What do you wash with?

Hi all! Two of my kids & I are on this journey. When we first started I we tried the BS ACV method and it seemed to leave my son's hair dry & with an itchy scalp. So I then went in search of a shampoo that would be residue free, readily available & relatively affordable & easier for the kids to use(like a traditional liquid shampoo). I ended up using Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus Shampooo & Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo. I then noticed my daughter's head having a bit of that clothes left in the washer, musty smell. I'm not entirely sure it was from the shampoo leaving build up, more leaving wet hair tied up or sleeping on damp hair. I came to the site looking for answers & purchased Rot Knot & some of the liquid shampoo from Vickie's site. Amazing! Did the trick on my daughters hair, no more stinky dreads. I also love having my hair smell good again(TJs shampoo didn't smell bad, just no smell). So I absolutely love the dreadlock shampoos but looking to supplement with a slightly affordable shampoo. I will definitely continue to use the dreadlock shampoo, but with 3 of us using it, it can be a little pricey. Just wondering if anyone knows about the Trader Joe's,is it safe for dreads, residue free? Wondering if I can alternate using the Trader Joe's & the Dreadlock Shampoo? Thanks for any advice.
updated by @karen-guy: 07/22/15 11:42:11AM

Sorry I dont know anything about trader joes For the first couple weeks of my journey i only used straight up water to wash and my hair kinda stunk around week 2.. But then I ordered from Vicki! :D LOVE. HER. SOAPS. ! What a lovely difference they have made. Personally I dont mind the price as 2 bars last me around 6 months.

Hey Karen. I did a little research on Trader Joe's Tea Tree shampoo. Its a clarifying shampoo which means it removes residue and dirt. So it should be okay. Just make sure you rinse really well. I used a clarifying shampoo for awhile and it did remove dirt and residue but it dried out my hair so I stopped. But I think if you are alternating between that and Dreadlocks Shampoo you should be okay. Give it a try and see how you like it. You may or may not like it, but its all about trial and error to really find out what works for you. I've tried a lot of different shampoos and that's how I ended up finding what works for me, which is alternating BS/ACV with Dreadlocks Shampoo. Let me know how it goes.Blessings!

Thanks John. I noticed the TJs tea Tree dried my hair & scalp out(left it feeling itchy). I think I will alternate between Vicki's Dreadlock Shampoo & the Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus(no SLS, which is good, right?). Thanks again

Ah! I just have to say, from my experience, and those I have talked to Tea Tree Tingle is not a very good choice to use for locks.. From my experience and those I have talked to, Tea Tree Tingle seems pretty good to begin with but over time it creates this sticky build up. There is a specific ingredient in it that I believe that causes this, but I can't remember what it is..

With Vicki's shampoo, I love it and still use it, but don't use the locking up shampoo after your locks have locked up... as silly as that sounds I'm now in my 11th month and used the liquid for 1 month (I was too lazy to use the bars) they now just shrink and get actually hard (they are locking too much if that's even possible I think...) so stick with the bars after the initial process is over

Oh wow I didn't think about that. My daughter has some that have shrunk so much & seem like what you are describing: hard & shrunken a lot! When would you say to start using bars? My daughter & son are about 4 mth & I'm about 3mth.

I was using bars from my 3rd month, then became lazy in my 10th so used liquid again, and then realized its actually kinda bad xD well not bad, I just dont want super tiny hard locks... plus they were getting super heavy. After once with the bar again my hair kinda opened if that makes sense and they unraveled a little and became a little longer and less hard so I would say around 3/4 months use the bars, unless you want your hair to keep shrinking!

Great thanks. Definitely want the shrinkage to be minimal. We use up the liquid & order the bars. What do you keep the bars in so they don't just dissolve in the shower?

I started out using the same Aveda Men's shampoo that I used before, big mistake as I would later find out that it was actually working against my Dreads to be. I then switched to Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. That was better but I didn't get the truly "clean" feeling I was looking for. In my frustration I looked around the net & started using Knottyboy Shampoo bars, which worked better then the baking soda. Unfortunately I also used their wax at the time as well. I do a lot of trail running & surfing in the summer so you can imagine what that sticky wax did for me. I quickly stopped that nonsense and continued my search.That is how I ended up on this site. I am currently using Dr. Bonner's as I can easily procure it locally. I dilute both the Eucalyptus & Peppermint together with water. It is easily the best shampoo I've tried so far and my hair is finally feeling as clean as I can hope for. I have noticed quite a bit of shrinkage and they do feel like they are maturing exponentially faster now. I do plan on trying the Dread shampoo supported here as soon as I start to run out of my Dr. Bonner's so I can compare them back to back.I also use a salt water rinse when I can't make it to the coast. I really like that they make a salt water spray with kelp & protein. It shows they really listen & care about our unique Dready needs with thoughtful & healthy solutions.
updated by @stingrey: 07/23/15 07:48:22AM