Conclusion: Simple is Best

[alma2254]

During the locing process, I've used SO many products, it amazes me! I still have them on the shelf and I'm like :shocked :doh 'what was I thinking buying that...?!?'

By pure accident I've been using my organic black soap bar over the last 2 weeks as a shampoo, no conditioner most of the time ...and I really like the results! I thought that the black soap was going to strip my locs from moisture, but it seems to be adding it on -just like it does for my skin. And binding the roots up well -started freeforming.

So I've told myself that from now on, I'm going to keep it REAL simple ...

:rolleyes Now why didn't I try that in the very beginning :-?

Does anyone else believe in this statement -Simple is best?
Whats your routine like?
Has it made a difference?
Anyone use black soap for shampoo? -Long term results?

[QueenJahzara]

Blessed Alma!!!
I agree with you !!
I simply do not not put anything in my locks

I wash it with black soap too, and I bougth an organic clear shampoo at the nature store..I put a few dropsessential oil in it for the nice smell

I wash my hair every 2 or 3 days..
Since I started locking my hair I havent put any thing in my hair, not even oil ( I am afraid that it wil atract lint and dirt)!! It is fine...
Ther is also a different between balck soaps!! watch out for that..you have to be shore that you buy the real black soap ..not the manufactured one which they paint black with charcoal.

Black soap is made from banana leaves boiled till they become black..
go to african store and buy the soap that has been hand made from ghana or one of the other countries... they vary from brown to darkbrown.

take a look at this link!!

black soap (http://www.island.net/~ydrums/soap.htm)

Blessed :heart

[alma2254]

QueenJahzara
-that is so true! Its SO important to get some good quality black soap -I've tried ones that are really nasty, but I finally have the real deal.

:offtopic off topic:
The cannabis museum shop in Amsterdam do some great natural hemp seed shampoo (Cannabliss), bought loads while I was there lol -thats the only shampoo I might use (if I use any) 'till it runs out, my excuse to return to Amsterdam :lol .

[ChocolatChaud]

Black soap is what I use too for shampooing. I am glad you ladies know about the REAL black soap as opposed to that artificial dyed black stuff people try to peddle.... :doh Simple is best has been my motto for the past 2 years. I've been locking since April 2001(April 1st is my lock birthday! :razz ) but I haven't twisted since May 2002. I wash and oil and that's basically it. I think black soap is the best. It gets my locks super clean. I only wash every 2 weeks or so. My hair is nice and shiny and moisturize by the black soap and then the oil just adds to the radiance. So I guess my "routine" is wash every 1-2 weeks, and oil(olive oil and a natural fragrant oil) after each wash. Air dry. On a side note, I need to buy some more black soap, I bought the big 4 pound chunk of it at the end of the summer and split it between me and my SO. I use it as a body wash and a shampoo so it goes pretty fast. Less is definately more. Did I mention I barely pull my locks apart these days? Many of them have expressed the urge to get "married". :amour

[starlene]

Wow, this black soap sounds amazing - a cure all for many ailments.

QueenJahzara, have you ordered from that link you provided. I took a look and am tempted.

[Joyfulocs]

Does anyone else believe in this statement -Simple is best?
Yep. :)

Whats your routine like?
I wash whenever.

Has it made a difference?
Especially to my bank account. :D

Anyone use black soap for shampoo? -Long term results?
I use Kiss My Face Olive Oil bar soap for my body and hair.


Black soap is made from banana leaves boiled till they become black..
go to african store and buy the soap that has been hand made from ghana or one of the other countries... they vary from brown to darkbrown. Interesting! I was going to add that I haven't had very good experience with Black Soap, and now I think I know why. If I can get my hands on the real stuff, I may try it again. Thanks. :)

[ShekinahSoul]

My routine is veryyyy simple.

I wash with Dr. Bronners Almond which I dilute with 3/4 water, I rinse with an ACV rinse, I do a hot oil after every wash with a blend of Avocado, Olive, Jojoba, and Almond oil, I wrap my head in a plastic bag for 30 min to let the hot oil do it's thing, I do not rinse and I air dry. This routine does wonders for my scalp and locs. I do this routine about every three days. I spritz every morning with water with some EO in it and add a touch of oil blend to the hairline. :)

[nappyme]

Simple routine here...I wash when I think about it and latch hook the new growth about every 2 - 3 mths.

