A New Hair Trend On The Rise

Love having soft, silky, and lustrous hair? Then like us, you must've already tried all sorts of methods to maintain the magnificence of your locks. From using age-old hair tips to tweaking our diets and opting for costly treatments, we've left no stone unturned until we realized they all just left our pockets empty.

But since times have changed, many of us want the simplest solutions to mend our follicle issues. And with the age of the internet, we are now looking to social media for the trendiest hacks. One of them caught our attention: washing our mane with Coca-Cola.

Viral For A Reason

Yes, you read that right—Coke is now used to beautify tresses. However, we don't think any foodie or cola lover will want to try this hack. Why? Because they might not like the idea of wasting a single drop of this famous drink that offers a good amount of caffeine.

But then again, even though it may seem like the most disheartening experience for a cola enthusiast, we can't knock this hair hack until we try it! After all, it probably didn't go viral on TikTok for nothing. From netizens to models, washing hair with Coca-Cola has become all the rage.

Hair Hacks Of Different Kinds

All sorts of hair hacks have been around since the dawn of time. In fact, ancient Egyptians used beeswax to set their strands after styling. They also loved castor and almond oil when it came to moisturizing and protecting their locks.

Believe it or not, eggs can also be used to replenish follicles, restoring shine and softness. Its consistency might be off-putting, but all one has to do is crack some egg whites into a bowl, apply them to damp hair, and comb through. The egg whites will make the locks so much stronger and will help it grow faster since the ends won't break off.

Mayonnaise Conditioner

Ran out of actual deep conditioner, a good substitute might just be in the kitchen—mayonnaise. Massage an ample amount of mayonnaise on your damp strands from the mid-hair shaft and comb through to the ends. Focus more on the ends as they are the oldest part of the tresses and will love all that extra loving.

Let the mayonnaise mask soak for 20 minutes. We recommend putting on a hair cap to lock in the goodness and keep the mess from getting anywhere it shouldn't be. After that, wash and style as usual. The result will be super glossy locks!

Hand Lotion Anti-Frizz Treatment

Frizz is nobody's friend, and lack of moisture is its main culprit. We've all found ourselves in a frizzy situation at some point in our lives. It's more annoying when it gets out of control while we're on the go and have no anti-frizz product.

One solution is to rub a coin-sized amount of hand lotion into the hands and use it to smooth out frizzy bits and ends in the tresses. We suggest you only use this hack for emergencies, though, because some hand lotion ingredients might not be suitable for the strands when used on a regular basis.

Take Care of Those Pesky Flyaways

As for flyaways, they result from damaged, broken follicles or new baby hairs growing in. They are relatively resistant to heat tools, and because they're shorter and finer, they also have less weight than the rest of the locks. This can make the tiny rogue strands difficult to disguise or coax into any hairstyle, leading to frizz.

Pesky flyaways are inevitable whether your tresses are down or styled in an updo. A strange trick to make baby hairs lay flat is to spray a toothbrush with hairspray and brush over your hairline, which will keep everything smooth without making a hairstyle crunchy.

Dryer Sheets To Remove Static

Whether it's brought on by a brand-new sweater or low temperatures, static hair is not fun. It happens when the locks build up an electric charge, indicating that it has accumulated extra electrons due to friction or a change in humidity.

Handling the situation before leaving the house can save anyone from embarrassment, and dryer sheets can come in handy for that. It might look crazy, but rubbing the dryer sheets down those strands can help eliminate those annoying static bits standing on edge. It's a great bonus that the dryer sheet can leave the hair smelling like fresh laundry!

Kool-Aid Neutralizer

Now, this hack is among the crazier ones, but we've got the intel that it does work. Brunettes have probably experienced leaving the salon with perfectly ashy locks only to discover that it has turned a brassy tone days later.

Kyle White, a colorist of over three decades at The Oscar Blandi Salon, suggests using grape Kool-Aid for brunettes who find themselves in this type of brassy situation. Doing so can help neutralize warm tones. Continue using purple shampoo as usual and give this hack a go next time the need arises to nudge those tresses in the right direction.

