baking soda

Do you wash with baking soda before or after dreads have formed? About how far in do you start. I haven't brushed in a week haven't washed pin 2 days. Any other tips would be awesome, thank you!
updated by @shaina: 01/13/15 09:33:02PM

You can start before they form

So, you can wash with BS any time you want. You could have straight hair with BS if you wanted. So start with your next wash.

But... If you have hard water, it can be a bit problematic. Sorry, I didn't check first. Where, abouts, are you at? Different areas have soft/hard/very hard water.

Hard water, if you don't already know, is water that contains undissolved minerals. This makes it hard for some soaps to dissolve completely. Dr. Bronners and BS are 2 that don't work well in it.

Get get yourself a container and mix 1/2 cup BS to every 5 cups of water. Then mix in whatever oils you like. I prefer to use a bottle because It's easier to shake and break up the BS. Your this on your already damp head. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then rinse it off. For young locks mix about 1/2 a Tbls in the bottle of water. For mature locks, mix about 2 tbls, or so, in the water. Add your oils. Shake and pour. For baby locks rinse it off right away. For mature locks let it sit for 3-5 minutes then rinse.

Thank you so much! Perfect

I live in Egypt Pennsylvania

Ok, cool. From the maps of hard water in the US, it looks like you've got some moderately hard to hard water.

There are easy ways to make your own distillery so you can remove the minerals from your water. All it takes is a big bottle, or 55 gallon drum (if you can get your hands on one), about 10 feet of hose or piping that you can coil, a smaller water container to catch the pure water, and some black and white paint.

Outside where you get the most and longest sun: Raise the bigger container about 3-4 inches off the ground, attach your tubing to a hole in the top, coil it to that it's only about 3 feet long, attach it to the smaller container on ground level. Paint the big container black to absorb heat, and the tubing and small container white to cool it down. Make sure the connections between the containers and tubing at tight and you're all set.

You could also buy distilled water. Not sure where to there. Not sure if natural spring water would work, but it might. Ask Eagle.

Or, to make life all the easier, you could just buy a soft water filter for your shower head

Thank you so much. You've been a big help!

Or you can get the locking up liquid from Bucks County Soap or boil the water, nay? :P