Last summer, I discovered Lush. I know there are products out there which are more natural, but Lush does an above average job and the ability to buy body products using zero packaging is a huge plus for me. After ditching my body wash for their bar soaps, I turned to their shampoos, and then the conditioner. That was three bottles banished from my shower already.

I am still in love with the soaps and the shampoo (although I’m slowly trying to transition to no-poo, or less-poo anyway), but I came up against a wall with the conditioner. Their other products seem to last much longer than their bottled counterparts, making the extra cost more than worthwhile, but I could easily go through a $15 chunk of the conditioner in a month. I am a firm believer that being green can save you money and this product was not meshing.

So I needed to find something else. My number one priority was that it could not come in packaging. I considered buying a conditioner bar on etsy, but the shipping and packaging that came in wouldn’t really be helping my cause. After searching for conditioner recipes, I finally decided to try the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse.

I really had no hopes for it. My hair has always been pretty picky and in desperate need of serious conditioning. There have been times in my life where the back of my hair will basically turn to straw unless I deep condition on a regular basis. Vinegar and water did not seem like they should cut it.

My first batch was just about half a cup of ACV diluted with about three or four cups of water. After cautiously trying it, I was way impressed how soft my hair turned out. It didn’t melt into my hair like regular conditioners, and my distrust of the mixture led me to add oils to my hair which left it greasy the first few days, but after I got the hang of it, it worked great.

I’ve been off of conditioner and 100% into this cheap, green and effective way of treating my hair for about a month and a half now. I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients and applications. Now I use chamomile tea to soften my hair, rosemary to darken it (or at least offset the chamomile’s lightening properties) and clary sage because I like the scent and it helps oily hair. I think I’ve finally got it down so here’s my refined technique:

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
(measurements very approximate)
1/2 cup ACV (I measure this by putting about an inch into the bottle shown in the picture)
Fill the rest of the bottle (about 3 or 4 cups) with chamomile tea
Add a sprig or 2 of rosemary
A few drops of clary sage essential oil or other essential oil that’s beneficial to hair.

If possible, let sit for at least a week. I make two bottles at a time so one is always getting infused by the rosemary while I’m using the other. I go through a bottle in about 3 weeks, using it every other day. The bottles I use are from the Synergy Kombucha drinks I used to buy. I’ve heard other people like spray bottles better.

In the shower pour a bit on after rinsing with water or shampooing, then comb through with a wide toothed comb. Make sure to rinse out thoroughly, especially at the roots. I usually put a tiny drop of jojoba oil on my fingertips and work through the ends of my hair once it’s dry to cut down on flyaways.

And that’s it! Once you get the technique down and get used to the different feel of your hair without the heaviness of conditioner, you won’t want to go back, if just for the fact you’re dumbfounded you ever spent so much money on conditioners before.