Lemon Juice Highlights

They say that cola is effective for lightening hair, but we'll get into that later. This time we're offering a subtler way to leap into hair coloring by using lemon juice as a highlighting product. Apply it to the locks and comb it through gently to begin the process.

After that, head out onto the balcony or patio for 45 minutes and let the sun and lemon juice get to know each other. Repeat this process every two weeks or so to gradually lighten those strands. It is recommended to stop whenever the intended result is attained to avoid overdoing it.

Tomato Juice For A Blonde Makeover

Now, to those with blonde locks. Chances are you've spent a little too much time in a pool or the ocean, leaving you with a head of green strands. Remove those unwanted green tones by soaking the hair in tomato juice since red neutralizes green. Leave it in for 20 minutes, then shampoo and condition it as you would normally. Repeat if necessary.

DIY superstar LaurDIY recently put tomato juice to the test after a vacation in Bora Bora left her with monster green tresses. And if you loved the hacks we shared like this one, you'll surely love the Coca-Cola hair trend. But first, let's learn more about this beloved beverage.

The Origin Of Coca-Cola

If you've ever wondered how Coca-Cola became a worldwide phenomenon in the world of beverages, then we've got the answer for you. Let's begin with when it was invented in the first place: May 1886. That was when a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, named Doctor John Stith Pemberton, created it.

According to the Coca-Cola Company, Pemberton concocted the syrup for the celebrated drink deemed "excellent" after being sampled at the local Jacob's Pharmacy. The syrup was mixed with carbonated water to produce a new "Delicious and Refreshing" beverage. He developed the famed formula in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard.

Where The Name Came From

Frank Robinson, Pemberton's bookkeeper, suggested the name Coca-Cola. Since the recipe for the syrup included coca leaf extract and caffeine derived from the kola nut, the name Coca Kola quickly popped into existence.

Yet, Robinson, known for having immaculate penmanship, believed that using two Cs in the name would be a great marketing tool when it came time to advertise their product. And so kola was changed to cola, and the brand name was born. This gentleman can also be credited with making the first scripted "Coca-Cola" by utilizing flowing letters that still serve as the brand's famous logo as of 2023.

Yes, Cocaine Was Used As An Ingredient

We mentioned that Coca-Cola's initial ingredients included coca leaf, a fact that can easily fly over anyone's head. That component comes from the coca plant, where cocaine is derived from. The New York Times confirmed this in a 1996 article that involved comments from a Coca-Cola representative.

But according to History.com, cocaine and other drugs weren't illegal until 1914. So while the idea of drinking it in soda seems pretty foreign these days, it wasn't as weird back then. And although Coke had actual cocaine during the late 19th century, it now uses a "non-narcotic extract" from the coca plant.

The "New Coke" Failure

If you think it was all smooth sailing for this brand, it wasn't. Sales started declining by 1985 because of an increasingly competitive cola market. In response, the company launched the trade secret "New Coke" formula on April 23 of that same year. However, it failed, and they had to bring back the original cola taste, rebranding it as the Coca-Cola Classic.

Coca-Cola, as of 2017, is a publicly-traded Fortune 500 company with over $41.3 billion in yearly revenue. The business was reported to have a workforce of 146,200 workers, and its products are consumed at a rate of more than a billion drinks (or hacks) daily.

Nothing To Do But Expand

Coca-cola has approximately 500 products. In fact, you might have already heard about limited edition Coke creations like Starlight, Starlight Zero Sugar, and Byte. They even team up with celebrities sometimes, like Marshmello, who has his own limited-edition coca-cola.

The brand's soft drinks are offered globally, and its product strategy includes a marketing mix. They have always been passionate about engaging customers more effectively, and so the robust Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy has invigorated the masses through the years. It has even gone on to rank as the world's largest manufacturer and licensor of 3,500 nonalcoholic beverages. That's a huge feat from something that was initially marketed to be a mere alternative drink...

