Grey hair can end up looking brassy with strong yellow undertones, and baking soda is raved about, on social media, as being effective in helping to cancel out unwanted brassy tones on grey hair. What does baking soda do to grey hair, and is it bad for your scalp? Keep reading to find out…
What Baking Soda Actually Does To Hair And Scalp
Baking soda is a milk abrasive, so when you apply it to your hair or scalp, it removes oil, dirt and product build-up by breaking them up, and lifting them aways.
It has a high pH level, which can “open” the hair cuticle, which can make grey hair feel rougher, and look dull, because the raised cuticle scatters light more.
On your scalp, baking soda can strip away natural oils which protect the skin of your scalp, and your hair. It can be effective if you have a very oily scalp, but it can also cause irritation, redness or flaking for sensitive scalps.
Plus, baking soda will alter your scalp’s pH level away from the slightly acidic level, that supports healthy skin and hair. This pH shift will reduce the scalp’s barrier function, and allow bacteria or fungi to grow more easily.
Does Baking Soda Cancel Out Brassy Tones In Grey Hair?
Baking soda is effective in helping to remove product build-up and surface residue, which might be making your grey hair look yellow or brassy.
The alkaline and mildly abrasive nature lifts oils and mineral deposits, so hair can look cleaner and a little brighter after treatment.
To make a simple baking soda hair mask, you just mix baking soda with water to make a paste, and use it no more than once every one to two week, ensuring you rinse thoroughly to avoid leaving residue that can cause dryness.
You don’t need to worry about unwanted violet or blue pigments that purple shampoos can leave behind, but baking soda will not neutralize brassiness chemically. If you have yellow tones and want to brighten grey hair, purple or blue-toned products are more effective, as they cancel out yellow on the color wheel.
How Often Is Too Often For Baking Soda Use
Baking soda is alkaline, so it will strip natural oils and cuticle layers from your hair, if you use it too often. If you use the above baking soda paste recipe more than once a week, you risk dryness, breakage and increased frizz.
On social media, people rave about using baking soda with an apple cider rinse to rebalance the pH, but you need to use that duo sparingly, to avoid drying out your hair and scalp, so don’t use it more often than once every seven to fourteen days.
Look for your scalp’s reaction when using baking soda. If you get itchiness, roughness or split ends after a treatment, stop using baking soda, and give your hair and scalp several weeks to recover, and use hair oil treatments or deep conditioners between uses.
If you have chemically treated, colored or fragile grey hair, you’re going to want to use baking soda less frequently, at a max of once a month of less, and use a mild formula sulfate-free shampoo for regular cleansing.