Getting my hair really clean?

Hi all, joined yesterday, starting my dreads today. I have super fine caucasian hair that frizzes and tangles horribly and slides out of every style. Normally I use some really heavy-duty conditioner to keep my hair from forming giant mats every time I move my head.I've been reading DHHQ for a year and a half, planning on doing dreads when I could afford the products. I'm glad I found this site, but I still have to admit that I still really like the neat, organized dreads I saw there. I really want cornrows, but my hair won't stay in them for more than a couple of days. I haven't seen any naturally-formed dreadlocks that had the look I love.

Today I wanted to get all the product gunk out of my hair, so I started my shower with a baking soda rinse with rosemary oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. After a white vinegar rinse, my hair was nasty. It was super sticky and horrible. I washed it with Dr. Bronner's and borax a couple of times, and now it's not so bad, but it's a little discouraging.

Is this just the result of product buildup? Is there anything else I can do to detox my hair? Is baking soda/vinegar just supposed to feel like this?

updated by @rachel-maness: 02/14/15 06:15:18AM

did u mix the bs and acv or did u rinse the bs out b4 doing acv

was the acv organic with 'mother" a layer of live bacteria?

if so that maybe why

how much oils did u use howed u mix the bs

its not normal but some ppl have had issues in alkaline water but umm are u sure the oils u used are esentuial oils noy t fragrance oils and u didnt use too much?

u used borax with the bronners is that cause of your water?

u can try a clarifying shampoo

and

look round here we have a ton of beautiful natural dreads

u had tour mind warped by the sticky candles on dhhq into thunking those are dreads

sounds like u got great hair for going natural so i would really recomend it

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

nezat dreads are not worth it if u try to get thart look you will always be didatisfied you will have to work on them all the time to keep that look your way better off going natural and lovig the way they form organicly and then wont have to waste hundreds of hours messing with them

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks for the responses guys! I haven't actually started my dreaded yet. I really need to solve this issue first.I spent hours reading this site before washing my hair. I used a quarter cup of baking soda in a gallon of water with about 10 drops of tea tree, 10 of lavender, and 20 of rosemary oil. All essential oils from Whole Foods. I poured that over my head and worked it into my hair. It immediately made my hair stick together.After about 10 minutes I mixed a cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water and poured that over my hair. The texture remained sticky. I rinsed my hair really well, still sticky. It dried dull and gunky.After that I mixed some Dr. Bronners with water and lathered my hair up really good. After rinsing for a long time, my hair was still sticky. Repeated the same process, still sticky.We don't have hard water, but I tried borax because my hair was still gross and I was running out of ideas. I mixed a quarter cup of borax with a gallon of water and poured that over my head, and it made my hair slightly less sticky.Why is baking soda, vinegar, and Dr. Bronners making my hair so gross? Is there something else I can do? Do I need to go buy an entire bottle of clarifying shampoo just for one wash?

i dont know really baking soda should heel just like water

it should run ruight through your hair like nothing (in fact i pour it over my whole body)

that isstrange

and umm u should rinse the vaking soda out b4 u do the acv

the bs and acv chemicaly reacte so u want the bs rinsed out 1st then doi it

how much products had u used

alot?

was it treatrd other ways bleached permed anything?

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I finally soaped my head up with some Method dishsoap, and after a ton of rinsing my hair feels like hair again. I've never put baking soda on my hair, it was really weird. It felt like I'd just poured a gallon of hairspray over my head. I rinsed it before I did the vinegar, and it didn't help at all. Maybe now that I have the gunk off, the baking soda will work better.

My hair is colored with Manic Panic. Bleach and perms fry my hair into an impossible poof, so I try not to damage it. I don't use anything else, no spray, no gel, nothing.

I have been using One solid shampoo bars: http://www.onebathandbody.com/

And Nexus Humectress conditioner: http://www.nexxus.com/Product/Humectress/Ultimate-Moisturizing-Conditioner

I'm planning on doing twist and rip with a fair bit of maintenance. The reason I will not go natural is because I know what my hair will do. I've done too many camping trips where I've washed my hair with a little Dr, Bronners and then run around exploring while letting it dry and fly free. Each time, it turns into one giant, painful wad at the back of my neck within a couple of hours. I would literally rather shave my head than live like that, even if it's only a short transition period.

When you used the baking soda, was the water you mixed it with VERY hot?That was my problem too. It was only luke warm and had a slightly strange texture on my scalp. Just mix is when it's super hot, let it cool down and then use it!

I didn't know this!! It explains why my Henna ends up being lighter than I anticipate. Interesting...

Knottysleeves said:

Just a note -- even if you do get the baking soda wash to work for you, I wouldn't recommend it because it will strip your colour. It strips veggie dyes (Manic Panic, SFX, etc) really quickly, and dulls henna too. I don't use chemical dyes so I can't say whether it would strip them as well.

I just finished twist and ripping my hair into sections, which was actually a lot of fun. I've spent my entire life trying to unknot my hair and keep it from tangling, so gently coaxing it into knots was rather refreshing. If my hair had emotions, this would be the happiest it's ever been.

Any ideas for alternatives to baking soda/vinegar?

Knottysleeves said:

Just a note -- even if you do get the baking soda wash to work for you, I wouldn't recommend it because it will strip your colour.

Did you pour the BS mixture over dry hair? BS should be used on wet hair hair.