How White Vinegar Rinse Can Lock In Color Longer

We've had a number of women ask us to consult the beauty gods, and find a solution for hair color that fades too quickly. For gray hairs that pop up too fast following a bath in permanent dye. For bold red color that lightens much too soon after a visit to the salon. Etc.

We would certainly agree, that a professional hair salon is always your best bet when coloring your hair or lightening or darkening your locks several shades. But even then, many women complain that permanent hair color is not perfect, and doesn't maintain its shade and shine for too long.

Sorry, but we don't have a perfect answer, either. We have written a number of articles about dyeing hair, and coloring hair at home. A lot of women say they follow the steps strictly, and still, the color fades too fast.

We thought about this last night, and then we thought about a new pair of indigo jeans we had bought. We read somewhere, that tossing a little white vinegar into the wash with the new dark jeans would stop fading. So we tried it, and by golly, it worked. The dark jeans did not leave any colored water in the wash.

Hmmm. Could this work for newly colored hair, we wondered?!

So, we started digging around the internet. And apparently, a white vinegar rinse after coloring hair, is said to lock in the the new shade and keep the dye in for a longer time.

We have not tried this yet, but the next time we color our grays with a box of Excellence, we will let you know.

What's in white vinegar, you ask???

We were curious, and found this little item from some punk haircoloring dye-hards at http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/hairdye_tips.php

"You can also keep the colour in there a little longer by rinsing your hair with white vinegar straight after colouring your hair. This raises the pH level of the hair color and gives it more permanence. Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a cup (about half a cup of each) and rinse out your newly-coloured hair with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Then pour on the mix, comb it through and rinse it out. Huzzah!"

The white vinegar supposedly helps to close the cuticle and retain your color. Yes, the odor is strong, but disappears after rinsing well. Close your eyes, too, a shot of vinegar stings like mad.

We are not saying this vinegar rinse method is fool-proof, but it's worth a shot. Plus, you will add great shine to your hair, and tangled hair will be gone.