The biggest complaint when it comes to dreadlock shampoo seems to be it’s availability - it’s not something that you can just pick up at the grocery store… it’s kind of a niche product and so “regular” stores just aren’t going to stock it. While some people have positive experiences using “regular” shampoo on their dreadlocks, I personally prefer and recommend using shampoos that are designed specifically with dreads in mind. Dreadlocks have rather specific requirements from their soaps and shampoos, and while you may get lucky and find off-the-shelf shampoos that fulfil these requirements… it’s safer to go with a proper dreadlock shampoo.
Here are some links to online stores that I recommend checking out for dreadlock shampoos - the source is by no means exhaustive, but they’re stores that I’ve personally dealt with and so am happy to recommend.
Today I’ll be reviewing Dollylock’s Limited Edition ‘Pear and Rum-spice’ liquid dreadlocks shampoo.
Dollylocks Shampoo: http://amzn.to/1LNWAbQ
Dollylocks are a Florida based company that make a wide range of dreadlocks products from shampoos and soaps to sprays and dry shampoo. All their products are 100% vegetarian/vegan, with no animal testing, artificial colours, artificial preservatives, no MEA/DEA dyes, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, they’re gluten free, SLS free, SMS free and free from GMOS.
The shampoo itself - the shampoo comes in a decent sized bottle (8fl Oz) and it ships with both a screw cap that can be used while traveling or storing the shampoo - and a dispenser top for when you’re actively using the shampoo.
Ingredients:
Distilled Spring Water, Saponified Coconut Oil*, Olive Oil, Castor Bean Oil*, Almond Oil*, Tea Tree Essential Oil* and Spearmint Essential Oil*, Grapefruit Seed Extract -*ORGANIC
In use - in my experience Dollylocks products do not foam and bubble in the same way as some other shampoos and I would account this to the shampoo’s more natural formulation - you do however get a lot of coverage out of only a small amount of shampoo, which can take some getting used to. I find that it doesn’t take as much shampoo to cover my whole scalp compared to how much I use from other brands. On the one hand this means that I can get more washes out of a bottle, but on the other hand it means that people who’ve not used the shampoo before can very easily find themselves applying more than they need to.
After wetting my hair through I dispense around two pumps of shampoo, lather it between my hands and apply it to my scalp - starting at the front and working my way back, massaging it in. I will then use around half a pump extra and work it in from my neck, working upwards. I will then bring the bodies of the dreadlocks up and rub them around to help work in the shampoo. I will usually let the shampoo sit for around 30 seconds before starting to work it through as I find the Dollylocks shampoos have a pleasant cooling effect on my scalp. I will then start rinsing the hair, squeezing the soapy water in and over the dreadlocks as it flows down and out.
The shampoo does carry it’s scent into the shower, but it’s not too overpowering - certainly not strong enough to cause annoyance.
Once I got used to the amount of shampoo required I found no great difficulty in rinsing out of the shampoo - however when I was new to Dollylocks shampoos I did find myself using far more than was required and then needing to spend quite a long time to make sure I’d gotten all the excess out.
I found that the shampoo left my head fresh and clean - working well to keep my scalp comfortable and dandruff controlled. It leaves my dreadlocks soft and bendable - in fact I would say that I find that the shampoo leaves the hair slightly on the soft and conditioned side - which with my mature dreads I find quite pleasant as it makes sure that my dreads don’t get too rough and stiff, but if you have naturally soft hair and you’re just starting out, you may find it a little off balance.During my long term testing I found the results to be consistent with no noticeable increase in discomfort or dandruff over time. I have also not noticed any signs of shampoo build up - and having now actually used the shampoo for a consistent 2 months I’d be comfortable knowing the residue does not buildup in noticeable amounts in the time I leave between deep cleans.
My conclusion: My experiences have found Dollylocks products to be high quality and consistent, this shampoo is no different. I found it to work well with my hair and scalp and to work well consistently for weeks at a time. While it’s consistency and the amount of cleaning you get for such a small amount took me a little by surprise at first, once I was used to it I found I was able to get quite economical results - and a bottle of Dollylocks, if used correctly should last a very long time - even for someone who washes their dreadlocks as regularly as me. The shampoo also lends itself nicely to when you’re traveling away from home as you’re able to carry only a small amount and still have it last the whole trip.
