Hair Rinses (All Natural Haircare)

Many people love using (diluted) apple cider vinegar rinses or herb infused acv rinses after using all natural shampoos, but I've found them too drying for my hair. I like using herbal infusions as hair rinses, as recommended by Rose, Gladstar, and other herbalists. They rinse away any residue from shampoos and other hair products and leave the hair soft and shiny.

Here is a list of herbs that can be used as hair rinses that I also just posted about on a forum a couple days ago (but I just added many other herbs and suggestions to the list).

All hair types:
Lavender (my favorite)
horsetail
coltsfoot (both ht and cf have a lot of vitamins that are beneficial to the hair)
Rosemary (a classic often cited for all hair types; I think it is better for oily hair than dry though)
Comfrey

Dry and light hair:
Chamomile
calendula

Oily and light hair:
lemons

Oily and dark hair:
Sage
black walnut hull (I read about this herb in Gladstar's book, and I know many ladies who henna the hair also use this since it really colors the hair dark. I don't know how effective it'd be in a rinse, as suggested by Gladstar, because I think it can stain the skin too if you're not careful, so don't make the rinse too concentrated!)


Dry hair:
rose
marshmellow root
Nettle

Oily:
peppermint
lemongrass
raspberry or strawberry leaves
yarrow leaf


Other good hair rinses:

Oily hair:
beer (yes, you read that right! It supposingly makes the hair shiny, but I haven't tried it because I hate the smell of beer, but I have used a shampoo bar made with beer and it worked pretty well)

Normal/some people with dry hair:

red wine vinegar rinse (diluted with water)--better for drier hair, more mild than apple cider vinegar

You could also use hydrosols (which have a longer shelf life) but that can get expensive; I recommend stretching them with distilled water if you decide to use them.