stinky {mildew?} dreadlocks
Dreads Hair and Scalp Health
Please please please don't use bleach on your head/hair. We don't use this on our floor or clothes or anything else and would never use it on our bodies. Thanks for chiming in, but I shudder to think of someone actually taking this advice! For what is is worth--Grapeseed extract {GSE} is an antimicrobial, antibacterial safe for consumption product that will kill mold, mildew, spores, and the likes. I have decided that I need to apply a mixture of ACV, GSE, and lavender EO {must be essential oil not perfume or fragrance oil} + water to my hair and then let it dry in the sun all day. Then look into ways to get them dry faster {less than 40 hours}.As far as my hair not being clean--that isn't the issue at hand. My hair and scalp are clean. The stink is distinctly MILDEW. We don't use chemical detergents in our house for anything and are clean. This problem came from daily swimming in the mountain springs and not getting dried in between + thick dread lumps and living in a rainforest for 3 months.SE--I can't use white vinegar because my daughter {2 years old} is allergic to gluten. White vinegar is made from wheat grains and has gluten and she likes to play with my hair and suck on it while nursing and she often takes showers with me--so, it is just a product we don't use in our house--ACV + GSE can be used in its place for everything I can think of and then I don't have to worry that she will have an ingestion issue and get ill
Thanks for the suggestions all. I have a plan of action now.
Earthstudios said: I also have noticed a mildew smell but only when my hair becomes slightly wet. It was worse about 4-5 months ago but started using regular shampoo again but I dilute it. I have a plastic bowl in the bathroom that I put small squeeze of shampoo in (oh about the size of a quarter) and then fill the bowl with water. I mix this around so its soapy suds and then pour that over my dreads and massage scalp. I'd have to say it helped 90% buthasn'tcured itcompletelybecause I can still get a hint of it when my hair becomes slightly wet. Next solution for me might be a mild bleach solution. I stress the mild aspect. Maybe one teaspoon per gallon or even less. Objective here is to kill mold spores. And might even go a different route than the bleach just depends. But I'll look to science as to what mold hates. Will report back once I learn about mold spores (the enemy) and decide on the most most natural approach toeliminatethem.
Earthstudios.