The main drawback I think people may come across is that it is more softening than some other shampoos - for some people this may be positive, especially for those with drier hair or more mature dreadlocks, but I can potentially foresee that it may be a little more softening than is needed for people with younger dreads and softer hair - although that’s something that will vary from individual to individual. Fortunately, and I find this to be a major plus when it comes to Dollylocks products - most of their products can also be purchased in small travel sized samples, this allows you to test them out and see how they work for you personally without having to invest in a whole bottle.
We have once again teamed up with Dollylocks to bring you an exciting giveaway opportunity. Up for grabs is a special set in limited edition 'Lazydreads inspired' Pear & Rum Spice (Without the Rum) flavour. The contest runs from Monday 23rd February - Sunday 1st March 2015 and is open worldwide. To enter you need to head on over to Facebook and 'Like' the Lazydreads and Dollylocks pages:
www.facebook.com/lazydreads
www.facebook.com/dollylocks
Once you have liked those pages you will be eligible to win the prize. To enter the giveaway you simply need to interact with the picture pinned to the top of the Lazydreads facebook page - you can comment on the picture, like the picture or share the picture - each interaction will give you 1 entry, up to a maximum of 3 entries for all 3 types of interactions.
The winner will be picked at random from all entrants and names on the Lazydreads facebook page on Sunday 1st March. The winner will also be contacted via facebook message - it is the winner's responsibility to check the Lazydreads facebook page and/or their facebook messages and "other" folder to see if they have been picked as the winner.
One of my most commonly asked questions is: what shampoo should I buy to wash my dreadlocks with?
Now this is a commonly asked question for good reason - despite the common misconception, every dreadhead needs to keep their dreadlocks clean and will therefore need something to clean them with. However, picking the right shampoo is not always quite as simple as it may at first seem. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that I can recommend. I believe it’s easiest to explain if we first talk about regular, non-dreaded hair.
With non-dreaded hair it’s easier to see that everyone’s hair is slightly different - You’ve got people with long hair, short hair, straight hair, curly hair, fine hair, thick hair - dry hair and greasy hair. When you’re picking a shampoo to use on non-dreaded hair you’re always trying to get your hair into that perfect balanced state - hovering equidistant between too dry and too oily - if your hair is oilier you’ll need a shampoo that swings the balance one way - if your hair is drier you’ll want one that takes it the other way. If you had very oily hair and your friend had very dry hair and the two of you swapped shampoos, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find that the shampoos didn’t work out quite so well for each other. When you go into your local shampoo stockist you’ll likely find shelves and shelves of various different types of shampoo catering to different needs and hair types.
What some people with dreadlocks seem to forget is - even though their hair is dreadlocked, those dreadlocks are still formed from the same type of hair they’ve always had - Instead of thinking about the need for a shampoo that works well with their hair, hair type, scalp etc, some people can think that they no longer have the hair-type that they used to have, and instead look simply for something that has worked for another dreadhead— regardless of whether their situations are at all similar - and this can lead to problems. I’ve had people contact me saying that after starting their dreadlocks their hair has become incredibly dry, or incredibly greasy, or that they’ve developed issues with dandruff - and they will assume that it’s the dreadlocks - and not what they’ve been washed with - even though using the wrong types of shampoo on their non-dreaded hair would have had similar effects. What works for one person will not necessarily work the same for the next person - it doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you or your hair, it just means that you haven’t found what works best for you yet. When you have dreadlocks you still have to get your hair evenly balanced on that dry vs oily scale - though often people will aim for a slightly drier balance as the optimum balance for forming dreadlocks is not quite the same as the optimum balance for regular hair - but there is still a balance.