The Reason Why It's Red And More Coke Trivia

After everything we've shared about this marvelous beverage, it's hard to believe that Pemberton had initially billed the soda as a "temperance" drink. As per the Bonkers Insitute website, it was marketed as an alternative to alcohol.

Since alcohol was heavily taxed during the 19th century, Coca-Cola wanted to ensure its (non-alcoholic) beverage won't be subjected to those taxes. According to what a Coca-Cola spokesperson had shared with Business Insider, they began painting their barrels red so tax agents could tell them apart from alcohol during transport. The bright color is still the easiest way for fans to identify Coke cans and bottles today.

They Invented The Six-Pack

Although the term "six-pack" tends to bring up images of beer or perhaps even abs for some, it was originally a way to purchase and carry multiple Coke bottles. And according to the company's website, Coca-Cola was the mastermind behind it.

Though common today, Coca-Cola designed the first six-pack in 1923 to further encourage consumers to take it home and drink it more often with the expanded availability of home refrigeration. Pabst might be credited as the first brewer to package their beer in six-packs, which they started doing so in 1938, but its ownership clearly dates back to Coca-Cola.

It Also Helped Popularize Open-top Coolers

Using a PDF from the company, we've come to know that Coca-Cola came out with "the first standardized open-top cooler" in 1929. It was then a rolling metal contraption that could carry up to 72 bottles, with the promise of keeping them cool.

Coke later employed Raymond Loewy in the '40s to help build a more portable version of the cooler. He even thought of putting a bottle opener on the cooler to make it easier to take the drink on the go. By the way, the man was an industrial designer, and we must say that his ideas were radical, like the cola hair hack we'll share soon enough!

Santa's Connection To Coca-Cola

No, we're not about to say that St. Nicholas himself tried the viral Coca-Cola trend. Although if Father Christmas did so, it might explain why he has such fabulous white tresses. Instead, we want to share how Santa is engrained in our minds as a plump, bearded older man who wears red. The company is partially to thank for that image. Bet you didn't see that coming!

In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint images of Santa with Coke bottles in hand. According to the brand, those images helped create the modern interpretation of the Santa we know today.

The Recipe Is Kept In A Secure Vault

Did you know Coke's recipe is found at Atlanta's World of Coca-Cola museum? Technically, we can only see it kept at The Vault of the Secret Formula exhibit, but we can't look at the recipe itself. Before being displayed at the museum, the secret recipe was hidden in a bank vault in Atlanta.

It was on December 8, 2011, when the brand put it in a vault within the vicinity of the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta for public display. The company disclosed that only two employees are privy to the entire formula at any given time, and they aren't allowed to travel together.

… But The Secret Formula Has Been Leaked

Despite the recipe being a secret, people can't help but speculate about the ingredients. It's been a popular talking point, proving good for business. As per Coca-Cola's Kerry Tressler, many third parties have tried cracking their secret formula, but they've all been unsuccessful.

Despite what Tressler said, the recipe was apparently leaked in 1993 through a book titled "For God, Country & Coca-Cola" by American author Mark Prendergast. It went widely unnoticed until it was released as a Kindle eBook on Amazon, quickly bringing it to mainstream media's attention. Prendergast claims he discovered the recipe in a formula book previously owned by the brand's founder.

It Was Meant As An Alternative To Morphine

Pemberton served in the Confederate army for virtually the entire Civil War, as per Richard Gardiner, whose article on the Coke inventor was publicized in the "Journal of the Muscogee Genealogical Society." While on horseback with Union cavalry in a battle that involved a sword fight, Pemberton was shot and slashed by a saber.

The Georgia man worked as a chemist and druggist before the war, so he had access to morphine. However, he became dangerously dependent on it to ease his pain after the war. Pemberton then began experimenting with opium-free medicine, leading him to work with coca leaves, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Coke Is Still Used For Other Things Today

Isn't it funny how Coca-Cola was made to serve a different purpose other than just being a drink, and people have found alternative uses for it through the years? A quick Google search would direct you to Coke hacks, besides the hair trend we have in store for you.

