Forum Activity for @lydia-hart

Dreads and Living Out of a Backpack for 11 Months

Dread Maintenance

thanks all so much for your help!! i bought some lavender bronners the other day, you all have been very helpful.

lydiahart.theworldrace.org

Dreads and Living Out of a Backpack for 11 Months

Dread Maintenance

Hey, I am looking for some advice on how to adequately take care of my hair next year. In January I am going overseas to live in 11 different second and third world countries for 11 months do to missions and charity work. The under part of my hair is all dreaded, mostly through twist-rip method and the rest I am letting dread naturally, for now at least. I wash my hair 1-2 times a week with baking soda and use apple cider vinegar after. That's all I ever do to it.

The things I am worried about are that I am pretty much going to be sweaty, dirty and without a normal shower for 11 months, as well as have very limited control over what I can use to clean and take care of my hair as well as how often. I pretty much won't know until I arrive at each country whether I am going to be living out of a tent and showering in a bucket, or if I will be staying at someone's house and have a normal shower. I am guessing I can get baking soda pretty easily, but I don't know about apple cider vinegar. I can't take a whole year's supply of either because the only thing I am taking is my backpack and space and weight are limited.

So if needed, what are acceptable substitutes for these things, especially conditioner because I have really long and pretty dry hair. And do any of you have an experience with dreads and these sort of living conditions? (I am going to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal and India) I'm not a clean freak, but I am worried about my hair getting nasty, smelly, moldy or buggy.

Also, I've heard that tea tree oil can be used to keep away lice and bugs, lavender helps prevent mold and rosemary helps with dandruff? Is that true? I will probably try to bring at least a few months supply of those things if I can squeeze them in somewhere.

Thanks!

(If you are interested in what I will be doing next year, check out my blog: lydiahart.theworldrace.org)

updated by @lydia-hart: 01/13/15 09:13:25PM