12 Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoos That Will Transform Your Lackluster Locks
When it comes to our hair, we all have different needs wants and needs: Straight-haired girls may want for more volume, while those with curly or natural tresses may be locked in an unending battle with frizz. For the most part, however, we can all agree that getting soft, shiny locks without a lot of effort is at the top of our wish lists. Enter the wonder that is apple cider vinegar shampoo. No, we're not making a salad dressing here: Apple cider vinegar, or ACV, actually has many benefits when it comes to your hair—including softness and luster. We've put together a list of apple cider vinegar shampoos that will prove it to you, taking into consideration their supplemental ingredients, value and more.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is created when apple juice is fermented twice and mixed with yeast and sugar. A few weeks later, with a little help from natural bacteria, it reaches a point that sees the natural sugars turning into alcohol before being transformed into acetic acid. The resulting mixture is apple cider vinegar.
What Are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo?
Switching out your regular hair wash for apple cider vinegar shampoo can have plenty of benefits when it comes to the overall health of your locks. According to Healthline, the gentle acidic qualities of ACV "help control the bacteria or fungi that can lead to scalp and hair problems, such as minor infections or itchiness." That, in turn, can lead to cleaner tresses that are free of dandruff.
Beyond that, ACV has the potential to help to make your hair shinier, since it sweeps away minerals and build-up from shower water that may be causing dullness in your strands. It can also balance the pH of your tresses at their optimal state between 3.5 and 5.5 by lowering the alkalinity and reportedly seal and restore hair cuticles for smoothness and color retention. While there are those that claim this natural tonic will help restore thinning hair and add volume, there's not much proof to substantiate those assertions (though it can help to clarify buildup, which can cause hair loss in extreme cases).
Read on to discover our favorite formulas.
The Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoos at a Glance
Best Overall Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo: WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Shine: Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo Detangler: Luseta Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Build-Up: Peculiar Roots ACV Shampoo
Most Balancing Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo: Purezero Apple Cider Vinegar Detoxifying Shampoo
Best Apple Cinder Vinegar Shampoo for Dandruff: Head & Shoulders Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Thin Hair: Mountain Top Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Natural Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo: AG Balance Shampoo
Best Vegan Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo: Maple Holistics Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Frizz: Botanic Hearth Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Most Soothing Apple Cider Vinegear Shampoo: Txtr by Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree Soothing Shampoo
Best Shampoo Alternative: dpHUE ACV Hair Rinse
RELATED: Here's What Might Happen if You Swap Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Shampoo
1. WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Hair Conditioner
Best Overall Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Whether you have curly, straight or kinky hair, this apple cider shampoo and conditioner combo has everything you'll need to help detox and nourish those beautiful locks. In addition to its flake-fighting ACV, this 100 percent vegan formula boasts gentle coconut oil and aloe vera for natural hydration, plus avocado oil for a bit of added sheen.
2. Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Shine
Give your hair a luminous luster with this shampoo from Aveeno. Combining apple cider vinegar and soothing, moisturizing oats, this sulfate- and paraben-free option will bring out the shimmer in your strands by revitalizing each and every strand from root to tip. Reviewers say it leaves your locks feeling clean, soft and shiny.
3. Luseta Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Detangler
Say goodbye to tangles with this fabulous shampoo and conditioner set. In addition to lowering your hair's alkalinity to help seal strands shut, it's got hydrolyzed wheat protein to further reduce porosity and increase moisture, plus hydrolyzed soy protein to cut down on flakes and boost suppleness. Together, all three work to smooth out the follicles of your hair while trapping moisture in, making your locks a breeze to brush post-shower.
4. Peculiar Roots ACV Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Build-Up
If you use hair products often, chances are, some of that tough-to-get-rid-of residue is sticking around on your scalp. Leftover dry shampoo, hairspray and even certain moisturizers, among other products, can all clog the pores on your head. That's not to mention the mineral deposits that comes from hard water or the oily sebum, sweat and dead skin cells that regularly linger on your cap (ew), all of which can damage the roots of your hair when left behind. This product will help to gently remove that harmful buildup with its ACV, while the pomegranate seed oil and aloe vera found within work to rehydrate your scalp and revitalize your hair. Amazon shoppers say it smells delightful, too.
5. Purezero Apple Cider Vinegar Detoxifying Shampoo
Most Balancing Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
To properly "rebalance" your hair, you'll want a shampoo that contains pH-adjusting proprietary formulas, like this one, which aims to detoxify buildup that can cause imbalance. Apparently, it gets the job done: One Amazon shopper was so impressed, she called it "the best shampoo [she'd] ever used," noting that it made her thin, bleached hair soft, silky and "weightless without being flat."
6. Head & Shoulders Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Dandruff
If you suffer from dandruff, you've probably tried Head & Shoulders at one point or another. This apple cider vinegar variation takes things one step further, adding ACV to its proprietary formula for extra clarification of the scalp. With regular use, the company claims those flakes will disappear—and customers say it takes that dreaded itchy scalp right along with them.
7. Mountain Top Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Thin Hair
While apple cider vinegar might not have the power to make your hair grow, biotin can boost your rate of follicle growth—and it's included in this apple cider vinegar shampoo and conditioner formula. Other healthful ingredients include strengthening keratin, protective castor oil and fragrant herbal extracts. With regular use, the company claims this shampoo can breathe new life into damaged locks, encouraging a softer, shinier head of hair.
8. AG Balance Shampoo
Best Natural Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Keep harmful chemicals out of your hair with this buzz-worthy shampoo that's made from over 98 percent natural and plant-based ingredients. The included organic argan oil, which is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, can protect against free radicals and provide much-needed moisture, while soothing aloe vera calms. Meanwhile, this blend is chock-full of essential oils, such as rosemary, lavender and sage, for a delightful fragrance that will leave your locks smelling fresh.
9. Maple Holistics Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Best vegan apple cider vinegar shampoo
Not only is this product free of any animal products, but it also helps to rid all types of hair of flakes with its moisturizing ACV, argan, castor, sunflower and jojoba oils. There's also a touch of revitalizing mint and rosemary oil, all of which the company says is totally safe for color-treated hair. (Here's looking at you, faux redheads!)
10. Botanic Hearth Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Best Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Frizz
Calling all frizzy-haired girls! This one's for you. Why? It's formulated with natural oils, like argan and coconut oil, that lend themselves to moisture, plus humectants glycerin and panthenol, which have frizz-fighting properties. As for the included ACV, it's beneficial for the acidity, which can help keep cuticles flat.
11. Txtr by Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree Soothing Shampoo
Most Soothing Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
If you have an itchy scalp, you'll want to make sure you're using a gentle product that won't exacerbate your problems. This ACV shampoo is infused with anti-inflammatory tea tree oil, moisturizing oat kernel extract, antifungal spearmint oil and nourishing aloe to soothe your irritated scalp and place it in the running for your new favorite cleanser.
12. dpHUE ACV Hair Rinse
Best Shampoo Alternative
Everything—even apple cider vinegar shampoo—is best in moderation, as it can dry your strands or irritate your scalp with overuse. If you're worried about over-shampooing and damage, then this product may be the ideal alternative for you. It keeps your hair healthy and moisturized while also protecting your hair's natural oils. What's more, it's got proteins and vitamin E to help strengthen your locks.
RELATED: Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Face? Surprisingly, Yes
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