- note: the following is a very old post the info is only partially correct with these exceptions
- never use lemon juice in the recipe nor in dreads
- the corrected ratios of baking soda to water is 1-10 1 part baking soda to 10 parts water
- although this is excelent as a deep cleanse or as a no touch method helpful during the early neglect knotting stages its use long term may weaken hair, especialy if the wrong ratios asre used
we had a plumbing explosion last week on the day i usualy wash my dreads , so, had to go an extra week without washing..yuck i felt gross i really dont understand how some people can go 6 months without washing, after 2 weeks my scalp was a disaster
but, from the nastiness came complete cleanliness with ease
1'st i'll explain what i used to get super clean, then explain some modifications that can be used for different issues
i made an extra strong batch this time, but my basic recipe is 1/3-3/4 cup baking soda (not powder, i use arm and hammer) toss that in a big juice pitcher (bout a gallon size) then i add 10 or so drops teatree oil, 20-30 drops rosemary oil 20-30 drops lavander oil (i'll explain why i use these in a sec)
then just spray in water till its about 2/3-3/4 fill, take my hand and reach all the way to the bottom of the pitcher and stir while squeezing any clumps to break em up.. once its pretty clumpless i fill the pitcher to the top then close your eyes and pour it over your head...no scrubbing needed at all, so very gentle on delicate baby dreads
then i wash everything else while its soaking just leave it soak as long as ya can..10-30 minutes even (30 recommended if u are extra grimy or used wax)
then rince well
i follow this up with a strong vinagar rince ( usualy id do a weak apple cidar vinagar, but last month been doing a far stronger white vinagar, explained in a few)
for a weak acv id add just a splash, maybe a capfull or 2 to the same gallon size pitcher for a strong version id use a cup or more of white vinagar, to this i add a big ol glob of cocoa butter (extra conditioning) and the same oils used in the wash, this i only leave soak a few minutes..2-5..then rince well
before i get into modifications let me 1st tell you the experience from this 1 wash from grimy to glorious
before washing, scalp was crusty, hard chunks, itchy crap just gross
within seconds of pouring the baking soda mix on, all that crusty crap seemed to melt into a smooth creamy like substance all the dry flaky skin loosened up and almost liquified
it tingles a good bit as it works but it works wonders
with absolutely no scrubbing all the grossness washes away.
and your left just feeling super clean your dreadlocks so soft and cuddly, and actualy lighter feeling
modifications, and why ya might wanna use certain herbs
the original recipe i got this from called for 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sea salt
the sea salt odviosly helps young dreadlocks lock, the lemon juice, may or may not add to cleanning but i found it made em extra frizzy and fuzzy so i stopped using it
however.. lemon juice might add in breaking up wax and residue slightly, so, its worth experimenting
herbs oils and such to add
teatree obviously is an astringent which kills bacteria, it can help dandruff, but too much can dry hair and scalp (making flakes worse) so lil is better then alot.. it also repells bugs like lice.. it wont get rid of em once ya got em, but, steady use almost guarantees ya never will
rosemary excelent for dandruff, add the oil to washes and rinces, or, make a tea to spray on scalp and leave in
lavander suposed to kill mold spores when used in white vinagar (1 cup white vinagar to 1/3 cup water, 30 or so drops lavander, leave in to soak all week) i just use it as a safegard to make sure molds never an issue..plus it smells so nice with the other herbs
thyme as oil added to the mix helps regulate oiliness, as a tea spray on scalp leave to soak, your scalp wil;l begin to produce less oils.
orange or grapefruite oil ive never used either, but, orange oil dissolves even industrial adhesives, glues, tars caulks tape adhesives and the like. the citric acid in either theoreticly should safely dissolve some wax buildup
ok, so most of ya are aware wax contributes to grime buildup and was is very hard to get out if not nearly impossible
so i think with a superclean dread thread id really be dropping the ball if i did'nt try to clean up wax too, so, here goes my recomendations for wax removal
if your in the 1st weeks of dreading and used wax.. it is absolutely best to comb out dewax and start over, ya only lose a couple weeks and gain many years of longevity
but if your months or years in
thrres 3 basic ways to get wax out
excessive heat.. be very careful with this, you want to dip each dread into very hot water, careful to not drip any on you or touch it (recommend thick rubber gloves) let the dread soak in the near biolingwater a few minutes to bring the wax above melting temp, then squeeze the dread from root to tip pulling out the gunky waxy water.
you may be surprised how much comes out, but at best your probly only gonna get 60% , luiquid wag will only come out if theres enough to wring out, still leaving the individual hairs coated in it
emulsifying this requires a hell of alotta soap, and alotta scrubbing, i hear dawn dish soap recommended often.. you might go through several bottles and hours of scrubbing to get most out
again, you probly wont get it all
and finaly dissolving, using citric acid oils as stated above
between the 3 methods, many repeatted attempts and a hell of alotta agressive work you can get most out. probably still not all, but enough to make them feel sooo much better softer less stiff and sticky, and hopefully enough to prevent all the future problems wax can cause.
even if you used wax only sparingly only a few times and beleve you have none in there now i recommend you do all 3 steps to be sure, ive heard several times of people only using wax twice in the 1st weeks of dreading only to find wax still at the core of theyre dreads years later.
(sorry all i know most here have'nt used wax, but there will come plenty who have i just want to provide info for all to have super clean super soft cuddly dreads)
mine feel soooooo good right now
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
updated by @soaring-eagle: 01/22/20 09:33:16AM