I'm using Aveda Sapp Moss shampoo and a leave in conditioner currently. I spritz in the morning or I just stick my head under the nozzle when I take a shower.

[thenewme]

Originally posted by QueenJahzara@Feb 11 2004, 11:31 AM
take a look at this link!!

black soap (http://www.island.net/~ydrums/soap.htm)


QueenJahzara, have you bought anything from that site or is it just for information?

[rockinlocs]

I most definitely subscribe to the "simple is best" mindset!

I wash my hair most times when I feel like it, but lately it's been every week because it's been itching.

I only apply oil to it after I shampoo.

I latch it every couple of months

That's it! I don't even spritz it like I used to.

I was just reading a post on another forum where someone was told that locs were a lazy hairstyle. I don't call it lazy, I call it FREEDOM!! Those who think like that are just hatin' because...ahhh skip it! I know yall feelin' me!

[amalah9]

I certainly agree that 'Simple Is Best'. I'm gonna have to try the Black Soap on my locs. Thanks for the tip Alma. :thumbsup

[W8N2XHL]

I was very excited about the black soap, I haven't tried it on my hair, but it burned my face. I thought that maybe it was something else, but it happened on three separate occasions so I finally gave up. I'm glad it works well for others, though. I'm a firm believer of less is more. I use diluted Dr. Bs as a body wash, (face too). I use olive oil as a face moisturizer and aloe vera gel to for blemish control. I use these same three items in my hair (Dr. Bs to wash, olive oil as a spritz, and aloe vera gel when retwisting)

[QueenJahzara]

Originally posted by starlene@Feb 11 2004, 05:34 PM




Wow, this black soap sounds amazing - a cure all for many ailments.

QueenJahzara, have you ordered from that link you provided. I took a look and am tempted.
hello thenewme
I haven't bougt any black soap at that page..just wanted to let you see how real black soap looks like!!

:heart

[Clarity36]

1.I wash once a week with Aveda's Hair Detoxifier (it gets the deep down dirt OUT).
2. Spritz morning and night with a mixture of jojoba, rosemary and ylang, ylang
3. Latch once a month
4. Condition once a week

I have tried too many products in the beginning which cased me unecessary grief. Now simple is the only way to go and my locs love me for it.

[mochacaremel]

Okay, I bought the real black soap from Nasaab.com (sp?) once. (And yes, the first time I used it it burned my face-now I have only good results with it) But I am wondering...how do you use it to shampoo?

Do you break off a piece and put it in some hot water to dissolve?

Do you jump in the shower with a small hunk and get to scrubbing?

Do you make it bubble in your hands first and then rub throughout your hair?

I really don't know how you ladies are doing this.

Mocha

[Joyfulocs]

Originally posted by rockinlocs@Feb 11 2004, 07:55 PM
I was just reading a post on another forum where someone was told that locs were a lazy hairstyle. I don't call it lazy, I call it FREEDOM!! Those who think like that are just hatin' because...ahhh skip it! I know yall feelin' me!
Yeah... I'm feelin' ya. :d) You know you're preaching to the choir. ;)

[ChocolatChaud]

Originally posted by mochacaremel@Feb 12 2004, 10:00 AM
Okay, I bought the real black soap from Nasaab.com (sp?) once. (And yes, the first time I used it it burned my face-now I have only good results with it) But I am wondering...how do you use it to shampoo?

Do you break off a piece and put it in some hot water to dissolve?

Do you jump in the shower with a small hunk and get to scrubbing?

Do you make it bubble in your hands first and then rub throughout your hair?

I really don't know how you ladies are doing this.

Mocha
I dissolve chunks of the black soap in water in a little 16 oz bottle. That's how I make my black soap "shampoo". :thumbsup

[Sunchild]

Yep simple is best.

I wish when I feel like it with Dr. Bronner's Almond Castille Soap. I havent twisted since Thanksgiving(I had a hair appointment last week but she didnt show up) I am kind of glad I think I will continue freeforming for a while.

I spray my hair with Infusium 23 probably once every 3 weeks.


Thats about it.

