Hi I will get my dreads started in a couple of days (wednesday, oh wonderful wednesday hurry to me!), and are thinking about, and reading lots about soap/shampoo. RsidueFree, okay.... But how can i find out if a soap/shampoo is residue free? Read that "If the shampoo has left a scent, it has left residue behind." But... also read that this Knotty Boy (hmmm was that its name?) does smell better than DreadHead... does that mean that Knotty Boy isnt residue free? I kinda dont want to use either of those tho, want to find other soaps and vary between different soaps, so i can make this journey mine and not just close my eyes and go where the businesses tell me to go. What i really want answers to is: How can i find out if a soap is residue free?
In order to save time, money, and energy I suggest using Baking soda. It is cheap, easy, and everywhere. No residue. Just dilute some in a water bottle, poke a hole in the cap, and pour that all over your messy head. Then rinse. I love it.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=p5X&sa=N&um=1 This is what i use, u can buy it at walgreens for $5. works great for me, i have had my dreads a month 2morrow =) .. N my hubby used it for a year when he had his. It smells good too..
Welcome, by the way. And as for actually reading ingredients to see if it is residue free, I've never put that much effort into it. I've always just gone by other peoples recommendations and past experiences. People use DHHQ soap, Knottyboy soap, Dr. Bronners, Baking soda, apple Cider Vinegar, etc. So pretty much avoid anything you would normally use on pre-dreded hair. Avoid conditioners, and 'silky and shiny' crap.
Yes, avoid anything that will make your hair shiny. If it makes the hair shiny, that means it has residues in it. Also, a note about baking soda; It bleaches your hair, so if you want darker dreads I suggest not using it.
there's not really a surefire way to tell if its residue free unless its marked on the label... and that's bullshit, leaving a scent doesn't mean its leaving residue. if it says residue free, clarifying, or anti-residue... those are some keywords to look for when searching for a residue free shampoo.
I call bullshit on dredlocks ftw. I remember you saying you used a dove bar on your hair. OP-don't do that! why not start off using just water? scrubscrubscrub!
Thanks guys Last days ive used random soap bars that i have all around my bathroom, so my hair wont have tasted shampoo for a week when i get my starting dreads. (+ getting really dry now) And it surprised me that after second wash i suddenly got waves and light curls, havent had that since i was a tiny sweet little gilr. So that might have been residuefree, or atlest almost, washing out the heavy "makes ur hair shiny"-stuff so my hair lost its weight problems and could act more naturally The baking soda scares me a bit. U see, i use that to clean my coffeemaker, oven and other really hard to clean stuff, and it removes everything! So tought it would eat my hair like candy.
So you've used random bard of soap on your hair in replace of shampoo? (isn't is all the same?) I know to 'prep' my hair, I just washed with bronners. About baking soda-There is no reason to fear! it has been a go-to cleaning agent for years. It gets rid of odors like you wouldn't believe. Its great for everything. I keep a box around at all times! It is drying, but it works for me because I have oily hair anyway. It evens it all out.
Well, I could swear I read something about baking soda and a bleaching effect, I could be wrong, though. EDIT; Aha! http://ask.metafilter.com/71373/baking-soda-and-hair
Well, as my hair behave all different after a shampooing than after using those random soapbars i cant say its the same. Usually, when i still shampooed, my hair was shiny and soft, and never had a knot in it even if i didnt camb it, and was all stright. With this random soap bars my hair is really wavy almost curly, its got more volume and its really dry. So i know its way easier to make dreads up there now, but still dont know if they leaves residues that will start living theyr life inside the coming dreads. Yea, i can wash it with bronners or knotty boy or dreadhead to prepair it too, but i want to find alternatives to those too. Has to be more than 3-4 soaps in this world that is good for dreads, and i want to use some that doesnt got to be one of the first 4 counted ;p Dont want only getting and growing the dreads to be my journey, i want to try out soaps, essential oil mixes, fridge cleaning baking soda and all that too ...looking forward to give my fridge a bakinsoda bath
hey OP, you're not using wax in your dreads are you? I recommend baking soda and lemon juice for washing your hair.
I used baking soda for the first time [ I usually use Zum bars LOOK EM UP ^_^ they have the most delightful scents!] anyway...it works magnificently! just make sure you don't use too much it destroys fresh dreads...i would know...:/
I love the smell of the Zum bars but when I used it the bar got really slimy and nasty feeling. I didn't like that very much so I never bought it again. Smells were good though.
that's weird that's never happened to either of my bars and they're both almost done. What scent did you get so I can stay the fuck away from that?
It was the spearmint and patchouli. It smelled damn good but the spearmint was a little over powering
