Can You Use Body Wash To Clean Dreads

Lee Tea is an investigative announcer with a focus on essential oil consumer advocacy.

If y'all take pilus like mine, this guide will help y'all acquire which products and soaps are best for your dreads.

Taylor, via Unsplash

After several years of "stay-at-homeness"—raising kids and working from home—I became a run-down mama spending nigh of her hectic days all the same in pajama pants. Tending to the kids, the house, and the business left lilliputian time for mom-care, and fifty-fifty less fourth dimension for luxuries: manicures, make-upward, even brushing my hair. vi years of sloppy ponytails later, and a fond reminiscence of festival life B.C. (Before Children), I decided to stop trying to comb OUT the knots in my pilus, and start combing them in. Long story short: ii years after, I'thou a white girl with dreadlocks.

Nearly My Pilus Type

Depending on your hair type, y'all may non accept the aforementioned feel I had with these products equally me. You also may not have as hard of a time finding product reviews for dreadlock shampoos for your hair type every bit I had. Thus this article.

I accept medium-thin brown straight hair, usually on the dry out side. I like to wash my dreads at least once a calendar week, and give them a good rinse down with just water in one case a week. What follows are my experiences and observations with five unlike products I've used over the past 2 years to make clean my head without undoing my dreads. Maybe my information tin can help you find a product that works well for you, too.

Two years old and just starting to have fun! Hither'southward how I clean and maintain my dreadlocks so they stay to play for years to come up.

Lee Tea

Product 1: Baking Soda and Water

For the commencement few months subsequently I first backcombed my hair, I was afraid to utilize anything but baking soda and water. Dread head websites seemed to recommend information technology ofttimes and natural shampoo blogs also mentioned this recipe as an alternative to regular shampoo. I saw information technology was a manner to make clean the scalp without using oils or conditioners, and stayed with it exclusively for nigh six months.

How to use it: Fill a water bottle (mine'south about a one liter bottle) with water and add i-3 Tbsp of baking soda. Baking soda tin be harsh on the skin, so kickoff off with smaller amounts and increase gradually to gauge irritation. Shake well to mix, just open the container to release whatever pressure build upwardly immediately and oft (and abroad from your face!). Leave the container open during use for the same reason. Use it all and discard any you don't apply when finished.

Did it clean? Yes information technology cleans thoroughly. It'south slightly effervescent then it feels squeamish and has a clean, kind of bubbly tingle to it. Unlike regular shampoos you accept to let information technology time to clean, so massage into scalp and let sit down a few minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with clean h2o.

Negative aspects? Blistering soda is extremely drying. Using too much over fourth dimension left my scalp feeling tight and itchy. It also started to dry out my dreads too much for my condolement, as they started to get brittle especially towards the ends and I started to fear I'd lose them.

Start with 1 Tbsp of baking soda to nigh one/4 gallon (near 1L) h2o. Gradually increment the corporeality of blistering soda y'all employ (up to iii Tbsps) until yous get a good make clean without irritation.

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Product ii: Baby Shampoo

Considering of this drying, I began my search for a less harsh way to clean. I read online you could use whatever shampoo without parabens in it, and so the next fourth dimension I washed up I reached for a bottle of generic baby shampoo. Tear-gratis and smells like fresh baby...information technology was worth a try.

How to use it: Lather, rinse, echo.

Did it clean?: No. My dreadlocks seemed to eat this shampoo - it sucked in every terminal drib and didn't leave any to scrub my head with. I wasn't fifty-fifty trying to clean my dreads, but get the shampoo to the scalp. It but didn't accept enough gumption to brand it to my head. Perhaps it was the result of using a generic make, but the negative aspects below have convinced me to scrap this idea altogether.

Negative aspects: The baby shampoo did non last long enough to clean with, but lasted just long enough to exit my roots shiny and manageable. This is not a good thing - the oils and conditioners untangled all new root growth, and in some cases part way down the dread. Root rubbing (to tangle pilus at the base of operations) was not constructive until I rewashed my scalp in baking soda.

Well that was disappointing, so information technology was back to baking soda until I felt daring plenty to venture out and try something new again.

