Dreads

[wiggy]

Is there any other dreadheads on here? I need to find a new shampoo, i've been using lush - jumping jupiter. But they have increased the price from 3.50 to £4.75 - which is bloody wrong in my opinion.

Are there any other natural/eco products that would be suitable for my dreads that wont cost me loads and loads ?

Wigs x

[Moonwaves]

I thought you got dreads by not washing or brushing your hair. Hmm, must be another urban myth. At any rate it's what my brother told me would happen to my hair if I stopped using shampoo (he thought stopping using shampoo meant stopping washing altogether).

So, sorry, no advice to help specifically with dreads but can definitely recommend going 'no-poo' - takes a few weeks for your hair to normalise but after that it's great. I just use water to wash every week and every month or so do a cider vinegar rinse.

[eccentric_emma]

when i had dreads i just used vinegar and water ratio of 1:10 ish. sprayed it on, left it for half an hour rinsed it out. tended to work quite well. otherwise i found Knotty Boy products quite good but expensive.

[the.fee.fairy]

I did find a shampoo once that was supposed to be really good. Dr Dread i think it was called...give me a while and i'll dig the recipe out! (well, not the complete recipe - the one that i made up based on the ingredients...).

[wiggy]

cool thanks alot.

And theres a few different ways of getting dreads - the not brushing/washing is the natural way. But you can back comb and not wash them or back comb and wash them.

I did both methods - kind of half my head back combed and half natural - just to be difficult

[eccentric_emma]

hehe i know what its like to be difficult. i spent months getting my dreads in with wax, only washing with vinegar. only to discover i couldnt be bothered with the twiddling every day and they kept getting matted together. so now six months down the line.....from the front my hair is lovely, wavey and natural and the back is a big matted mess! (its almost all out though, my wonderful husband spends a few hours each day picking them out for me)

[caithnesscrofter]

i use dr. Bronners peppermint as a body soap and shampoo. I have wind blown dreads. I wash my hair twice a week but, don't brush or comb it. Where i live is windy all the time and this helps! Try salt water to wash them every so often, really tightens them up. Just try to stick to any residue free soap. And stay well clear of wax.

[Keaniebean]

I'm giving the braided method a go. I've put it in 40 or so tight braids with Jamacain locking wax. Then I've rubbed it with a pure wool cloth to help knot it up. Seems to work ok but I dont expect miracles. Caithnesscrofter do you know how to make up some salt water, ie what ratios to use. I dont live remotely near the sea

[caithnesscrofter]

braided method does work. Mate of mine did it near enough 10 years ago and hers look great. She put nothing else in them. U might find a ratio on the net. I live right by the sea and go swimming.

[Urban Ayisha]

dr bronners is what i use and i have girly neat and tidy 3 year old locks ... knotty boy is nice but expensive and a bit gimmicky for my tastes! Dr Bronners is a bit of an all around product... they claim it has 18 uses in one! they also do lots of nice smells like 'hemp rose', my scent of choice at the moment and massive 32oz bottles. Fairly priced too. thehempshop.co.uk in brighton is good for buying it online.