DIY Project: Natural Hair Care for Dogs and Handlers

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

As teenager of the 90’s I washed and conditioned my hair with Suave and Vo5.  In my 20’s I moved up to Paul Mitchel, all in search of clean and shiny hair.  Along my path of shampoo and conditioned hair, I have always struggled with sensitivity.  My scalp reacts to shampoos with redness, itching and burning.  So, I turned to shampoos labeled for sensitive scalps and gentle formulas.  Then later in my adulthood I turned to using salon quality shampoos labeled for dandruff, sensitive, gentle, non-stripping and natural ingredients. 

Unfortunately, I did not find good relief for my sensitive scalp.  I spent hundreds of dollars over the years for hair care. This search led me to explore natural ingredients more closely as I have always had an interest and connection with clean herbs and plants grown in our home garden.  Recently, I began rinsing my own hair and scalp with Apple Cider Vinegar.

For over two decades I have been rinsing my dogs with apple cider vinegar after a bath to remove all soap residue and between baths to keep their skin balanced, without stripping the dogs coat of natural oils.  This natural remedy works so well with dogs and to my surprise it has helped me with my own hair and scalp journey!

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for you and your dog as a hair rinse:

• Affordable for you and your dog
• Cleanses scalp without stripping hair of natural oils
• Has live enzymes, that dissolve organic build up
• Makes daily brushing of hair or dog’s coat more beneficial
• Rinses off soap residue and build up that may lead to skin irritation for you or your dog

For my dogs and I, I tried other shampoos and conditioners, most were foaming and sudsy (and full of all sorts of chemicals). They left my hair feeling "clean," but my scalp would be abnormally tight and dry, itchy.   My dogs’ shampoo would do the same thing, and my dog breeder mentor to me when I was in college, had me rinse her show dogs with ACV and I saw the benefits of ACV rinse for her dogs, so I began doing the same with my German Shepherds who also have sensitive skin. It was wonderful to rinse all the soapy residue off my dog or puppies’ coat! Not to mention it was all natural and I could use any time to spot clean baby puppies or mothers after birth, weaning and so on. 

Then one day I discovered ACV hair rinsing was an absolute game changer for me too!

Here is how I use it on my hair & scalp once a week:

Between shampoo hair washes, I use a16-ounce squeeze bottle, 2-3 ounces of ACV and the rest of the bottle is filled with warm tap water.  I apply it in the shower to my dry hair and scalp.  I use a scalp massage brush to massage my scalp to stimulate blood flow and circulation.  Not to mention it feels good. I use a gentle large spaced wet hairbrush to brush it through my long hair.  I let it stand on my hair and scalp for 20 minutes, while I do my in-shower body care.  I rinse my hair and scalp with warm water not hot water.  Wrap my hair in a turban towel. Done.

My scalp reacts to shampoos with redness, itching and burning.  The addition ACV hair rinsing each week; in between shampoos, has one hundred percent reduced my sensitivity reaction. I absolutely love that I am using a natural source to help both me and my dogs’ scalp remain healthy.

If you haven’t explored Apple Cider Vinegar hair rinsing yet, here are a few key questions answered:

What is ACV hair rinsing?

Hair (you) & coat (dog) rinsing is essentially what it sounds like: using ACV diluted with water to cleanse the scalp and rinse your hair clean.  It’s both gentle and highly effective at removing dead skin cells, dissolving dandruff/flakes and balances the PH level of skin and scalp.

What are the benefits?

Apple cider vinegar doesn't interfere with the skin's natural (you & your dog) moisture level, meaning it doesn’t ‘over-cleanse’ like many harsh cleansers do. (One of the more common foaming agents in foaming cleansers and soaps is sodium laureth sulfate - a cheap chemical and a known skin irritant.)  Alpha hydroxy acids are a compound group of naturally occurring acids in ACV that naturally help remove oil, dirt or left behind shampoo residue. All without stripping and drying the skin/scalp. And it leaves your hair and dogs coat beautifully soft and clean.

ACV has anti fungal properties, great for puppies or people who get pimples  (acne)  because it reduces pore congestion on the scalp or skin of you or your dog.  Apple cider vinegar helps balance the skin/scalp of both dogs and people by regulating natural oils so that the skin/scalp is neither too oily nor dry. 

Who is ACV hair & scalp cleansing or rinsing helpful for?

ACV is both gentle and effective, it works beautifully for most skin types, including dry, oily, combination, and sensitive skin people.    As well as adult dogs and infant puppies.  For those of you who don’t know, a dog’s body is basically a scalp that needs to be cared for using natural sourced, active live skin loving ingredients.  

How do I do it?

With all that dog body hair, how do you apply products to the skin?  ACV hair rinsing is the answer. The diluted mixture is applied directly to the skin under the coat with a point tip squeeze bottle or root comb applicator bottle.  You can use ACV rinse between your dogs’ shampoos by applying the diluted mixture directly to the scalp and let it stand for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.  You can rinse your dog’s skin and coat after a bath.

For infant puppies who suffer from chin acne or belly acne or skin mites (demodectic mange), use a 100 percent pure cotton pad that you typically use to remove your makeup, and dab it on their belly after they’re done nursing.  I did this dilution for my puppies, put 1-2 tablespoons of ACV in a wide mouth bowl or jar with a lid, with 1-2 tablespoons distilled water.  Basically, equal parts water and ACV.  Arrange 6 - 10 pure cotton pads in the bowl, use enough of the mixture to evenly cover the cotton pads.  Gently, blot or wipe the pimple area on your dog or puppy. You can apply the mixture 3-4 times a day until the condition clears up.  Only make enough to last 3 - 7 days.  This is preservative free and don’t worry if your mother dog licks it off the puppy, it’s 100 percent natural, gentle and safe for her to ingest it. 

How often do I use it?

Because it's so gentle, ACV diluted skin cleansing for dogs can be used anytime you wash your dog.  Use weekly between washes and brush your dog.  As part of your hair and scalp cleansing routine of infant puppies and their mother dog.   If your mama dog gets a skin flare up while nursing her puppies or just needs a soap free, chemical free skin and coat touch up, ACV weekly scalp rinsing is one of the most excellent choices and is naturally full of powerful skin-loving routine cleansers.

For your lovely hair and scalp cleansing, use weekly 1-2 times a week, once a month, after a sweaty workout (my favorite) between hair washes, depending on your scalps needs: this addition to your scalp cleansing routine is a natural go too, as you likely already have apple cider vinegar in your home pantry.

I especially love using ACV for all ages of my dogs and myself as it is available, affordable, natural, bio-degradable, can be blended with essential oils, has multi-skin and dietary uses.  For us, I use it as my base ingredients for gut health; yes, it is digestible, in addition to skin-supporting properties.

Try essential oils in this hair and scalp blend that are mood-enhancing.  Do not ingest essential oils.  Use them in your hair rinsing routine with your dogs, unless you are using it on puppies or nursing mothers. If you don’t like the smell of ACV, it is heavily diluted so it dissipates quickly, but you can add your favorite essential oil to mask the scent.  Choose a scent you love!

Continue reading,

How to bathe your dog with apple cider vinegar>