[alma2254]

Originally posted by mochacaremel@Feb 12 2004, 03:00 PM
Okay, I bought the real black soap from Nasaab.com (sp?) once. (And yes, the first time I used it it burned my face-now I have only good results with it) But I am wondering...how do you use it to shampoo?

Do you break off a piece and put it in some hot water to dissolve?

Do you jump in the shower with a small hunk and get to scrubbing?

Do you make it bubble in your hands first and then rub throughout your hair?

I really don't know how you ladies are doing this.

Mocha
I break of a small piece from the whole chunk, jump in the shower, get my locs really wet, get the soap piece wet and lather it up with my hands, then massage into my scalp -not sure where I read it but its best to lather up in your hands first and not directly on your locs/hair...

It lathers up very easily and gets into my locs well. I start up on the scalp, work my way down, then massage my scalp (I love doing that!) getting my locs and scalp full of bubbles before I rinse thoroughly. Repeat if you feel you need to.

[LBellatrix]

This is the "anti-product-junkie" thread, then. :lol

I'm glad to hear that there's "real" black soap and there's "fake" black soap. I bought some black soap once and couldn't figure out for the life of me why people liked it so much; I found my bar to be much more drying than even regular bar soap. Now I know I need to keep an eye out for the real deal.

Largely because of reading this forum, I'm keeping it extra simple (though not as simple as some of you):

- Shampoo once a week with Dr. Bronner's almond, diluted 4 to 1. After shampoo, apply an oil blend consisting of coconut oil and (right now) lavender, rosemary, and ylang-ylang EOs. I don't consider this a conditioner per se but I only use it on the days I wash. Air-dry (takes about 3-4 hours)
- On non-shampoo days, mist in the mornings with a spritz containing water, jojoba oil and (right now) rosemary and grapefruit EOs. (This white lady at the grocery store raved about my perfume...I'm glad she didn't ask me what it was called. "Well, it's my oil spritz for my hair; probably wouldn't be a good idea for YOUR hair but hey..." :lol)
- I told myself I'd latch every six weeks but the way it's been going I've been averaging four weeks.

That's about it. I know I'm still mostly twisted, but I sure hope my hair feels this good after it's locked. :)

[PrincessDrRe]

I believe simple works too.....I wash every two weeks now....(winter in Michigan....) and do a light touch-up/retwist when I wash. Only retwist those that are a bit droopy. I now use the latch method. I maintain with a bit of olive oil, aloe gel, and water. Sometimes for scent, I use a bit of Hot Sixx oil....I need to pick up some EO....

[Tabbitha68]

I used to be a product junkie until I found that less is best.
I now wash my hair once every 2 weeks with Dr. Bronners diluted ppmt shampoo. I spritz my hair daily w/ a olive oil, water, and rosemary mix. Sometime in between using Taliah Waajid bodifier spray. And that seems to work very well.
My hair has never been in better condition.

[soleil]

Simplicity is my mantra when it comes to my locs - I shampoo once a week with Jasons Aloe Vera Organic shampoo (I also used their Organic sea kelp shampoo which is good too). Then I rinse my hair daily in the shower inbetween shampoos. That's it for me - water is my routine. It just works best for me and my locs, but everyone's locs are different which is the beauty of locs - their unique qualities for each individual and their unique individual outstanding beauty :)

...Soleil :)

[tdhayes]

bump

[ChocolatChaud]

Doing the bump.....

[paulicia]

Originally posted by alma2254@Feb 11 2004, 10:48 AM

The cannabis museum shop in Amsterdam do some great natural hemp seed shampoo (Cannabliss), bought loads while I was there lol
If my mom and dad came to visit and saw some cannabis shampoo in my shower, they'd shake their heads and say "Oh no, it's started!" :rolling

[alma2254]

Originally posted by paulicia+Feb 15 2004, 06:22 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (paulicia @ Feb 15 2004, 06:22 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-alma2254@Feb 11 2004, 10:48 AM

The cannabis museum shop in Amsterdam do some great natural hemp seed shampoo (Cannabliss), bought loads while I was there lol
If my mom and dad came to visit and saw some cannabis shampoo in my shower, they&#39;d shake their heads and say "Oh no, it&#39;s started!" :rolling [/b][/quote]
:lol

[Beryl]

I&#39;m getting lazier and lazier every year.

