your hair or go for the beach waves.
It adds volume and definition to your locks.
You can also add a spoonful of olive oil to moisturize and strengthen your locks.
4. Beer Hair Rinse
One of the easiest and no-nonsense hair rinse recipes, beer hair rinse is a no-brainer. Rich in yeast and vitamins, it’s a great ingredient for hair care. It’s also a great conditioner and leaves you with shiny and soft tresses.
What You’ll Need
- Beer – 1 Cup
How To Make
- Nothing at all, use it as is!
How To Use
Just pour the beer over your hair and scalp and let it sit for a good 7 minutes.
Rinse, use your hair conditioner, air dry and style as usual.
This is more of a way to get shiny and soft locks than a hair treatment for your locks.
5. Vegan Green Tea Hair Rinse
Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, green tea rinse packs a punch. It leaves you with shiny, nourished and happy locks.
What You’ll Need
- Green Tea – 2 tbsp
- Water – 3 Cups
- Chamomile Essential Oil – 3 Drops
How To Make
- Bring the water to a boil, add the tea leaves and let it steep for about 20 minutes.
- Add chamomile essential oil and shake gently.
- Done!
How To Use
You can use this as a pre-shower spray on dry hair or post-shower on damp hair and let it sit for a good 20 minutes before rinsing off.
Those who can’t leave their hair wet longer can rinse it off after a few minutes.
Air dry and style as usual.
Notes
Do this once a week at least for the best results.
You can also add apple cider vinegar to make this a cider vinegar hair rinse.
You can add a spoon of aloe vera for moisturized, shiny and tangle-free locks.
6. Vegan Rosemary Hair Rinse
Rich in anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants, rosemary is one of the best herbs when you want to nurture and nourish hair. That it can promote hair growth and curbs hair loss is an added bonus!
Itchy and flaky scalp? Hair loss? Try this rosemary and acv hair rinse to make your hair silky and your scalp happy!
What You’ll Need
- Rosemary Leaves – 3 Tbsp.
- Water – 3 Cups
- ACV – 2 Tbsp.
How To Make
- Bring water to a boil and add in the rosemary twigs.
- Let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Switch off and remove from heat.
- After it cools down, add apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.
- Done.
How To Use
You can spray this on your hair and scalp and hair pre-shower or use it as a rinse on wet hair.
Let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off.
Air dry and style as usual.
Notes
You can also use rosemary essential oil along with the leaves or individually if you don’t get fresh rosemary twigs.
Those rosemary and apple cider vinegar rinse is also clarifying, and you’ll feel like your scalp is finally able to breathe now that the build-up is cleared.
Apple cider vinegar also combats dandruff and scalp issues, besides restoring the scalp’s pH levels and clarifying the scalp.
It leaves your hair shiny, and if you’ve used hair color, it could darken or lighten the shade – so check how it works for you.
This hair rinse works for all types.
7. Vegan Citrus Hair Rinse
A collagen-production stimulating vitamin, it also makes hair shiny and curbs excess sebum production in the scalp. It’s also easy to prepare, and the refreshing citrus aroma will keep you upbeat throughout the day.
What You’ll Need
- Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
- Rose Water – 2 tbsp
- Water – 3 Cups
How To Make
- Add the lemon juice and rose water to the water and mix to combine.
- Done!
How To Use
Just pour over your hair and scalp after shampooing your hair and wait for 5 minutes.
Rinse off and air dry.
Style as usual.
Notes
You can use orange juice, grapefruit juice or even powdered vitamin c supplements instead of lemon if you have a sensitive scalp.
You can use this rinse once a week or once in two weeks.
8. Vegan Marshmallow Hair Rinse
Do you want to give your pricey conditioner a run for its money? Try a marshmallow root rinse, and your dry hair will become lively, lustrous and silky all over again.
Nothing nourishes and moisturizes your hair as marshmallow roots do. The mucilage released by marshmallows coats your hair strands and makes them silky and soft. It helps with detangling and is richly moisturizing, leaving your locks stunning.
Dull hair? Dry hair? Frizz? Tangles? We’ve got you covered with this conditioning marshmallow hair rinse.
What You’ll Need
- Marshmallow Root – 3 tbsp
- Water – 3 Cups
How to Make
- Add the marshmallow root to the water and bring it to a boil.
- Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and keep it covered to keep steeping until the temperature goes down.
- Done!
How To Use?
Slowly pour the rinse on your scalp and hair after washing your hair – pour this slowly, so you don’t empty the contents and waste them as they just slide off when poured fast.
Massage gently as you go, and let it sit for a few minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.
Air dry and style as usual.
9. Rice Water Hair Rinse
Got rice water left from the last meal you prepared – the water you get when you drain cooked rice? Try this softening and nourishing rice water hair rinse.
What You’ll Need
- Rice Water – 3 Cups
How To Make
- Nothing special; let the rice water drain while preparing the rice to cool down.
- Alternatively, if you’re preparing fresh for the rinse, bring a 1/2 cup of rice to a rolling boil in 3 cups of water.
- Simmer till the rice is cooked.
- Strain the water and set aside to cool.
- You can add more water once the rice water cools down if needed.
- Done!
How To Use
Slowly pour the rice water on your hair and scalp.
Gently massage and let it sit for about 25 minutes – minimum being 5 minutes.
Rinse off – some don’t rinse off. Both work; if you’re not rinsing off, make sure the rice water is fairly diluted and also filter to ensure there are no solid particles that escaped while draining.
Air dry and style as usual.
Notes
You can also add the water you use for rinsing out the rice to this rinse.
10. Vegan Chamomile Hair Rinse
We all know chamomile is relaxing, but do you know it’s also a great herb for hair care? Depending on your hair shade, this wonderful herb can benefit everyone!
For blonde locks, it gives shine and keeps them bright. For darker shades, it adds shine and hydration. Rose adds the softness and fragrance that is lacking in chamomile.
If you have dry or dull locks, a dash of honey can take this hair rinse to a different level and give you moisturized and happy locks. So, ready to get started?
What You’ll Need
- Chamomile Flowers – 2 Tbsp.
- Rose Flowers – 2 Tbsp.
- Honey – 2 Tbsp.
- Water – 4 Cups
How To Make
- Bring the water to a boil in a pan and add the herbs.
- Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 7 – 10 minutes.
- Switch off the heat and once it cools down a little, add honey – add when hot, especially if you have darker locks and don’t want honey’s bleaching effects to lighten your hair.
- Let it cool down fully.
- Done!
How To Use
Slowly pour the rinse on your hair and scalp and gently massage for a few seconds.
Let it sit for 5 – 15 minutes before rinsing off.
Air dry and style as usual.
Why Do You Need A Hair Rinse?
They’re easy to prepare, natural, preservative, and chemical-free, and a great addition to your hair care routine. That’s not all. Depending on the ingredients or recipe chosen, they offer a lot of benefits, including doubling up as a homemade hair conditioner, improving scalp health, protecting hair, preventing or offsetting hair damage, promoting hair growth, curbing hair loss, soothes damaged hair, strengthens the hair shaft, calms itchy scalp, can rejuvenate hair, curbs scalp irritation and more.
It’s also hassle-free to use and doesn’t need a lot of time or pricey equipment to prepare, nor is it hard to find the ingredients. This means hair rinses can offer great hair care but are budget-friendly. Even those strapped for time can find a way to use them at least once a week.
Final Thoughts
These are not all the options when it comes to hair rinses, but these are some great recipes to get started with. Don’t have time to prepare your hair care products? No issues. We have your back thanks to Vitamins Revive’s range of vegan hair cosmetics. Do take a look at their store and let us know how you like them.
FAQs
Can hair rinses damage my natural hair?
No, rinses do not damage your hair. In fact, their hair rinses are a must in your hair care routine as they offer tons of benefits.
However, depending on your hair shade, some rinses can lighten or darken your locks, though that’s not damage either. So, go ahead and try these rinses and see what works for you.
How often can you use hair rinses?
Most hair rinses can be used once or twice a week except when specifically stated otherwise. Choosing hair rinses based on hair type best compliments your hair routine.
Can hair rinses be left overnight?
Most hair rinses are used on damp or wet hair after washing hair. They’re then rinsed off after letting them sit for a few minutes to half an hour or so. Unless suggested so, hair rinses don’t have to be left overnight.
Besides, leaving hair wet for that long can cause health issues for most. So, while it’s not needed, some rinses can be left overnight if you prefer.
