Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Apple Cider Vinegar for Dandruff

5 star (25)		74%
4 star (3)		9%
1 star (5)		15%
(1)		3%

Wendy (Ontario) on 04/27/2011:
4 out of 5 stars

Perhaps the ACV works as a preventative, but Ted's other remedies perhaps have to be applied first to get rid of the dandruff? I use and have for years used ACV (raw with mother in, not pasteurized at the grocery store) full strength in a spritzer I keep in the shower. I only use shampoo about once a month but I do use a hypoallergenic scent free conditioner from the health food store as my hair is very long and curly. I spritz with the apple cider vinegar and always leave it in and on my scalp. Perhaps diluting it would be better? I do notice if I put too much in, then it gets 'heavy' and yes, almost greasy like or filmy and weighs down my curls ;-(

I am going to try the Apple Cider Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Will post back! I have done tea tree oil neat (straight) on my scalp a bunch of times in the past and felt 'freaked' out, can't sleep, wicked headache etc. In my 'brain' area- too strong and too much absorbing into the brain? I haven't the nerve to do it quite like that again, so I will try diluting it. I have added it to our shampoos and stuff when I remember. My dandruff is not 'that bad' visually unless I put my head over a black cloth and scratch really good! LOL Mind you my scalp has been really itchy and burning lately- which could be food allergies but or mites/fungus etc. As spring as arrived... Right on cue! Thanks Ted for all your advice ;=)

NC (Noveleta, Cavite) on 11/24/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Yes, I do agree with the dandruff treatment here. I am suffering from moderate dandruff as well. I've tried Nizoral and Selsun Blue but got little success with those. I tried mixing Nizoral with hot cream oil and I was dandruff free for a month. But then Nizoral is quite expensive for my budget so I looked for a substitute.

So I tried mixing hot cream oil and apple cider vinegar and my ordinary shampoo. Apply the mixture onto my scalp for 30 minutes and rinse it thoroughly. Tried this 3 times a week and it works for me.

Ascha4 (Springfield, Il) on 10/22/2009:
5 out of 5 stars

I didn't suffer from severe dandruff or have any scalp conditions but just had bad, very visible dandruff in my brunette hair. I used one application of half acv and half water, and was cured. I also switched to shampoo without any sulfates in it, that helps too for maintenance.

Noele (Charleston, South Carolina) on 08/20/2009:
5 out of 5 stars

I tried the apple cider vinegar for severe dandruff, and was shocked that it worked so well.

I've had terrible dandruff my entire life--I cannot think of a time when I didn't have severe itching and a dry, flaky scalp. I also had little plaques of flakes all over my scalp, and if I scratched them they bled. It was really irritating.

I had tried every single dandruff shampoo and treatment available, and nothing helped AT ALL. I was at my wits end. When I saw the ACV cure here on Earth Clinic, I figured I would try it. Couldn't hurt!

I went to a beauty supply store and bought an 8 ounce hair dye applicator bottle. I filled it with 4 ounces of ACV and 4 ounces of water and shook it to mix the two. Then, in the shower, I washed my hair with an olive oil soap [I had cut out using shampoo, figuring the sulfates were drying out my hair], rinsed, combed out the tangles, and then applied about 2 ounces of the ACV mixture to my hair and scalp. I left it on for a minute or so and then rinsed.

It worked! When I dried my hair, ALL the dandruff was gone. My head didn't itch at all, and my hair was also very soft and shiny. I have continued to use this method for the past month, and the dandruff has never returned.

This stuff is a godsend. I can't believe how well it worked, and it's so inexpensive. Thanks very much, Earth Clinic!

Bernadette (Hong Kong) on 08/14/2009:
4 out of 5 stars

I was surprised at the benefits of using apple cider vinegar for the control of dandruff. It is brilliant. My dandruff issue, while not fully cured, is much, much better.

Rachel (Toronto, Ontario) on 05/11/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Please help! I am sure that apple cider vinegar actually made my scalp much worse and gave me horrible dandruff. I recently stopped using shampoo and instead tried cleaning with baking soda and rinsing with apple cider vinegar diluted with water. Dandruff worsened.

So I added tea tree oil and lavendar and still my scalp got worse. Also, I noticed my thick head of hair getting thinner because of hair loss.

I have stopped using baking soda and ACV - and now have to deal with a dry, itchy scalp. At least my hair has stopped falling out.

Eric (Henderson, Nevada) on 04/02/2009:
0 out of 5 stars

So I read that using apple cider vinegar is good for dandruff and your hair so i started using it and after my hair felt really clean and soft but the next day i went to take a shower and a lot of hair came out a lot more than usual and it was like that for about a month maybe longer is there any reason this might have happened ? i used about 1/8 a cup and the rest was just water

Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 10/30/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

Hello Daryl, A final rinse of 50/50 ACV and warm water has been working for years for me and my used to be dandruff. I think it works by cutting the shampoo out of your hair & off your scalp. Please note that I said final rinse. You smell strongly of ACV until your hair dries, but not after it dries.

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Victor (San Diego, Ca) on 10/28/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

First of all, sugar cane "white" (clear) vinegar is better for topical use, as it does not make you stink after the shower. Use it full strength, do not mix it with anything. Just be careful not to get it into your eyes or on your teeth. I had dandruff and exema type problems on my scalp and face for decades, until I started using vinegar. I spray it and massage it 5 minutes before the shower, three times a week. It may take some time, but I am pretty sure you will succeed if you're persistant. For the first few days, you may do it every day, then every other day. I still have nightmares when I think about the times before I discovered vinegar: all the corticosteroids doctors had me use for years - they always gave me more side effects than relief...

Daryl (Eugene, OR) on 10/27/2008:
1 out of 5 stars

I tried, and failed, to alleviate my dandruff using apple cider vinegar. I mixed a solution of 1/2 ACV with 1/2 water in a squirt bottle. I then applied this directly to my scalp while in the shower and let it sit for about 5 minutes. I did this about 3 times a week for 3 weeks. My dandruff has not improved and the skin on my forehead and back has begun to itch severely after I get out of the shower. Needless to stay, I have ceased using this treatment.

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