Over the years I’ve discovered that there’s a lot of misinformation spread about dreadlocks and how they’re supposed to be washed.
For starters, on one side of the spectrum, you have some proclaiming that dreadlocks should never be washed!
And by never, they usually mean never ever!
That’s crazy, right?
Having dreadlocks doesn’t mean you don’t have hair.
Hair should be washed regularly, just like any other part of your body.
If you don’t take care to make sure that your hair is clean, your dreadlocks are bound to pick up a stink that can draw some unpleasant stares.
Conversely, you’ve got others stating that you should wash your dreadlocks once in a while, but only with water.
This group tend to go on to say that shampoo has ingredients in it that cause build up within your dreadlocks, which is ultimately bad for your hair.
I can side with this argument a little, as there is some bit of truth in it.
But in this article, we’re going to tell you the truth.
You can definitely wash your dreadlocks with shampoo, provided that the product in question is a free of sulfates and parabens, and that it doesn’t leave any soap residue within your hair or on your scalp.
Reasons why you can wash your dreadlocks with shampoo
Let’s get down to business.
1. Shampoo keeps hair follicles clean
Regardless of the hair type you have, shampoo does a fine job of getting rid of the dirty debris that’s trapped inside it.
What it does is help the water remove dirt particles and odors, brought about by things like smoke in the surrounding environment and your own sweat.
2. Shampoo strips excess oils from our hair
Using shampoo is good because it takes away the excess oils which build up on our scalps.
You see, the human body naturally produces an oil known as sebum, which can clog pores and cause dandruff over time if left unattended to.
In extreme cases of oil build up, your overall hair growth can be slowed down or paused altogether, which isn’t news that you’d want to hear, particularly if you’re trying to grow a healthy set of dreadlocks.
So, regularly cleaning your dreadlocks with shampoo rids your hair follicles and skin from too much of this sebum, which leaves your locks in a healthier condition than before.
Is it okay to wash your dreads with regular shampoo?
The answer to this question is yes.
It’s perfectly fine to keep a part of your body clean by washing it with shampoo.
But a word of caution.
One or two washes with that regular shampoo won’t be so bad, but after a couple of washes with it you can be sure that soap residue will begin to build up over time.
This can leave your dreadlocks with white patches in them that look like lint, while in actuality you’re looking at dried up soap that’s trapped in between your lock.
What also happens when you use regular shampoo is that your hair doesn’t dry up as well as it should because of the soap residue, and that can lead to mildew down the line.
The end result of washing regular shampoo is hair that smells, which no one wants to experience.
You’ve probably met a dread head who appears to have a good sense of hygiene, but their hair reeks of mildew and they’ve probably gone nose blind to the awful smell.
Don’t be that guy!
What you’ll want to use for your dreadlocks instead of regular shampoo is what we call sulfate-free shampoo.
Read on to learn more about this particular product.
What is a sulfate free shampoo?
The hair industry is guilty of promoting many different buzzwords and catchy phrases that reel people in.
After all, in today’s capitalist society everyone is trying to make as much money as possible, whether that comes at the expense of the end user or not.
Anyway, I mentioned sulfate free shampoos and I wanted to make sure you understand what they are.
A sulfate free shampoo is one that is said to not contain any traces of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which are the two most commonly used sulfates in the haircare industry.
These ingredients are really effective at cutting through oil and dirt, which leaves your hair clean after a wash.
Well, at least that’s the case should you have normal hair that isn’t dreadlocks!
On the other hand, these chemicals have come under scrutiny for causing hair damage, particularly because of the fact that they’re harsh cleaning agents.
Here’s an excerpt from a skincare website which explains this further:
“Most of the shampoos contain the two main types of sulfates. These sulfates create a lathering effect to remove oil and dirt from the hair. However, sulfates are aggressive detergents that may strip your hair and scalp of its natural moisture oils, thereby making your hair dry and brittle. Moreover, if you have sensitive scalp, sulfates can cause irritation, redness, dryness, etc.”
Source – Skincraft.com
So, knowing that, you’ll want to get yourself a shampoo that’s free of sulfates, particularly if you’re on a dreadlock journey like myself.
Which shampoos should you wash your dreads with?
As the article has already alluded to, you’ll want to go for a shampoo that doesn’t leave any soap residue in your hair, as well as being sulfate free.
Personally, I’m currently using an argan oil and wheat protein shampoo from Cosmo Hair Naturals, which looks like this:
I must admit that I’ve only started using this product because of how affordable it is, as well as the fact that it’s advertised as being free of sulfates and parabens.
Before I stumbled upon this shampoo brand, I used to use Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo:
It doesn’t have any harsh sulfates, parabens or synthetic colors that could cause damage to your hair or leave you with a dry and itchy scalp.
More so, I loved the lemon smell of my hair after a wash, as it would leave me feeling really fresh.
And even before I used this product, I was a firm believer in the shampoo offered by Dreads UK.
It was odorless and advertised as residue-free, which worked for me at the time.
Now it looks as though the company has infused the sights and smells of India into their product, as the latest iteration of their shampoo is called the Nag Champa shampoo.
It promises a rich blend of floral and woody tones of incense that you’d find in the Asian nation.
You can’t really go wrong with those products, as I can personally attest to using all three of them throughout my own dreadlock journey without problems.
I haven’t had to suffer from an excessively itchy scalp or other discomforts such as frizz.
Anyway, the final choice is yours.
Closing thoughts
That wraps up this topic concerning whether dreadlocks can be washed with shampoo.
It does sound pretty obvious, but dreadlocks are supposed to be cared for in a similar manner to any other style of hair, meaning that they should be washed when the need to arises.
Before you leave the site, you could learn a bit more about dreadlock care by checking out our post on whether you could wash your dreadlocks everyday, or our article on which dreadlock locking method is the best.
Happy reading!
He hopes to make dreadlock journeys less daunting for people who wish to start them, especially for readers who follow his postings on this website.
Have a read through Samuel Waihenya's author bio page here.
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