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By Ashley Locke
I have consumed an ungodly amount of kombucha in my life. Ever since I was introduced to the bubbly beverage, I knew it was set to be my go-to when I needed an extra bit of carbonation. That and knowing it’s good for my gut really ranks it as a top-tier drink in my eyes. But there’s one other thing about kombucha that I really love, and that is the amazing hair benefits it offers. Yes, that’s right, kombucha is incredibly beneficial for your hair. Want to know why? We thought so, which is why we reached out to Manchester-based trichologist Kate Holden for her expertise. Below, Holden shares how the beverage can benefit your strands and the best way to use it.
There are two major kombucha hair benefits. When you drink it, Holden shares that it’s “beneficial in supporting the health of the hair and skin.” This is because “kombucha contains B12, B6, vitamin C, and various other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.” Basically, that’s everything you need for healthy hair and skin.
Drinking kombucha isn’t the only way to get better hair. Many swear by using a kombucha hair rinse. And Holden has us convinced that’s the way to go. “As a rinse, as kombucha is acidic it will help to close the outer cuticle layer of the hair, making the hair look and feel shiny,” she notes.
Apart from containing all the necessary ingredients for healthy strands, kombucha can also be consumed to promote hair growth. “Kombucha also has a small amount of caffeine (less than in coffee and tea), and there are promising studies showing that topical application of caffeine can stimulate hair growth,” Holden reveals.
It goes a little bit deeper than that, however. Not only does the caffeine help, but so do kombucha’s gut benefits. “It’s thought that the gut microbiome may play a role in inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and dermatitis,” Holden says. “When these affect the scalp, they can also affect hair growth. As a potentially good source of probiotics, kombucha may play a role in supporting a healthy gut microbiome, and by extension healthy hair growth.”
While you can either drink kombucha or use it as a rinse, Holden suggests ingesting it. “You’ll probably get more benefits from consuming kombucha, but there are likely no issues with using kombucha as a rinse,” she points out.
If you choose to do a kombucha hair rinse, there are a few things you should keep in mind. You won’t want to dump your favorite kombucha on your strands as is, because that could cause some issues. Instead, you’ll want to dilute the mixture first.
“Make sure you dilute the kombucha before using it as a rinse,” Holden notes. “Undiluted kombucha has a pH of between 2.5 to 3.5, which may be too acidic and damage the hair. For acid rinses, a good pH is usually between 3.5 to 5.5. This will help to close the cuticle and add shine without being too harsh.”
Making your own hair rinse is fairly simple. In fact, we’ll walk you through it in as little as three steps.
Don’t trust yourself to create your own rinse? No worries, we rounded up the best kombucha-based hair products to try. But we do have to let you know those are affiliate links, so we’ll receive a portion of the sale from any purchase you make. Okay, now you can read on!
Grab a kombucha and then come in to the Mug Shoppe for a cut!