Ok so now we’ve got that out of the way, what do you need to look for in a dreadlocks appropriate shampoo? - you want something that washes out from the dreadlocks effectively and so won’t leave a build up of residue - you want something that balances YOUR hair: not so conditioning that it softens the locks, but not so dry that it leads to damage - you also want to make sure that it’s something that’s practical and economically viable for your situation:
Low in residue: This is of universal importance for dreadlocks - it’s important that whatever you put into or onto the dreadlocks can wash out again easily - if it doesn’t easily wash out then you can find that traces of it will begin to accumulate in the core of the dreadlocks, building up and slowing down dreadlock progress, reducing the ‘freshness’ you get from the washing process and can eventually lead to moisture getting trapped and mould forming. To keep the risk of excessive residue to a minimum you will want to make sure you’re washing with something that’s designed to be as low in residue as possible. A lot of dreadlocks shampoos will list themselves as “non-residue” or “residue-free” - in my experience, in practice they will still leave trace amounts of residue that can slowly build up - but significantly less than what you can experience when using a shampoo that has not been designed to be residue free - it’s not important and some would argue not actually possible to find a shampoo that is perfectly 100% residue free in all situations, but a practical solution is simply to find a shampoo that leaves behind so little that it does not become noticeable in the time between dreadlock deep cleans (and deep cleans will remove built up residue). In avoiding excess residue it’s also important not to use too much shampoo - the more you use, the more you’ll have to rinse out and therefore the more likely it will be that some is left behind. You need only apply shampoo to your scalp and let it rinse it’s way over and down - the amount needed is often a lot less than people expect - I use around half a teaspoon per wash, although exact amounts vary depending on the soap I’m using. Most regular shampoos do not work very will in this regard because they have not been designed to rinse as easily or to be as low in residue - as there is no need to design normal shampoos in this way as things will simply wash off or get brushed out - dreadlocks, with their ability to soak up liquids are a unique case and a small market and so most regular shampoos are not designed with dreadlocks in mind. It is also worth mentioning that the effectiveness to which a shampoo will wash out is also affected by the mineral content or “water hardness” in your area - with “harder” water being less effective at removing soap residue - and therefore you can find that a soap which works great on dreadlocks in a “soft water” area does not fair as well when used in a “hard water” area.
Correct balance: As I covered earlier, everyone’s hair will require slightly different care in order to maintain a comfortable, healthy balance. It’s important that the shampoo you use correctly addresses your needs. Find the right balance and your dreadlocks will be clean, pleasant and comfortable - get the wrong balance and you can end up with your hair being either too oily or too dry and ending up with irritation and discomfort. It’s really not all that easy to tell which you’ll find the most suitable before you’ve actually tried them. I would recommend trying out as many different options as you can in order to see which one works best for you - some dread shampoo sellers will offer the shampoo in smaller sizes and sometimes even sample or travel sizes and I would recommend picking these up to test them out before investing in a larger quantity. I also think it’s a good idea, where possible to try out the shampoos before you start your dreadlocks - young dreadlocks can be a little uncomfortable in their own right - if you then go on to throw an inappropriate shampoo into the mix, you’re probably not going to be in for a good time. It is also worth mentioning that environment will play a role in the overall balance - the humidity of your environment will affect your hair - this is expected in non-dreadlocked hair, but sometimes forgotten about by dreadheads - what balances well in the more humid months might need to be adjusted during the drier months and vice versa.
Economical and practical: Something that isn’t often so well covered is the practicalities of buying dreadlock shampoos. With the internet being global when you ask people for shampoo recommendations you could be getting reviews made on shampoos in the US… but you might be living in Australia - shipping shampoos long distance can be expensive and prohibitive - there’s no point settling on shampoo that you can’t actually get a hold of when you need it and so local availability will also play a role. With dreadlocks being a pretty small, niche market, most stores won’t stock anything dreadlock specific - sometimes you can get lucky and find something appropriate in speciality stores, but in most cases online shopping is the way to go. A major criticism I seem to come across a lot is the pricing of dreadlock shampoos - they are often marked considerably higher than off the shelf regular hair variety soaps and shampoos - this is again down to it being a niche market - large brands are able to mass produce huge quantities of shampoo, whereas more often than not dreadlock shampoos are designed, produced and distributed by very small businesses and even in some cases individuals and therefore the costs are always going to be slightly higher. It is worth mentioning though that over the long run these expenses more than balance out - as mentioned earlier dreadlocks only require very small quantities of shampoo per wash and dreadlocks will usually be washed less often than comparable regular hair - all in all this leads to a bottle of dread shampoo lasting much longer than a bottle of regular shampoo - with it not being uncommon for a large bottle to last up to a year - at which point the pricing becomes more reasonable and understandable, especially compared to buying a years worth of shampoo, conditioner and even hair cuts with regular hair.
So in conclusion - there’s a whole world of different dreadlock soaps, dreadlock shampoos as well as alternatives out there - By all means research potential shampoos as thoroughly as you can - check out shampoo reviews to see how other people got on - though do search out independent reviews and not just those displayed on the seller’s/store’s website - but remember, everyone’s situation is different, what works great for one person with one hair type in one location may not work as well for you - do not be disheartened, just move on to the next alternative. There is no one-size-fits-all dread soap and so it’s up to each dreadhead to try out the various options available in order to find the perfect fit.
