Does baking soda detox your hair? (2023)

Does baking soda remove toxins from hair?

As a natural clarifying agent, baking soda for hair works to clean strands by gently removing buildup and giving the overall head a detox.

Dampen your hair with hot water and then shampoo your hair with the baking soda mixture. Leave the mixture in for about 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water. Condition your hair well.

Baking soda dissolved in water helps to remove any buildup of oils, soaps, and other ingredients in typical hair care products. By stripping away this buildup, baking soda can leave hair squeaky-clean, shiny, and soft.

“Tighter curls tend to deal with more dryness since sebum has a harder time traveling down the hair shaft, so using baking soda can strip the oils and cause further dryness,” Ogboru says. As a rule for any texture, limit your baking soda hair-apy to once a week or once every two weeks for extra dry or textured strands.

Using detox shampoo

Detox shampoos are a much more reliable way to ensure that you pass your hair follicle test. The process involves using a trusted detox shampoo to repeatedly scrub your scalp and body hair to get rid of all unwanted toxins prior to your test date.

Remember, baking soda has a very high pH, which opens the hair cuticle. "Apple cider vinegar will help seal the hair cuticle to defrizz hair and give it shine," explains Denniston. "[It] will also rebalance the scalp's pH after using baking soda, helping the scalp stay moisturized and protected."

The common practice is to use baking soda daily (gasp) or weekly (at most!) in lieu of a clarifying shampoo. However, scientific evidence does not support this, and neither do we. The common practice is to use baking soda daily (gasp) or weekly (at most!) in lieu of a clarifying shampoo.

Baking soda is another multi-purpose, everyday item that's a natural way to remove product buildup from your hair. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda into a regular amount of shampoo, then wash and rinse your hair normally. Alternatively, try rubbing baking soda directly onto your wet hair and scalp.

Not only can the baking soda damage the hair shaft, it can also harm your scalp, says Dr. Gohara. “The skin has a natural pH of 5.5, which is a little acidic, so you want to use products with a neutral pH. Shampooing with baking soda can cause redness, inflammation, and itchiness on the scalp.”

How long does baking soda and peroxide last in hair?

To lighten your hair with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, mix the two ingredients into a paste, and spread it evenly throughout your hair. Leave it on for 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how dark your hair is, and then rinse it out with cold water.

The time you will detox is heavily dependent on how much damage and chemical processing your hair has been exposed to. I've seen people complete detoxing in a couple weeks, where as others have taken several months. A good rule of thumb is to expect the detoxing process to take 6 months.

Try a DIY Hair Detox

Mix equal parts bentonite clay powder, aloe vera gel and apple cider vinegar. Apply your DIY hair mask to your strands and let sit for 20 minutes under a shower cap to prevent drying. Rinse out with white vinegar, and follow with a clarifying shampoo to remove residue.

Dr.

Greens Wash Away Shampoo is an excellent detox shampoo you can use to pass your hair follicle drug test. This detox product can flush THC particles out of your hair follicle and lasts 8 hours. If your hair is short, a bottle of Dr. Green Wash Away Shampoo will clean THC out of your hair.

Images revealed a loss of detectability of cocaine and its reaction products in hairs already after a short bleaching period. Since all compounds of interest are found in the hydrogen peroxide and wash solution, these findings indicate that all evidence of cocaine use might be lost after a hair bleaching treatment.

Mayonnaise, when used as a hair mask, adds shine and strengthens hair from root to tip. The main ingredients in mayonnaise are egg and oil. The high amount of protein in eggs helps strengthen and thicken hair follicles. Olive and canola oils deeply moisturize hair.

Combine Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Combining hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, though, creates a paste that can sit on your hair and work magic, lightening it by one to two shades.

The combination of baking soda and apple cider vinegar can prove to be a boon if you want your scalp to be dandruff-free.

How do you deep clean your hair?

Mix baking soda, apple cider vinegar and warm water in a glass. Stir and let the baking soda react with vinegar. Pour the mixture through wet hair and massage the scalp to get the dirt out. Rinse with lukewarm water for shiny, clean hair.

Colorist Kathy Debski says hydrogen peroxide lightens hair by penetrating the strands' cortex and breaking apart the melanin inside and stripping dark color. Yes, this does cause a lightening effect, but it essentially corrodes the strand to do so — leading to frizz, breakage, and split ends.

If so, add a little more hydrogen peroxide. Brush with this paste and thoroughly rinse! Use this paste in moderation; no more than 2-3 times a week. Too much baking soda can break down enamel, which may lead to sensitivity.

Baking soda is an alkaline, which helps hydrogen peroxide work better in two ways. First, it opens up the cuticle to allow the hydrogen peroxide to get into the hair cortex more easily. Second, when mixed with hydrogen peroxide, it helps break down the melanin in hair.

Use a chelating shampoo.

Chelating shampoos are specifically designed to prevent and remove existing mineral buildup in your hair. A chelating agent will chemically bind to minerals, removing them before you even have a chance to notice they're there.