Read More than From Bellatory

Product 3: Kirk's Castile Soap

After months of research it seemed the well-nigh popular pick was Dr. Bronner's line of castile soaps and shampoos. Also expensive for me, I started seeking out other castile soaps, and somewhen found a bar of Kirk'south Castile Soap. The ingredients list was uncomplicated: Coconut Soap, Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Coconut Oil and Natural Fragrance. The oils and fragrance had me concerned, but with an itchy caput from baking soda and the recent babe shampoo debacle, the business kind of fit right in the centre of my current dilemma. So it was decided Kirk'due south Castile would be my next experiement.

How to use information technology: I used the bar lather, so I merely worked a lather up in my hands and used the lather to wash my scalp.

Did it clean: Aye. After vi months of blistering soda washes and absolutely goose egg simply ruin from the baby shampoo, it felt and smelled So GOOD to have a soap cleaning! Every chip as refreshing as when I used to shampoo my regular hair. It rinsed well enough to nevertheless allow the hair and new growth to tangle at the roots.

Negative aspects: This lather was a scrap drying and irritating to the peel, and too harsh to utilise on sensitive parts of the trunk. I too noticed how much residue the soap left in the tub subsequently a bathroom and was concerned almost that residue being left behind in the dreads. Sure plenty, afterwards about 3 washes, I began to notice an unnatural and kind of matted sheen to my dreads. It gave them a different look that wasn't terrible, only I knew at that place was build upwards on my dreads.

To rid my dreads of this residue build-up, I began to alternate baking soda washes with castile soap washes. I'd practise two castile washes, then the next would be a baking soda wash. That nonetheless works well for me to this day.

Product 4: Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo

Somewhere along the way came a day where I had done i besides many castile washes for my liking, but hadn't remembered to mix upward the baking soda wash earlier I jumped into the shower.

It happens.

The remainder of my family was currently using Suave'south Daily Clarifying Shampoo, and the canteen was correct there inside my reach, not allllllll the way out of the steamy bath across the carpet in my wet bare feet and over the common cold tiles of kitchen. Now, I know the synthetic chemicals shampoos are made of: the conditioners, the fragrances, the suds-makers, and the long listing of ingredients wasn't much different from any other bottle of shampoo I've always read (practise you read shampoo bottles in the shower like I do?). Just this detail shampoo was at to the lowest degree marketed to convince you it rids the hair of build up and offers a simple clean, so ... well, information technology's already here in the shower with me, let's give information technology a try.

How to use information technology: Lather, rinse. No demand to repeat.

Did it clean? Oh yes, every bit well equally whatsoever shampoo usually does. On that front it has the babe shampoo beat out. I suds upwardly a good, big lather and washed both the dreads and my head. It took the build upwardly and sheen off my dreads left over from the castile lather and cleaned the scalp refreshingly.

Negative aspects: Though it cleaned well and did removed build-up, the clarifying shampoo as well prevented the hair from being able to tangle at the roots, though non every bit much as the baby shampoo. I enjoyed using it in one case to remove the soap build up, but to keep anymore of the dreads from unraveling I would not use it twice in a row. After using information technology a few times intermittently with the castile lather and baking soda, I really oasis't wanted to use it since. But I would utilise it in a compression.

And then at that place I was, two years of experience on an amusing rotation of baking soda and castile soap, pretty happy with my routine and not really having and reason to modify it. Occasionally I'd try an unscented bar of commercial soap, but it offered no improvement to my current routine. I had no reason to effort anything new, until another culling casually drifted my way.

Lather bar soaps in-hand, and and then apply the soap on your wet pilus and head to wash clean.

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Product 5: "Evidently Jane" by SOapBIZARRE

Virtually a month ago, a boyfriend crafter contacted me nigh trading some of my hand-composite herbal teas for some of her cold-pressed soaps. I'g a big fan of trade, so I entertained the idea, browsing her product line of loofa-laden bars and distinguished scents. But when I saw her unscented bar, I got downright excited.

SOapBIZARRE's ingredients are the simplest of the v products reviewed here, and without added fragrance (or added loofa), their bar of Plain Jane is equally like shooting fish in a barrel as they come: love, lard, lye, and water.

How to use it: This is a bar soap also, so once again I merely work upwardly a adept soap in my hands and use the lather to wash my scalp. Every other launder or so I'll squeeze the suds and work the lather through my dreads to clean them likewise. I do need to lather up several times to wash my whole caput clean.