The International Dreadmaker Directory has been an excellent success - there are dreadheads connecting with potential dreadheads every day and the list continues to grow... but now I look toward my next project:
The dreadmaker directory was put together for everyone to access and so instead of having to individually answer "can you recommend a dreadmaker in x location", now all the contacts are available online. My next project aims to answer an equally popular set of questions "where can I buy shampoos/soaps/hats/beads/wraps etc".
I have begun working on a dreadlock supplies list which will list websites/stores/ebay pages/etsy pages from all around the world - organised by geographical location so dreadheads will be able to see what supplies are available near to them - so they can keep shipping costs down, buy local - or even buy in person!
So if you make, create or sell anything dreadlock related and would like your store listing on Lazydreads.com please send the following information:
Name:
Location:
Item(s) For Sale:
Website/Page link:
Other contact details:
Send your details in an email to Lazydreads@live.co.uk using the subject line: "Dreadstore".
This project is currently a work in progress - I'll keep you all updated and let you know when it's ready to go. Feel free to share this status with anyone you think would like to have their store listed on Lazydreads.com
The 53rd installment of my long running 'Dreadlocks Question & Answer' series, where I answer YOUR questions!
Devon Renee
question: my hair is supper damaged from perming it, bleaching it and dying it a ton.
i really reeeeeaaaaally want dreadlocks but I'm afraid that my hair will just break. what should i do?
noahmariscal
Question: when you start your dreadlocks with 6 inches of hair how long will your dreadlocks be if you use the backcombing method?
Rainiepie
question: I'm sorry I think you've already answered this but, I've only had my dreads for two weeks now and I had much thiner hair than I realised and there are only 18 dreadlocks. Do you think this will make it more likely just to clump up into one big knotted mess?
Jose Mendez
QUESTION: can I put baking soda in sea salt spray? And what do you do during deep cleans?
Joseph Yaden
What is hard water, how do I know if I have hard water, and how does it affect dreadlock progress?
and then interact with the contest post pinned to the top of the Lazydreads facebook page - you will get 1 entry for each interaction: Liking, Commenting and Sharing will get 1 entry per interaction.
Everyone runs the risk of getting residue in their locks. Residue occurs when a small amount of soap or shampoo is left behind after washing your locks. This can happen if you're not thorough enough with your rinsing or if your shampoo isn't designed to completely rinse out thoroughly - a non-residue free shampoo.
In this video I talk about what residue is, how it comes about, how to spot the signs of a residue problem and what negative effects you can get from having a residue problem:
In this second video I talk about how to remove residue and how to avoid future residue problems:
And here is a quick link to the Deep Clean video which can be used to break down and rinse out residue:
Residue is quite a common occurrence in dreadlocks. If you use a non-residue free shampoo or use too much shampoo and don't rinse thoroughly enough you can quite quickly find that residue is left behind inside the dreadlock. This residue coats the hairs inside which makes the dreads less bendy and also makes it harder for other soap to pass through, so you get more and more building up.
Dreadlock residue becomes noticeable at the tips of the dreads. The residue runs downward inside the dreadlock with the water that runs out when you're washing your hair. The residue coats hairs at the tip of the dreadlock with a sort of sticky coating that causes dust/lint to stick to it. If you look at your dreadlock and carefully pull a tip apart just a fraction so you can see inside it and see that there's some grey fluff - don't worry, it's just lint held in with a bit of residue! Sometimes it's more easily noticeable as with really whispy tips you can get lint sticking to the outside of the dread.
I'll shortly be following this video up with info on removing the residue and how to try and avoid it in the future.
New video where I talk about how often you should wash your dreads. We all know that dreadlocks need to be kept clean, despite what all the "dirty dread" myths have to say on the matter. I quite often get asked how often dreads should be washed, as some people say every other day, others say a couple of times a week and then some different people that say once a week... this causes a lot of confusion, especially since everyone is right!
I've got something new for this site and my Youtube channel starting up in the New Year. When it comes to dreadlock soaps and shampoos there are quite a few to choose from and most people (me included) will buy a soap, find out it works for them and keep using it forever. If you've read my washing and drying post you'll see that I only list 3 different dreadlock soaps. Even after 5+ years I can only honestly talk about 3 soaps. So, in the New Year I will be starting a new soap every month and reviewing the product. I'll start off with a dreadlock deep cleanse - and I'll make a video on this, then continue the rest of the month with the new soap. I feel that having used it for a month I'll have a good gauge as to whether it has started to leave any residue, whether it hurts my eyes, how fresh it leaves my head feeling and how long the fresh feeling stays. Something else I'll also be taking into account is the value for money I get with each soap/shampoo.
