I ordered the spearmint eucalyptus bar, and today I got a package in the mail from Bucks County Soap Factory. Because they ran out of spearmint eucalyptus bars and the new ones they made won't be ready until next week, they sent me a dragon's blood bar as a gift to tide me over, along with samples and a soap saver.
The customer service is excellent, and smelling the dragon's blood bar now, I regret not ordering one before; it smells wonderful!
This looks like a likely candidate:
http://www.mtromance.com.au/shop/details/sandalwood-shampoo/
Also, I think Neutrogena and L'Oreal are international brands (or at least, I've seen them distributed in China, which is the only other country I've been in other than the US), and I know that they both have purifying/clarifying residue-ridding shampoos. I think L'Oreal's is called Pure Resonance Purifying Shampoo, and I've seen SE give the Neutrogena shampoo as a viable alternative elsewhere in the forums.
Um, if all else fails, you can try and find local soapmakers in your area and tell them what you need from them?
RE-RAILING THIS TRAIN:
Go get yourself some Garnier Fructis Clear Control Shampoo. You can find it at any drug store, grocery store, or Wal-Mart for about $4-$6, depending on where you live/if it's on sale/whatever. I don't think it's residue-free, and it's definitely not all-natural, but there are some people with dreads who have used it without any problems, and I think right now, at this point, that it's important for you to get your scalp problem under control, first and foremost.
Being careful not to disturb your actual hair/dreads too much, SCRUB at your scalp and make sure you rinse several times to wash everything away. I'd finish up with a COLD water rinse -- as icy cold as you can stand -- because putting my head under really cold water has helped control my dandruff and itching problems.
As a college student who lives in a tiny, cramped space that I share with two other people, a lack of disposable income, and barely any time to sleep, I understand that it's not always convenient to do baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinses, especially because essential oils can get pricey (although, you don't really need essential oils and stuff in your rinses; the baking soda and apple cider vinegar are doing all the work). I would recommend, though, that you do switch to a shampoo bar or shampoo specifically formulated to be residue-free and organic/vegan or at least pretty natural as soon as it's financially feasible. I'd recommend getting one that has tea tree oil or other astringents in it, since you do have scalp issues.
If you have hard water, http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com/ is a good place to get shampoo bars that will rinse clean. I haven't used it myself (I don't have hard water, and Dr. Bronner's has been working for me), but there's a thread in this forum where people have had a lot of good things to say about it.
I'm pretty sure I don't have hard water (although I'm not really sure how you tell), so I got the Maylee's Garden soap. Just in case, though, I got the spearmint eucalyptus bar. In any case, it'll be cool to try different shampoo bars and a new scent will be a nice change of pace.
I'm actually from Bucks County, too, so even though I don't live there at the moment, I suppose I can still count it as supporting a local business.
I know that everyone swears by the baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinses, but I really would like the convenience of just stepping into the shower and having something in a bottle or in a bar that I can just use right away. Also, a big part of it is psychological -- I associate "clean" with soap bubbles and the squeaky feeling that's left over when all the soap's rinsed away.
So far, I've found these shampoos, and I was wondering if anyone has tried any of them. Or, if any of them are better than using Dr. Bronner's, because I've heard that it's not residue-free, and that some people had problems with it.
Maylee's Garden Mayan Gold Shampoo Bar
Spearmint Eucalyptus Organic Dreadlock Shampoo
Tea Tree Foaming Dreadlock Shampoo by My Tangled Knots
DreadHead HQ Dreadlocks Shampoo
Right now, I'm leaning toward the DreadHead shampoo, because at $10 for 16 ounces ($0.63 per ounce), it's the most cost-effective, even if there are some issues around their promotion of waxing. I'm also sort of leaning toward the spearmint eucalyptus shampoo, because it's made in Bucks County, where I'm from (even though I'm on the other side of the state right now for college).
If you have any testimonials, alternative suggestions, or general tips on how to pick out a good shampoo, I'd love to hear them!
On the other hand, I totally understand where some people are coming from, with the "why do you have dreads if you're not [insert ethnicity and/or spiritual belief here]?" spiel. Cultural appropriation isn't just a buzzphrase made by people hellbent on political correctness; it's an actual thing, and the term itself is self-explanatory. For example, all that "Native American" and "Navajo" shit that Urban Outfitters sells is cultural appropriation (and, because they're doing it for monetary gain while stealing from real Native American and Navajo crafters, also exploitation).
As someone who's really involved in social justice activism and diversity training in educational and corporate settings, I sometimes experience "white guilt" over my dreads (even though I'm Chinese ...) because I DIDN'T get them for any cultural reason, or because I identify myself as part of a cultural diaspora, or because I had any spiritual reason.
I just wanted to try something new, and see where it led me. And I also thought I'd look good with dreads. Compared to why other people start dreading their hair, that's incredibly shallow.