Does it clean? It cleans well and leaves enough lather to work into the scalp, so information technology'southward easier to use than baking soda or baby shampoo. It doesn't leave a pregnant amount of residue on my dreads, and the hair still hands knots at the base of operations with a footling root rubbing. After a few washes my dreads even feel softer, much less brittle and with less breakage. This soap is gentle plenty to wash with from head to toe without irritation, and it also seems to remove or neutralize odors in the dreadlocks which is a wonderful benefit. This is the first production I've used that I can employ exclusively, without needing to alternate it on a regular ground with other washing methods.

Negative aspects: Since information technology cleans well it does leave some loose hair and flyaways, which I exercise a blistering soda launder for once every month or two to knot them and piece of work them neatly back into mature dreads.

I haven't used any other products or washes since discovering Plain Jane. If I were to run out, I would utilise Kirk'due south Castile until my Plain Jane was back in supply. The baking soda wash is adept for monthly or every other month maintenance when you need to remove build up or knot loose hairs to join with other dreads. With an adequate make clean, odor removing properties, no oils to leave backside and very minimal residue, Evidently Jane is now my regular once-a-week wash.

Update: Vinegar Rinse At present Recommended!

Since publishing this article I have added an apple cider vinegar rinse to the stop of my baking soda washes. 2-3 tablespoons of acv into most a liter of water dumped over the dreads after the baking soda launder provides instant crisis relief! I attempt to avoid the scalp, only if I happen to douse my head in the rinse it'due south not a disaster. Vinegar balances out the hair's pH after cleaning it with the baking soda and leaves behind nice, soft dreads - I rarely do a baking soda wash without it!

So I Plant My Groove

Today, I stay away from all commercial shampoos. In that location'due south no demand to spend $viii a bottle for pricier castiles, and at present that my kids are older I'll probably never bear on a bottle of baby shampoo ever over again. Manifestly Jane is my kickoff choice for washing my dreadlocks without overdrying. I'one thousand nevertheless happy to use Kirk'southward Castile if Plain Jane isn't bachelor, and a monthly baking soda wash helps dry the new growth out plenty to tangle and add together to existing dreads to keep overall appearance tidy and clean.

And so if you're similar me, a dread-headed hippie who likes to go along make clean, maintain relatively tidy dreads, and aroma squeamish...

expect...is anyone nonetheless reading this article?!

Where to Find These Products

• Blistering soda'southward inexpensive, and the generic is the same every bit the proper name brand. Stock up at the supermarket.
• Baby shampoo and Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo tin be establish in well-nigh stores and are cheapest at Walmart, though I wouldn't recommend washing dreadlocks with babe shampoo.
• I was able to notice Kirk's Castile at my local Wal Mart until recently. You can find information on their products on their website at kirksnatural.com.

This content is accurate and true to the all-time of the writer'due south cognition and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized communication from a qualified professional.

Lee Tea (author) from Erie, PA on May 09, 2022:

How-do-you-do Jackie! Earlier I had them I thought they'd be the piece of cake way to go, likewise. I hateful, they were already forming, might as well assist them forth and allow that be that. Turns out they're as much a pain in the barrel as whatever other hairstyle lol - they pull on each other and stick out funny and demand at to the lowest degree weekly clean upward to look presentable. I dearest braids though - I braid the loose hairs and love putting them into my daughters' hair. Thanks for stopping past!

Lee Tea (author) from Erie, PA on May 09, 2022:

Hi Famhauz! A stylist huh? I always wondered what a salon could practice to assistance me make clean up my pilus when I don't feel similar doing information technology myself. Never tried, and with my dreads beingness my own on-going process, I probably never volition. I will flaunt them though - you rock on too! Thanks for your nice comment - be well.

Jackie Lynnley from the beautiful south on May 09, 2022:

I never really idea about dreadlocks; I estimate those would brand life easier but still demand cleaned. I went with a french braid for several years making life easier but it never lasted more than two days. Putting it up wet after a shampoo made it easy though and I had many compliments. May go back to that this summer if my hair gets long enough. Pilus is something beautiful but such a hassle. Interesting read. Thanks for sharing. ^+

Peter Mwai from Kenya on May 09, 2022:

Lee, reading your article and I just realized I've never paid much attention to my hair! Yes, I have dreads, a yr at present. Only patently I seem to have entrusted my stylist with the washing: use bar soap and shampoo (not certain which) which is why I recollect your hub is an middle-opener. Flaunt them!

Source: https://bellatory.com/hair/Whats-the-Best-Soap-for-Dreads-A-Review-of-5-Ways-to-Wash-Dreadlocks

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