I used it the first month - just a little. I kept it in the fridge and tried to drink it as well since apparently it's so healthy, but I couldn't really stomach the taste. The frizz started going away after the first month, and I haven't needed to use it at all. I didn't notice it loosening my dreads or anything when I used it, though I was warned about it conditioning.
Hey, Erin! Glad you're enjoying the journey too. I was just looking on here for people from SLC. My husband and I are about to go there for a few months for work, and I was wondering how people there respond to dreads. I've never been anywhere near Utah, so I have no idea what to expect.
That's what I was afraid of. Sounds like I'll have to wait til we settle down for longer than a month. Thanks for the help!
While my husband and I were traveling out West, we really fell in love with Kombucha tea. Of course, out there it's cheap. We're in FL now, and when I finally a store that sold it, they wanted almost $5 for it. I've heard that you can make your own Kombucha tea fairly easily. I saw there was a starter kit on Amazon for $18, but I'm wondering if any other Kombucha lovers out there have any input on how to get started. I'm looking for something fairly easy, as we travel and live in hotels, and I don't exactly have a full kitchen right now. I'm just really missing it, along with the West Coast.
No, definitely not. There's a lot of details missing there. Lots more on the subject of washes, oils, salt water, etc, etc, to be found in blogs and other forums.
Hi, and welcome! I'm about 7 months in. I started with about shoulder-length hair, and I did tnr. I think you can start dreads at any length just by not brushing or conditioning. I think if you check a lot of blogs and forums, etc, most people use some sort of shampoo method. It doesn't slow the process, nor does water. Just stay away from conditioner. Personally, I wash my hair about twice a week, using Dr. Bronner's soap or baking soda/apple cider vinegar. I like to rinse with cold water and a few drops of rosemary oil, because it seems to help with itchy/dry scalp. You'll find tons of info on this site and advice. The most advice you'll see is don't do too much. No crocheting, wax, etc, but it sounds like you're going the natural route anyways. Good luck! I can say, for me, it's been a very fun process.
I came across that statement early in my dread process and felt really discouraged at first. I was really sensitive at first, sometimes even searching out negative ideas of dreads online and afraid to walk outside without them covered in case someone might say something hurtful. But after a while, I started going outside without the hat, and soon I was forgetting I even had dreads. NO one has said a word to me about them, good or bad. Now, after a few months I'm feeling more comfortable with myself and how I look with my baby dreads, I don't think I'd feel as upset if someone told me they didn't like them. (I think I'd be hurt if a bunch of people pointed and laughed, but that would hurt me no matter what. That's just rude to do to anyone if you're over the age of 3.) This kind of statement doesn't rub me as raw as before. I know my dreads will never look like a black person's dreads. Personally, I think their dreads are so beautiful and smooth, and I don't expect mine to look like theirs. But I'm not trying to be rasta. I've never been to Jamaica, and I don't personally like the rasta colors or listen to reggae music, though I have so much admiration for Bob Marley as I've learned more about him.
Everyone's got an opinion. Sometimes I wish they'd keep them to themselves more often. I know my family thinks dreads don't look great on caucasians, they're just polite enough to say, "Ahhh... yeah, they look... nice on you." 
It's nice that they are able to keep the negative comments to themselves, but that's only because they know and love me. I think a girl shaving half of her head and dying the rest purple at age 40 and 40 lbs overweight looks kind of silly. Then I think about what she might think about my hair. Dreads have made me a bit less judgmental, but I still have some negative opinions about others' styles. What this guy wrote is rude, and I think he took his opinion to some really cruel places, but I'm not trying to steal anything from the black style. I started mine, because I actually love the look of caucasian dreads! I know a lot of people don't like them, but it's my hair. And that makes my hair all the more fun and exciting to me.
I put a few drops of tea tree oil in with my bs wash. After the acv wash, I put a few drops of rosemary oil in a really cold cup of water and that's my last rinse. (I don't rinse it out.) I don't know if anyone else does that, but it seems to help with my dandruff, smells good, and makes my hair just a bit softer. Good luck!
Thanks, for the replies! Robyn - if we lived closer, we'd have to hang out. I love your enthusiasm! Knotty Lady - I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I shared a look with the dreadies I saw, but I just couldn't cross the barrier of conversation. Pete and Linus - thanks for the advise!
So... I've been thinking a few days whether to write about this, because it's a little embarrassing. I don't know how to talk to people with dreads. When I started my dreads, we were in Florida on a job. I didn't see any people around with dreads, except Jamaicans, who I consider to have dreads I could never hope to come close to having as cool of dreads as that with my white girl hair. Then we came out to Oregon and then traveled around to places like Eureka, CA. Woah! I found where all the dreadies are hiding! Whenever I see someone, especially a pale white person like myself, with dreads I get really excited because until recently I hadn't been seeing other people with dreads, but I totally freeze up and feel like a shy little kid. I want to ask them about their hair, what method they used, how old their dreads are, etc, but I feel awkward. Maybe because at 6 months, I'm still a little self-conscious about my short, awkward babies. It's easy to talk with dreadies about dreads on here, but in general, is there a way to approach one another? Or is it generally accepted not to acknowledge each other, you know, play it cool? I know that sounds weird, but in 6 months, I've had a lot of people stare, but I haven't had 1 single person outside of family say anything about my hair to me. I've generally considered that a good thing (better nothing than discouraging comments), and out on the West coast I figured it was more because dreads are a little more common. Anyway, just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or experience on the subject.