- Shampoo (Sisterlocks Starter or Dr Bronner&#39;s) or rinse my locs every 3 days but might step that up when it gets hot.
- Follow washings with the ACV+Sage EO rinse.
- When I want a style, I&#39;ll bantu while they are damp. (I&#39;ve been working from home a lot these days so I rarely do that.)
- Spritz with my own mixture whenever.
- Retighten when they feel very loose (usually after 4 weeks).

Now that I&#39;m working at home so often, I seem to retighten a loc or 2 everyday. I do it while on conference calls because doing anything else breaks my concentration and I&#39;m not paying attention to what is being said on the call.

[TEASIA]

I am also into the "simple is best" mantra.

I use ORS Twist Gel about every 3-4 weeks to retighten locks that need to be retightened. I&#39;ve been on my journey for 17 weeks now and whenever I get a little lazy with retwisting, I wear a nice headband and it looks good even still. Sometimes, I love when my roots are puffy cause its fuller.

The only thing else I use sometimes is an olive oil spritz and that is about it. I can&#39;t use that too often cause it sits on my hair and I dont really like that.

Oh yeah, I am now trying to experiement with different shampoos to see which one my hair like the best, other than that, Im just relaxing til&#39; its time to do my maintenance again!

[alma2254]

Originally posted by ChocolatChaud@Feb 12 2004, 04:07 PM

I dissolve chunks of the black soap in water in a little 16 oz bottle. That&#39;s how I make my black soap "shampoo". :thumbsup
I tried that today -but I can&#39;t seem to get it to dissolve... :-?

Did you heat it up and mix it in to dissolve it?

[NewLox757]

I WASH MY HAIR ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK. I USE ACV B4 I SHAMPOO. I USE SUAVE SHAMPOO. ( WHICH NOW IM THINKING ISNT SUCH A GOOD IDEA) MAYBE I SHOULD TRY THE BACLK SOAP TOO. aFTER I WASH I RETWIST AND DRY, THEN I USE CACTUS OIL SERUM.

[FoxyLox]

Alma, where do you get your black soap. I ordered some online from Nasabb.com, but after reading how they&#39;re not too consistant with their loc advice and history, I&#39;m wondering if I still want to use it. I tried it today, it worked to my liking, but maybe I could try the kind you use to compare. Thanx!
Foxy

[sonshinescoils]

bump

[alma2254]

Originally posted by FoxyLox@Feb 18 2004, 11:20 PM
Alma, where do you get your black soap. I ordered some online from Nasabb.com, but after reading how they&#39;re not too consistant with their loc advice and history, I&#39;m wondering if I still want to use it. I tried it today, it worked to my liking, but maybe I could try the kind you use to compare. Thanx!
Foxy
HI!

I tried finding more information but the shop said they didn&#39;t have a website to order from. I hope you found the info you wanted.

[cheezyv]

:doh Hi, I am wondering"do you mean no oils or anything? Because I am only in my first month, and I am excited about the oils, what about that!!!

[sonshinescoils]

yet another fav-o-mine... i&#39;m getting closer y&#39;all i have about 1/4-1/2&#39;&#39; in the longest spots. folx in winston salem betta watch out! i bout got my routine down and erthang...i am too excited.

anyway...

[All-Natural]

Okay, I bought the real black soap from Nasaab.com (sp?) once.
http://www.nasabb.com/

[QueenLocks]

Does anyone else believe in this statement -Simple is best? yes

Whats your routine like? Shampoo once every two weeks

Has it made a difference? I&#39;m jiggy wit it! :pop

Anyone use black soap for shampoo? - No..

[sonshinescoils]

this is another thread that i love! :) bump

[nattylocks]

Yes, I&#39;m simple :)

I wash once a week with either Dr. Bronner&#39;s Peppermint Hemp or other brand of natural hemp shampoo. I pour a small amount into a spray bottle and top off with water to dilute. When I wash, I bend over the tub and use my handheld shower nozzle, wet down my hair, spray on the shampoo, lather up, and rinse. If I use a conditioner (like I just did last week because we have this really dry heat wave going on now), then I put it on before I wash, either Sisterlocks Moisture Treatment or SL Reconstructor. After I coat my hair with that, I tie on a plastic bag and wait about 30 minutes to remove it and rinse.

