Cantu Refresh Root Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree Oil, 12 Fluid Ounce

I wasn't sure what to expect from this but I wanted something to give my hair a little pick-me-up occasionally. My hair is extremely fine and can sometimes start to look a bit lifeless and dull. I've never had scalp issues so I can't really say if this helps for those. I was just looking for an addition to my minimalist hair care routine that would reinvigorate my hair when it's not looking its healthiest and to give it some resilience against breakage. My approach to hair care is pretty basic so I wanted something affordable that wasn't overly complicated or time-consuming. This hair rinse checks all those boxes and I've actually had quite good results with it! It's very simple to use and works quickly. It adds very little time and effort to my usual routine. Before I apply it in the shower, I squeeze all excess water from my hair to ensure the treatment stays in it because its consistency is very thin. The bottle has a pointed nozzle I use to apply it directly to my scalp. A little goes a long way so I apply it sparingly at first, squeezing a small amount onto a few different areas and working it into my hair from the roots to the tips to judge if I need more. I aim to saturate my hair just enough so everywhere is covered but there isn't excess dripping off. This stuff is pretty watery so overdoing it is a waste since it will just drip out. After about 20-30 seconds I start getting a refreshing, tingly feeling on my scalp that I find very pleasant. I can already feel an improvement in my hair's texture by the time I start to rinse and any tangles just melt away. After my hair dries, I feel like it's noticeably shinier and healthier-looking overall and that effect is pretty long-lasting. It does have quite a strong apple and vinegar scent that I personally don't find overpowering but I admittedly have a poor sense of smell. I think this is quite a good value for a hair care product that actually has noticeable beneficial effects for me. I use it a couple times a week at most as some reviewers cautioned that it can strip your hair if overused but I don't feel I need to use it more than that anyway. I've already purchased it twice and will do so again. If you use it sporadically like me, one bottle will last several months.

So glad I found this for my itchy, dry scalp! Apparently dry scalp & dandruff are the same thing (according to my derm) so whatever you want to call it, it’s annoying & sometimes very uncomfortable . When my scalp is extra dry, I have drawn blood with my ferocious scratching. As soon as I start scratching, all the dead skin flakes up & no amount of washing removes it. For reference, I have curly, thin, dry Caucasian hair, that’s colored & I don’t have extensions, braids or anything else listed on the bottle. I’ve used various Rx washes from derms over the years & tried lots of different products. This is by far the best for me. Doesn’t just improve my dry scalp, but completely eliminates the flaky skin & the itching, right away. About the smell. I read some reviews complaining about the way this smells. Obviously, saying something smells good/bad is based on personal preference. If your bathroom looks like a Bath & Body Works or you only use stuff like Herbal Essences; then you prob won’t be crazy about the way this smells. However, since your rinsing it out & conditioning after...I don’t understand why it matters? Just throw your overly perfumed conditioner on after; problem solved. Personally, I don’t mind the smell & even if I did, I would rather deal with that vs scratching my head day & night like a crazy person or dealing w/ never ending flaky skin. Not to mention, this is by far the cheapest hair product in my bathroom. So it’s worth trying, if it’s not for you, you lose a few bucks. Here’s how I like to use it: 1. Apply to dry scalp (meaning not yet wet, pre-shower). Wait about 5 mins or when I start to feel it tingle, then get in the shower & rinse my hair. It’s not an exact 5 mins; I’ll do a load of laundry, check my emails, throw on a face mask, whatever. I’m not looking at the clock or staring at my hair in the mirror, counting the mins. 2. Rinse, squeeze excess water out of my hair, then reapply, starting at roots & then to the ends of my hair. Set the bottle down & lather it up, just like I’m shampooing. (While the directions on the bottle only reference using it on your roots, I’ve experimented over the past couple months & found this to work well for me.) 3. Rinse. Skip the shampoo. Condition. My scalp feels sooooo good afterwards. Awesome, quality product.

I use this rinse in between wash days to keep my hair fresh. It works really well and doesn't dry out your hair or leave a greasy film behind. Plus it feels really nice and fresh on your roots. (I am white and have fine, curly hair, if anyone out there is wondering if you can use this on white girl's hair, yes you can, it works great!) I have fine, curly hair that gets dry easily yet somehow still has oily roots. I'll use this rinse in the shower like a shampoo, then use conditioner as normal, and my hair comes out fresh and clean without getting all dried out and brittle. I use actual sulfate-free shampoo on my hair about once a week, and I use this root rinse once or twice each week in between washes, depending on how greasy my hair is looking at the roots. It's made a huge difference in the health of my hair, shampooing too often just dries my hair out like crazy. I've been using this cantu root rinse for about 1.5 years now and my new growth is so shiny and healthy. They sell a version of this at Sephora that costs 3X as much and contains half as much product lol don't fall for the trendy packaging, apple cider vinegar hair treatment is not new and it shouldn't be expensive either. Just buy this instead, it's a way better value for your money!

