so ive read that you shouldnt use store brands and was about to order some dr bonners when i thought....i wonder if i could just make a shampoo at home for dreads..anyone know any recipes?
dont bother with shampoos until your dreads are mature enough to take on some non residue poos..Be careful with bronners if its liquid form, shits concentrated like a mofo. I'd say stick with some good old ACV, search "Bronners" and check out the deep cleansing threads and other good stuff
From the FAQ: "baking soda some people use baking soda because it leaves the hair and scalp feeling clean and tingly. residue-free is the way to go when you have dreadlocks and this seems to be one of the best way to keep your locks residue-free. glycerin soap glycerin soap is another good way to reduce the residue left in your hair after washing. keep in mind, however, that there are two types of glycerin soaps, animal fat and vegetable. vegetable glyerin usually has a lathering agent called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. these guys are chemical derivatives of coconut oil and often labeled as a 'natural' ingredient, or as simply coconut oils. SLS is bad for dreads as it is residuous and high amounts have shown to cause birth defects in lab animals. not that most people would be drenching their bodies and ovaries in SLS, but most dreadheads agree that it's best to stay away from SLS altogether. Dr. Bronner’s probably the most popular shampoo. Dr. Bronner's all-one natural hemp soap/shampoo smells good, does the job, and doesn't have all those chemicals found in most commercial soaps. all around favorite for dreadheads. can be found in most health food stores. some find that Dr. B's leaves their hair sticky feeling. i have used Dr. B's for years, and haven't had much problems. i use the water method (described below) now because Dr. B's IS still a shampoo and does strip natural oils from the hair. i use the water method because i can go longer without my hair getting greasy. water a controversial method. some consider hair 'unwashed' if no shampoo is used, especially in the vanilla (straight haired) world. some dreadheads don't use soaps or shampoos at all and simply use water to wash their dreads with. this is the method i use most of the time. i only wash my hair with shampoo every few months and use water the rest of the time. i rinse my scalp for a few minutes, then scrub my scalp with my hands under running water, then rinse again. this is something you have to acclimate your hair to. ill have more info on weaning your hair off of chemical shampoos later in this post. ACV cleanse apple cider vinegar neutralizes the alkali build-up on the scalp and roots, helps to loosen flakey dandruff coming from the scalp, and also helps some people with excessive itching. some people use straight ACV and others find that the tingling feeling is too intense and sometimes burns the scalp. others dilute it 2/1 (ACV/water) or 1/1. the easist way to do this is to dip the dreads and scalp in ACV and wrap with a towel turban style for a few minutes (10-20) and then rinsing for at least 5 minutes. some people with mature dreads report dark residue coming from their locks when they do this. this is a good thing, as it eats away at residue that is trapped in the hair. it's good to do this once every two weeks or once a month and can be used as a shampoo replacement. some people think this stuff smells rank but the smell goes away after rinsing. " SO Grab a tub of baking soda, mix a few teaspoons in with a bottle of water and squirt/pour that over your dreads, and rinse. You can also use the ACV wash, or do a deep cleanse. A link to the deep cleanse guide and the FAQ is in the "Read this before posting" sticky ^^
so. this part always confused me.... cause whenever i've bought ACV it's already diluted... all vinegar is. It comes as only like 20% vinegar mixed with water i believe. So.... it really shouldn't be that strong. Just saying. its not concentrated or anything :S