After washing, I air dry and separate my locs. In between washing if I need to, I will rinse with warm water, air dry and separate my locs. If I want to set curls after washing or rinsing, I spray each section with a mix of water/moisture cream, or water and Carol&#39;s Daughter Khoret Amen oil and roll on cloth strips, satin bendables, or braidset. My routine is pretty simple, but seems complicated to write out 8)

[LBellatrix]

7 months after my first post on here...

I spent a good part of this summer using Suave Naturals tropical coconut conditioner and not doing a lot of spritzing at all. For part of August I used both the shampoo and the conditioner.

Then this weekend I trimmed two "trees" and out of curiosity cut open one of the branches. The part of the branch that had been the two-strand twist had bits of lint and white stuff in it!Even though I was trying to remember what Beryl said ("at least it&#39;s clean lint") I still freaked out a little.

So I&#39;m back to simple: Dr. Bronner&#39;s shampoo, Ebene Naturals conditioning herbal rinse (with or without ACV; this weekend I did a pretty strong ACV rinse), and olive oil with EO in it.

[thunderstorm]

@ lbellatrix,

don&#39;t know about the suave products; they smell too perfumy for my taste, but if they are creamy shampoos and rich, lotiony-like conditioners, that may be a contributing factor to your buildup.

i don&#39;t have locs, but i can be a victim of buildup on my loose hair regardless. i find that conditioners with a watery consistency rinse clean and don&#39;t give me buildup problems.

[Sunchild]

I gave up the conditioners too. I simply dont need them, and I agree with Alma that simple is best.

My current products are

Water
Creme of Nature Shampoo

[sonshinescoils]

simplicity is so beautiful :) water/EO, diluted shampoo as needed, dab of oil :) just a plain water rinse can do you so much better than piling layer after layer of "stuff" on top of it. i do smooth a dab of kukui/avocado/walnut oil or coconut oil over it after i shower or rinse.

[Khardelya]

Where can I buy REAL black soap on the web? I am having a hard time trying to tell which is real or not?

:offtopic what is a premium member?

[kenyalikimmie]

Where can I buy REAL black soap on the web? I am having a hard time trying to tell which is real or not?


http://www.nasabb.com/


what is a premium member?

A premium member is a member who donates funds to this website. According to Dee the minimum is $5.00. You would donate through paypal.

I too believe simple is best. I only use Essential Oil chamomile and honey shampoo and the leave in conditioner. I just twist my hair with no products at all. I still spritz with a homeade moisturizer. I am loving my locing journey... I will order my black soap next week from nasabb.com.

Blessed! :heart

[linette411]

BUMP

[delleaux]

I use Dr. Bonner peppermint by diluting it and aloe vera for retwisting. I buy jojoba, tea tree, rosemary oils and mix them with olive oil for a little extra sheen and moisture. All the ideas mentioned are so great for locked hair!

[luvmelocs]

Hi Alma! Black soap is all I wash my hair with! When I&#39;m thinking about I will use olive oil... and come to think of it I can&#39;t tell you when that was!!!! :lol:

:smil3f9cf95099cff: Black soap didn&#39;t work for my face too well. But what doesn&#39;t work for one part of your body can work for the other! Plus I use olive oil on my face when it&#39;s needed and I&#39;m thinking of converting over to baking soda (got that idea from you ladies!) to wash my body!

I am a simple girl! Plain and simple!

[blackangel73]

[quote]
I use Kiss My Face Olive Oil bar soap for my body and hair.
quote]

Me, too....love that stuff. I alternate between that and J. R. Liggett&#39;s dry hair shampoo bar.

[dsecret]

what is the name of the black soap that you use, i was going to get on called dudu osun but i&#39;m not sure if its the right one

[beautyofbrokenness2004]

<span style="font-family:Courier New">That black soap link isn&#39;t workin&#39; for me :(. I want to make sure I have the right one. How do you know the real one: black all the way through?</span>

[QueenLocks]

<span style="font-family:Courier New">That black soap link isn&#39;t workin&#39; for me :(. I want to make sure I have the right one. How do you know the real one: black all the way through?</span>
[/b]


The REAL Afrikan "Black Soap" is actually "brown" and clumpy in appearance. It is not the "jet-black", smooth soap.... There was an article about this in an issue of Naturally You! Magazine.