So if my soap review series and dreadlock cleanse video sound like something you'd be interested in, stick around. You can sign up for email notifications from my blog and join the mailing list - or you can subscribe to my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/lazydreadsblog to be kept in the loop. (If you really enjoy my content and sign up AND subscribe I shall consider you a super fan!).
Ok, so the dreadlock deep cleanse video should be coming out at the start of the New Year - once I get home and the soap reviews starting straight after. I've already got a few soaps lined up but you can leave my a comment here, or better yet tweet me here: https://twitter.com/Lazy_Dreads with what soap you already use and I can add it to my list!
Washing dreadlocks and keeping them clean is the most important thing you can do to ensure the longevity and enjoyability of your dreadlocks. If you don't keep them clean they will become greasy, itchy and generally unpleasant just like regular hair. Keeping them clean will keep them happy and therefore you happy!
You can wash your dreadlocks as little or as often as you so choose. I personally wash mine every other day but other people choose to only wash them once a week. However often you choose to wash them, as long as you keep the pattern regular then you will be fine. Here is a video where I talk through how your head gets used to how often you wash it and
how should you wash your dreadlocks?:
You can still shower your body as many times a day as you want. The only reason washing your dreadlocks every day is usually avoided is because they take so long to dry. See my "Showering without washing your dreads" post for more on that.
Soaps and Shampoos?
You won't want to use 'normal' shampoos with dreadlocks. They can leave residue in your hair, making it sticky and irritating. When the residue shampoo dries it will flake out like dandruff, an all round negative experience. You don't actually have to use shampoo with dreadlocks at all, I have been months at a time using only water, once your head gets used to not being washed with oil stripping shampoo it will re-balance it's oil production and you can survive just fine with only water., however it is my experience that the dreadlocks will not lock as quickly or as effectively without a soap/shampoo being used to clean the oils from the hair - using water alone doesn't really 'clean'.
I wash my dreadlocks in the shower and I would fully recommend washing in the shower over washing in the tub. The higher the water pressure you have, the better! Power shower? excellent. Washing with a high pressured shower means you can wash your dreadlocks thoroughly and faster, it also means you're more able to wash out the excess soap.
Get in the shower and soak the dreadlocks completely. If you have a weak shower it might take some time as the dreadlocks can hold a lot of water, depending on how long and/or thick they are.
You can then apply the soap / shampoo if you're going to use it. I only use a little over a teaspoon of soap for head.
I will apply the shampoo directly to my scalp. I will scrub it all over my head and the dreads will act like a scrubbing brush, moving it all around. You don't need to apply soap to the dreads themselves as the soap/shampoo will rinse from your head, through the locks.
After that I wash the rest of my body, leaving my head under the shower, giving the dreadlocks as long as possible with water running through them as you really want to make sure all the shampoo rinses out.
Make sure you scrub behind your ears and on your neck, these areas can get oiler than normal because the dreadlocks can keep your head warmer than normal hair - like wearing a hat.
After I'm done washing the rest of my body I return to my head, spraying it with the shower on a high setting, rinsing out the soap.
I will then squeeze water out of the dreadlocks, they don't have to be squeezed one by one, but I make sure I squeeze the water out of all of them.
After one last soak I will turn the water off.
While remaining in the shower I squeeze out as much excess water as I can. The more you can squeeze out, the better. Also the squeezing is a passive way of maintaining your dreadlocks and encouraging them to mature.
My Drying Routine
Once they're squeezed I will roughly rub them with a towel to dry them some more. (Use a towel that definitely won't start flaking and leave bits of towel in your hair. You want a towel that you can really rub hard with, but not let any towel material fall out and get stuck in your hair).
Wrap the towel around your body and then (possibly outside) headbang. Nod your head up and down shaking out the water that is left. This method really reduces drying time.
You can then proceed to blow dry your hair, I do this while having a towel wrapped and leaning forward so as to trap the hot air within the towel and really heat the dreadlocks - be careful that nothing covers the intake at the back of the drier.
After that I would continue with my day, usually using a headband to hold them back for a while because they will still be a little damp - depending on how long I had to dry them.
It's recommended that you don't wear a hat / tam while they're still wet because you can encourage mildew. Almost all negative odours that people can experience with dreadlocks is due to leaving them damp.
Deep Clean
See my Deep Cleanse topic for a step by step deep clean tutorial!
