#washing dreadlocks

[gothicsoulflower]

ACV Wash Part 1: Deep Cleaning Locs

ACV Wash Part 1: Deep Cleaning Locs

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Hello, lovely Soulflowers!  I finally gave my dreadlocks a deep clean, known as the ACV wash.  ACV stands for Apple Cider Vinegar.  I do wash my dreadlocks at least once a week, but it’s also good to give your locs a nice, deep clean.  The ACV wash will leave your locs feeling nice and lightweight.  The added bonus is that the ingredients are all natural, which is great for dreadlocks.  It’s…

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[zucchiniblossom]

Deep cleaning my dreads today! I can't wait! Using this recipe from the lovely and helpful dreadlockinfo blog. I'll post some pictures later on.

Clean,fuzzy dreadlings here I come!

[dreadlockramblings-blog-blog]

Here's a video with me just generally chatting about my hair. Sorry if it's a bit shit and awkward, it's my first video :) i hope to do more explaining specific things about dreadlocks, feel free to make suggestions. 

[zucchiniblossom]

Just washed my dreadlocks with baking soda and added a few drops of mint oil. My hair is so clean and fresh, not to mention it smells great too!

If you have dreadlocks I highly recommend trying it! It's amazing!

[naturallyknotted]

Washing Dreads

Quite possibly the most important thing about dreadlocks is keeping them clean. But continuing to use the same shampoo one used before dreading is usually not adequate; many shampoos have conditioners, fragrances, and other chemicals that leave a residue in your hair. This is quite alright for non-dreaded hair, as it will come out in the next washing, or you have the opportunity to brush it out, but dreads have a habit of collecting things. Residue does not easily wash out of locks and conditioners hinder the formation of knots. Over time the residue trapped inside of a dread will start to rot.

Using a residue free shampoo will prevent this. Sometimes it is difficult to find a shampoo like this, and it can also be expensive. Another great place to look is on Etsy.com, there are many shops are devoted to making all natural and residue free shampoos —both in liquid and bar forms.

Buying all natural and residue free shampoos can be expensive, so if you are looking for cheaper options I have a few.

Dr. Bronner’s! Fair-Trade, Organic, American Made, All Natural, Vegan, Castil soaps! Really, this bottle has it all, you can brush your teeth, scrub your tub, do the wash, wash the dog, clean the dishes, your carpets, and your dreads —and when you’re all through you can throw it out on the lawn ‘cause nothing in it will harm mother earth!

There are lots of different sents to choose from, you can get it in bar or liquid form, and it is cheap. The bottle can be pricy when you take it to the check out, but because you need to dilute it so much it will last quite a long time.

Dr. Bronners should be diluted 12 parts water to 1 part soap, keep that ratio and fill an empty bottle with your mixture. The mixture will not have the usual consistency of shampoo, but will lather up very well as you scrub, so be sure not to use too much! (Remeber you can always add more, but you can't put it back in the bottle)

The only issue that I have found with Dr. Bronner’s is that it can be hard to rinse out in some water types, and can thus leave a waxy feeling behind. Sometimes rinsing with the ACV rinse --described below-- will minimize this feeling.

(Fun Fact: I’ve met the man who now owns and runs  Dr. Bronner's, his great ^7th grand father was the original Dr. Bronner. He's an awesome, jolly man, and is always giving away free samples.)

Finally, Baking Soda Wash, and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse (BS/ACV) is the cheapest way to wash your dreads —it is also my preferred way, as I feel it cleans the best. 

Instructions:

Mix approximately one cup of baking soda with about a gallon of hot water and 20 to 40 drops of Tea Tree Oil (and/or any other essential oils you would like. Peppermint and Lavender are quite nice).

Pour this mixture, slowly, over your dry dreads and let soak for ten to twenty minutes. You shouldn't rub, or scrub, with this mixture, making easy to keep from de-tangling your hair as it begins to lock up.

Rinse your dreads thoroughly.

Mix approximately one cup of Apple Cider Vinegar with a gallon of water, pour this mixture over your head and rinse out after thirty seconds. For mature dreads you can leave it in for several minutes.

That is it! The backing soda will clean the dreads, and keep them fresh, and the ACV leaves the dreads fluffy, and helps to keep them from drying out too much from the baking soda.

A few tips on using this method

Take into account your skin sensitivity level, you may need to use less baking soda, or let the mixture sit for a shorter amount of time, if your scalp is sensitive or drying out.

Some have said that using double --or more-- the amount of ACV helped their dreads to knot up faster.

I have recently been using a teaspoon of Dr. Bronner's in the baking soda wash, rather than essential oils, and it seems to work wonderfully.

On occasion this method has been reported to cause build up in dreads, the best guesses are that water quality plays a role in rinsing your hair, or possibly not rinsing dreads thoroughly enough.

These are just a few popular ways of washing dreads, there are of course other methods as well, but these are the ones I have experimented with that I feel do a decent job of getting hair clean. If you have a method you would like added please drop a note in the ask and we can discuss the possibilities.

In just a bit I'll be making an answerable post so y'all can add your favorite tips as well!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to message me.

[beau-ootifulsoup]

Baking Soda Dreadlocks or hair wash!

I highly recommend it.. your dreads will be soo happy after. it gets rid of all gross and nasty things that can linger in your dreads.

I use one teaspoon (maybe a little more) baking soda to every one cup of water.. warm..

couple drops of tea tree oil ((kills bacteria))

2-4 rosemary oil ((good for dandruff))

2-4 Lavender oil ((helps kill mold spores and smells lush))

2-4 peppermint oil ((for itchy scalp))

Mix it all together into a big jug.. or whatever you have.. anything will do.. make sure all the baking soda is dissolved when you mix it.. then pour the lot over your dreads.. and just leave it on them to soak in for 10mins.. wash your beautiful body while you wait:D!

you don't have to use all these oils. I've been using just the Baking Soda and tea tree oil today:3 

..... just thought I'd share.. I've had this question pop up a few times on what is good to wash dreads with..

The.ENd.