[Ketchup]

It didn&#39;t work on my face but I have been using black soap on my hair for nearly yr now, ..though my hair isnt loced, it does leave my hair mad soft after!..Also haven&#39;t tried it w/out using conditioner after too..but will give it a go..

[thunderstorm]

actually authentic black soap is crumbly in texture, sometimes crumbling into a powdery texture.

but it&#39;s malleable and can be easily formed into a ball or bar with one&#39;s hands by slightly wetting it. it&#39;s not blended with shea butter or fragrance. it has a naturally fresh, clean aroma.

what we often see in stores, even with true black soap, are pre-formed bars.

i purchase mine from an african store. the owner gets his from ghana. it comes in a drum. he scoops out balls of it, wraps it in paper, then puts it in a paper bag. he weighs it to determine the price. generally 2.3 ounces, for example, would come out to $2.30. 2.3 ounces forms a bar about the size of an average bar of commercial soap. i wash from head to toe with it. i put the powdery crumbles into my empty applicator bottle, add baking soda, honey, olive oil, and water for a homemade shampoo.

[dsecret]

i think i&#39;ll wait until July when we have our African Street Fair in Brooklyn, by that time my peppermint soap will be done. i rather just see what i&#39;m buying . :icon_ShiftyEye:

[dking821]

I believe that simple is best when it comes to my face
I wash with plain yogurt and moisturize with Aloe vera gel...Now if only I could adapt this simple thing or my hair.

@dsecret..is this fair the one by Boys & Girls High School? Do they have good reasonably priced stuff there?

[dsecret]

yes, dking821, i think you can haggle them down to get a more reasonable price, but its not kept there anymore, for two years now its been kept at Commodore Barry Park, i never attended because i didn&#39;t know where it was located, a friend of mine said its in the area of the Navy Yard, but if you&#39;re interested you can call718-638-6700 for more information.

[creation]

Bump!

[aishadavis]

I use black soap about once per month not every wash. Your assumption was correct for me, it does dry my hair out. But it also gets rid of build up. For other times I shampoo with Dr. Bronner&#39;a peppermint soap. This method has been working well for me.

[remilaku]

Yes!!!! Simple is best. I just resently simplified my rutien for my hair even more. Less IS more! I was getting so much product build up and now I have like none. I love my hair more now than before.

[infinite78]

Here is someone selling it on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/1lb-RAW-African-Black-Soap-Ghana_W0QQitemZ320463315541QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSkin _Care_test?hash=item4a9d1a2255

[Jazdani4]

so is dudu osun like fake black soap?:huh:

[shah1226]

Hi beauty queens

I know this is an older thread but I wanted to ask if everyone here still subscribes to the "Simple is best" way to go after all these years?

[KoilyLocGirl]

Cant speak for everyone, but for me, yes. Simple is best.

[shah1226]

KoilyLocGirl,
Could you share what your routine is daily/weekly?

[KoilyLocGirl]

I'm loc'ed and lazy when it comes to my hair. I rinse daily, followed by a distribution of oil throughout my tresses, and then I go. I wash every other week and re-ti every 4 to 8 weeks. I no longer have the luxury of freeforming for 6 to 8 months at a time, as my roots love each other off.

[DeBe]

I'm absolutely all for the "simple is best" notion. I shampoo with a whatever clear shampoo I can find and don't use conditioner - actually I'm currently using a clear coconut oil bath/shower gel. It's cheap so it doesn't have a whole list of ingredients to be worrying about.

I follow up with a mix of sweet almond oil, caster oil and jojoba oil when the hair is damp.

Other than that I use henna 3 or 4 times a year and tighten about every 2 months.

Once a year a have a mega maintenance session where I pull the loose hairs into each loc with a miniature latch hook. This reduces the fuzzy look but more importantly for me, it reduces the volume. Fortunately it only needs to be done on the new growth, as in the growth over the previous year, as my locs are now a little over waist length.

Most importantly for me is that on a day to day basis, my hair is wash and go.

DeBe