Fact Check: No, washing hair with baking soda doesn’t promote hair growth; high pH makes hair dry

Hyderabad: A Facebook post claiming baking soda to be a natural alternative for chemical-laden shampoos has gone viral on social media.

The post is being shared with the caption, ‘Baking Soda Shampoo: It Will Make Your Hair Grow Faster Than Ever…It will leave the hair soft, clean, and strong. Therefore, replace your regular shampoo with baking soda’. the post listed several benefits such as boosting hair growth, cleansing the hair and removing chlorine.

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The internet is taken by storm with the ‘no poo’ trend, which talks about replacing shampoos with baking soda to go chemical-free. The fad claims that baking soda, dissolved in water, can remove excess oil and buildup, soften your hair, and promote hair growth.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim is false as there is no scientific evidence to back that baking soda promotes hair growth.

We contacted Dr N Bhavana, a consultant dermatologist at Care Hospitals to debunk the claim. She told NewsMeter: Baking soda is alkaline so it has a higher pH than the skin and scalp. So, it’s harmful to your scalp and hair. Hence, it should not be applied as an alternative to shampoos. You can opt for traditional shampoos with more natural ingredients. Check the ingredients in your shampoo before buying.

“Additionally, for people with very oily scalps, baking soda might be beneficial to remove the excess oil and dirt and keep the scalp dry. However, it should not be applied frequently. Baking soda causes dryness on the scalp which can aggravate mild infections. Baking soda results for hair and skin are more or less anecdotal. There is no scientific research that promotes baking soda for hair growth,” Dr Bhavana added.

According to Healthline, applying baking soda over hair and scalp can cause skin irritation and damage hair if applied often. Overall, research does not support baking soda as a shampoo replacement.

According to a study, alkaline pH may increase the negative electrical charge of the hair fibre surface and therefore increase friction. The increased friction may lead to cuticle damage and fibre breakage. The study also concludes that lower PH causes less freezing for generating less negative static energy on the fibre surface.

Baking soda has a pH level of 9, therefore increasing friction between fibres and causing damage.

Moreover, there is no evidence that baking soda can soften or promote hair growth. Contrary to this, there is more scientific evidence to support that baking soda poses a risk of hair damage and skin irritation. It should be noted that, initially, when you start washing your hair with baking soda it might show effects like removing build-up and oil but long-term use can strip your hair of its natural oils and irritate the scalp.

Case Study

In an article, a woman who washed her hair with baking soda and soaked it with vinegar for years wrote that initially the results looked fine but gradually she noticed that her hair had become porous, brittle, parched and needed more moisture.

Moreover, the American Academy of Dermatology Association has listed out some hair care tips according to your hair needs.

Hence, baking soda is not an alternative to regular shampoos. You may opt for an alternative like a cleanser or a clarifying shampoo that fits best with your hair care needs.