In fact, the car repair franchise Meineke has informed us that Coca-Cola can eat away any corrosion on an automobile's battery and help the ride start a lot easier. For anyone wanting to try this, just be sure to disconnect the battery before pouring soda on it. Rinse with water once done.

It's Even Used To Degrease Cookware!

Save all that time scrubbing empty lasagna pans with the help of Coca-Cola. A little soda can go a long way when it comes to those persistent stains. The HuffPost website has even written about it.

Thanks to its efficacy at removing grease, Coke is great at helping remove baked-on grease from pots and pans. To make it work, add a can of this soda to the cookware and let it sit on a burner on low heat. After 30 minutes to an hour, remove it from the heat. Then, use a scouring pad and start scrubbing away the grime.

Eliminate Household Pests

Coca-Cola has also been proven to help eliminate common pests at home or the yard. According to Bobvila, the first thing to do is set out a bowl of this carbonated drink to lure in slugs and snails. The acid in it will kill them.

Since Coke appeals to slugs, it stands to reason that it might entice other insects. Because of that, one can construct a Coca-Cola wasp trap similar to the slug trap. This hack will also be effective for getting rid of ant hills before they evolve to become a huge problem—pretty impressive if you ask us.

Remove Blood Stains

Got a bit of blood on that favorite top? Our favorite magical soda can help salvage any stained garment. And while the rumor that authorities use Coke to get blood stains off highways is a myth, this soda is really useful in busting through blood stains, as the show "MythBusters" had even confirmed.

The Thrillist website suggests adding a little Coke to a load together with laundry detergent and water. Doing so will have your top coming out as good as new. So how does cola get blood stains out? The carbonation and phosphoric acid in it is what work wonders on the stains.

Make Old Jewelry Look New Again

Coins and accessories that have begun to collect an unsightly tarnish can be cleansed with nothing more than a can of Coca-Cola. And if for some reason, you care about how shiny your pocket change is, all you have to do is drop the grimy coins in a Coke bath and leave them overnight. The same can be done with jewelry.

According to the Thrillist website, you should be able to easily wipe away the gunk to reveal a shiny new accessory as soon as morning comes. This hack works wonders when it comes to cleaning gold, silver, and even diamond jewelry.

Soothe A Sting

Coca-Cola is also effective at making a backyard bee sting much easier to take care of. As per the Popular Mechanics website, pouring soda straight onto the affected spot can give anyone instant relief from a jellyfish or bee sting.

For the best outcome, mix 1/4 of a cup of aluminum-free baking soda with one to two teaspoons of water together. After that, spread the paste on the body part that was stung. Reapply every 15 minutes or so. It is believed that baking soda can help counteract the acidity of the sting and mitigate inflammation, making it a good first-aid treatment.

Marinate Meat in Coca-Cola

We're back to the food and beverage category because we've got a hack involving barbecue. Cook with those extra cans of Coke by using them as the perfect meat tenderizer, as per Epicurious.

Marinate meats in Coca-Cola overnight to have tender meats that basically melt in the mouth once they come off of the grill. The soda's high acidity and caramel flavor are the key factors to why it's an effective tenderizer. Coke usually has a pH of about 2.7 (lemon juice has a pH of 2), which makes it acidic enough to break down some proteins without dissolving the meat.

Remove Gum From Those Strands

Finally, we have Coca-Cola and hair in one scenario once more. Having gum stuck in your strands can be a bummer, but don't reach for the scissors just yet. According to Popular Mechanics, soaking it in Coke for five minutes should help remove the sticky stuff without letting go of those locks.

The phosphoric acid in the soda reacts with the natural oils in the tresses, negatively impacting the tacky properties of the gum. Now, since Coke works so well in these hacks we've shared, we're convinced that it would also be effective when used to wash hair. Here's why it's a must-try!