First off it’s a pretty big bottle but I feel like I have to use a lot to cover my scalp good. It’s suuuuper easy to get precision with the bottle to get your scalp good but I feel like it didn’t really do anything for me. I bought this to use it about once a week as a scalp cleanser but I didn’t have anything partially wrong just used dry shampoo and stuff no dandruff or serious scalp conditions. I already would use clarifying shampoo once a week so I feel like that really was fine for me as far as cleansing. Let it be noted I have like type 2a hair and feel like this is for more textured hair I just thought it would be helpful if someone with similar hair was thinking about buying also it was not a shampoo replacer it would clean my hair mostly but still leave it greasy. I didn’t love the how the tea tree oil would leave like a minty feeling on my scalp and the smell of the product is like a apple pear-ish scent which I thought was nice but it’s for sure strong so if your sensitive to scents maybe it’s not for you. Overall the product didn’t work for me but doesn’t mean it won’t work for you so and doesn’t mean the product was bad so goodluck everyone!!

I have long, thick, straight hair that I color every 2-3mos, and shampoo every 2-3 days. I've heard good things about vinegar rinses for scalp clarifying and lowering the pH of hair to seal the cuticle, so I decided to test this out as a budget-friendly option that I don't have to mix myself. I use it as a pre-shampoo scalp rinse before shampoo/conditioner rather than as a shampoo alternative. I dispense an ounce or two on the scalp and massage it in, then comb some down through the lengths. I let it sit for a few minutes before shampooing. It soothes my scalp when it's irritated (nice and cooling), helps break down buildup on my scalp, and helps emulsify my shampoo so it lathers up really well. My hair comes out feeling extra clean with an impressive dose of shine. The texture is just a little slipperier than plain water, and the scent is decent. Not something I'd want as a perfume, but clean smelling, inoffensive, and doesn't linger after washing. The bottle is big but the dispenser cap is easy to use. Overall, I think this is a fantastic product, especially at this price point. I can't think of another $5 hair product that I've been this pleased with and I'll definitely keep it on Subscribe and Save for the foreseeable future.

While this product is wonderful, I had to purchase it in store as the package was sent back to the shipper via Amazon as it was damaged. I suppose I would rather have it returned than to received a broken bottle. Even so, this product is my holy grail product for cleansing my scalp. I didn't even realize how irritated my scalp was until using this product. It cleanses, cools, & calms my scalp when used exactly as directed. I co-wash and use this on wash days. My scalp does not itch at all whereas before it did. I also think the product has a nice smell. It in no way smells like vinegar or tea tree oil. I cannot recommend this product enough! I hope if you purchase it, you have a better experience with shipping. It is worth it!

I was hooked on another, exorbitantly priced brands for months. I finally couldn't bear to spend another $36 for an 8.5 oz bottle that goes so fast, so I decided to try some of the less expensive similar products. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. My hair looks thick and shiny after using it. I usually keep it on for a couple of minutes after lathering--the tea tree oil makes my scalp feel so refreshed. The product doesn't fade my color-treated hair. It doesn't lather much (neither does the other one). It doesn't smell great, but it's not horrible and is better than the other one. I use it every other day, shampooing on alternate days. My hair is never greasy. I do use quite a bit each time I use it, not sure if I need so much, but it feels better when I use more. It is a great product!

I have long, fine, low-porosity, protein-sensitive, silicone-sensitive, wavy hair that there is also a lot of (argh)...so trying to find hair products that don't weigh it down or suck the moisture out of it is a constant uphill battle and I have probably wasted over $100 doing so. I was finding that clarifying shampoos were making my scalp sort of itchy/dry and drying out my hair. I'm not sure if I have any allergies but because of COVID I can't exactly go see a dermatologist or cosmetologist to try and find out, so I've had to just keep trying stuff. I was looking for something that would help to clarify my scalp and help the itch without dumping straight vinegar on it. I have a detangler by Cantu that I like, so I figured I'd try this. I got my hair wet and put it on for about a minute before shampooing. It really doesn't smell that bad, it's more like apples than vinegar. Then I shampooed and conditioned once, then put it on again, then conditioned again. It's kinda watery but it seems like a little bit goes a long way, which is good when you have a lot of hair! Anyway, I wrapped my hair up in a microfiber pillowcase and got ready for the usual nightmare of detangling and itch. But it never happened! I was amazed to find that not only has it COMPLETELY eliminated the itching, dryness, and even sensitivity of my scalp...like, I didn't even realize it was that bad until it was GONE. So that's awesome. AND, it seems to have made my hair a little easier to detangle. So I know everybody's hair is different, but if your hair texture is similar to mine and scalp issues are making you crazy, maybe give this a go. It's been about 3-4 days and my hair feels and looks great and my scalp feels normal. I wish I had discovered this product sooner!