Rosemary Wash

I wash my dredlocks twice a week, once with water and once with knotty boy organic dredlock soap, one bar of which lasts roughly six months if thats all you do with it.

Some people don't wash their dreds at all, apparently I over-wash them. As a consequence my dredlocks are dry as brittle hay, so I researched on the internet into methods to rejuvenate them.  

 

Can't use wax because it binds dirt into the core of the dred for ever. Can't use chemicals because it deconditions the hair even worse. Henna is great for refreshing damaged hair but again, dirt in the core. 

I don't have any coconut butter until that arrives for me to experiment with, so for today it comes down to herbal washes to add oil back into the dry hair. 

I have been growing rosemary in my herb garden and have plenty of it, so this blog is really about the seemingly obvious process of cutting it, cleansing it, shredding it, simmering it in water for five minutes, potting the juice until it cools (as a fresh organic substance it goes mouldy if you don't freeze it to store it), and in this case soaking it into my drylocks and allowing it to naturally dry. 

 

The juice tastes bitter and oily; oilyness that swirls around in the pot as it cools. This is the oil I need to get into my hair!
 

After watching and learning some of his daddy's herbalism  my 3 year old helped me immensely by pouring the luke-warm juice onto my dreds, which hopefully will help him overcome his dislike of having his own hair washed.