I know you've heard a lot about products that should be avoided when you have Dreadlocks and much of the information is confusing.  In this section, we'll do our best to explain the No-No's in a way that cuts through the confusion.  Let's get started...

SHEA BUTTER:  I love shea.  It's great for use on dry skin which some people believe makes it great for use on dry scalp.  The problem with shea is that like all butters, it has a degree of waxiness to it.  Sometimes we confuse waxiness with oilness and it's not the same thing.  Shea is actually dull and has little luster.

This waxy property rates it as a C+ in terms of holding dreadlocks but overall it results in a Grade of F over the long term as shea is difficult to shampoo out and builds up on hair.  Not to mention, it doesn't shine so twisting into your dreadlocks may hold them but don't expect them to look shiny and healthy.

Most people who use shea butter, particularily, the raw (yellow variety), develop splotchy, white patches that resemble clumps of lint throughout their dreadlocks.  Because dreadlocks are tightly matted, removing shea is cumbersome and thus you should AVOID using shea butter stand alone. 

Thw abovephoto of naaniMODEL SOULSISTA is a pretty good example of how shea butter can accumulate in dreadlocks.  Although difficult to see, the white specs you see in her hair are mainly the result of raw shea butter Build-up.



With that said, this does NOT mean that you should avoid products that contain shea butter.  It is indeed excellent at alleviating dry skin.  What this does mean is that if it is used in too high a concentration,  you increase your chances of getting negative results.  A product that contains shea should be formulated for use on the scalp primarily as well as the hair.  Meaning, it should be light and creamy.  Think about it, If the main objective of shea butter is to help dry skin (scalp), then you want it on your scalp to do its work.  Because it's waxy NOT oily, it doesn't add sheen to the hair on its own.  Sheen in products containing shea butter is often the result of other oils and butters.

BEESWAX:  Like shea, beeswax is waxy...hence the name.  Like shea, if beeswax is used in too high a concentration, it can create build-up.  Like shea, beeswax offers excellent hold.  Like shea, beeswax does not has its own degree of luster.  So what does beeswax do?

It holds.  It's an excellent adherent.  When beeswax is used in dreadlocks products, it offers stability.  It increases the longevity that your twists will remain.  Unfortunately, many manufacturers overuse beeswax and as a result, like shea, you get far too much of the waxiness which results in build-up.

This is not to say that beeswax shouldn't be used in dreadlocks products.  In fact, it's excellent when formulated in the right proportion.  Which is also why naani's naturals Lock'd Down Dreadlocks Butter is our all-time best-selling product.  Customers and clients sware by it not only because it works, but also because it produces no build-up...and it contains beeswax.

Think of the use of shea butter and beeswax this way...have you ever used a concentrated cleanser?  If you used the cleanser full strength, it'd be strong enough to burn your skin, but the stronger it is, the faster it seems to clean and if your objective is to clean, then using it straight out of the bottle makes sense...or does it?

What if you could dilute the product and still get excellent results?  Sure, it may not clean instantly on contact but at the end of the day, it cleans.  

This same concept can be used when considering shea and beeswax.  They both have their respective upsides in terms of dreadlocks maintenance.  But, like the cleanser, if you use too much, you get burned.  If you use the right amount, you...or better yet, your hair, comes out clean.