The Benefits of Washing Hair With Coke

A lot of beauties have been experimenting with washing their curls with Coke. And don't worry; their strands have not fallen out. So why do these folks wash their locks with this carbonated drink? And can it really do wonders for our manes?

Well, apparently, by washing hair with this sticky-sugary beverage, all the ingredients are deposited onto the scalp and follicles, giving it the "body" that everybody is raving about. These components are what add texture to the locks. It's similar to salt spray, which plumps and expands the hair fiber, giving the appearance of thicker, more voluminous tresses.

It's All About The Low Ph Levels

With all the previous hacks, we now know how Coca-Cola is an acidic soft drink. The world-famous beverage contains carbonated water, sugar (corn syrup), caffeine, natural flavoring agents, and artificial food color. Aside from those, the ingredient list also contains phosphoric acid with a very low pH.

As a lightly acidic solution, Coke isn't the kind of liquid that can dry out strands quickly. Instead, it makes each follicle look shinier and more defined. Those who have tried the trend have said that it helps create the illusion of a fuller mane since the sugar adds build-up to the strands.

Be Cautious, Though!

Due to its acidic pH, Coke seals hair cuticles and makes them appear shiny. But just because it helps make the locks look lustrous doesn't mean it won't come with risks. This soda has no surfactants, so it doesn't really cleanse the scalp and strands.

The tricky part is that leaving a sugary and acidic beverage on your mane can be damaging. The more corn syrup and other ingredients build up on the scalp, the likelier it is to end up with issues like itching, greasiness, dandruff, and hair fall. No worries, though; there's a proper way to make it work for you!

Here's How to Correctly Do It

The first thing to do is prepare everything you will need before you even get into the bath and start drenching those strands with Coke. Get a one-liter bottle of soda or two 500-milliliter bottles, a big mixing bowl or colander, a towel, and a blow dryer or a fan that can be used to dry the hair fast.

Now, let's move on to what you need to do before proceeding to wash with Coca-Cola. There's only one thing left to accomplish after arranging all the things needed, and that's to detangle the locks. Once done, the process comes next.

Get Down With The Process

Place the bowl on a table, and make sure to gather the hair into it. Then, get to saturating those strands with Coke. Be careful, though, because spilling this carbonated beverage can create a sticky mess.

Dip the tresses a few more times in the Coca-Cola and squeeze the excess liquid out of them. Wait 10 to 15 minutes before shampooing your locks to wash out all traces of Coke. Once it's completely dry, check to see if there's any difference in hair texture. It may appear soft, shiny, or voluminous. However, depending on how your mane will react, there's a chance that you might not even notice anything.

The Same Process For A Different Outcome

If the viral hack happens to work for you, then Voila! Your locks will become more defined, thanks to Coca-Cola. With the added "body" from this hack, your mane will look fuller, giving it that effortlessly cool look.

According to the Loved By Curls website, Coke can also fade and remove hair dye, and that's why it’s often used to lighten locks that have been dyed too dark or too bright. It's the same process we've walked you through, but we recommend clarifying shampoo instead of regular ones. It has strong surfactants that are great at removing more dye molecules.

A Few More Tips

Going back to the trending hair hack, we suggest you don't use conditioner or other similar products once you've already rinsed the mane with Coca-Cola. It will do nothing but reduce the effect.

It's worth noting that this might work better on straight tresses without frizziness. Also, if the strands are too fine, add protective products and restyle the locks after washing with Coke. And for those with sensitive scalps, it might be better to visit a hair expert or two before trying the hack. They can help analyze the mane's condition and offer practical solutions to look after it.

Some Real-Life Testimonies

Those behind the Layla Hair website say they've already tried the viral hack. Their staff, who have different hair textures, have also done it. Instead of washing and conditioning their locks as they usually do, they rinsed with Coca-Cola, and here's what happened when they used the unique trick.

According to the article, they thought their tresses would feel sticky and stiff on the first try. Instead, their manes felt soft, shiny, and pretty smooth. Moreover, it created a bit more volume than usual. Interestingly, they also noted that the process didn't leave a strange odor since the smell disappeared as soon as the strands dried.

This Celebrity Has Also Tried This Trend

Even the English model Suki Waterhouse couldn't stop herself from giving this viral Coca-Cola hack a go. You might also know her as an actress from the films "Love, Rosie" and "Persuasion." On top of that, she's the songstress of songs like "Nostalgia" and "Good Looking."

Waterhouse began sharing about this unconventional hair fad by raving about its benefits. She swore that Coke transformed her limp, fine stands into that lovely tousled work of art (we are paraphrasing). This, of course, sent many vloggers and bloggers into a crazed frenzy to buy the carbonated drink and wash their locks with it.

YouTubers Like Ellko Have Done It Too

Ellko is a YouTube beauty guru, so we can see why she was eager to get into this bizarrely interesting hack. She actually has a segment in her channel where she tries to see if viral hacks and products really work. It's called "Fail or Holy Grail," where she tried the infamous "Coca-Cola Hair Rinse."

While doing the video, Ellko discovered that it does work. After using two bottles of Coke, her hair texture was totally transformed, giving the trend a thumbs up! The YouTuber even said she was impressed by the results since she thought her tresses would remain the same after washing out the drink.

This Woman Tried It For A Different Reason

Maintaining dreadlocks may require creativity, and one woman knew this and decided to wash hers with Coca-Cola. Her video actually went viral on Tiktok, where she uses the username tosh67, racking up 3.2 million views on the platform.

For those who have no idea about dreadlock maintenance, tresses set in this style require a lot of products to keep them healthy. And for this woman and others like her, it does the trick. As a commenter named Tshepi Laydee T Rame shared, they had also used this trick when they had dreads since it made the hair stronger and darker in color.

Not Backed By Hair Science

The Briefly News website got in contact with a certain man named Thomas, who operates a hair salon in the South of Johannesburg. When asked if he would recommend the viral hack, he had a lot to share about the bizarre technique.

According to Thomas, nothing in hair science says Coke washes the hair clean. For him, it's merely a myth spreading worldwide regarding what people do with other things. He added that although people think their strands will twist effortlessly and lock smoothly when they wash them with Coca-Cola, none of these things have ever been proven to happen.

Just Don't Do It Daily

At this point, it's best to remind everyone not to wash their tresses with Coke every day since it's possible that it contains artificial additives. Doing so may lead to scalp build-up, which in turn would cause breakage, damage, dryness, and hair fall.

However, washing locks with Coca-Cola once in a while or even once every month is alright. The major purpose of doing it anyway is to get that extra volume and better texture, which happens as the corn syrup sugar envelops the follicles. If the strands are split, broken, weak, or over-processed by chemical or mechanical means, it can end up being detrimental to hair health.

The Best Thing To Do Is To Care For Your Scalp

At the end of the day, if the person trying this out has an unhealthy scalp, their tresses will likely suffer. With no scalp care whatsoever, dead skin, product build-up, and excess oil will converge to wreak havoc and bring on greasy, brittle strands.

The best practice to stimulate a healthy scalp is through scrubbing, which we should all do once to twice a month. Using a scalp scrub to massage that part of our bodies promotes healthy blood flow, which, in turn, delivers a surge of oxygen to the scalp. Aside from that, it exfoliates it while battling any build-up.

Final Words

Hopefully, in this piece about washing hair with Coca-Cola, we could impart some practical information that's worth knowing. We provided the history of this product and some other hacks that use it to educate you about what exactly it is you might or might not want to use on yourself.

According to the Coca-Cola website, over 1.9 billion servings of Coke have been enjoyed in more than 200 countries daily as of 2022. Will you be adding to that statistic by trying out this viral hack any time soon? After all, it's an inexpensive trick that has already worked for many people.