The Style and Beauty Doctor reader MilaXX wrote in asking: “What are some good inexpensive products to use for maintianing my locs at home?”

Since I’m not an expert on locs, I had to do some research. According to mydreadlocks.com:

General rules to follow when shopping for products for your locs include looking for these and other natural ingredients:

* Awapuhi
* Hemp Seed Oil
* Olive Oil
* Rosehip Oil
* Rosemary
* Tea Tree Oil
* Vitamins (a good balance of several of them will do wonders for your hair)
* Yarrow

Mydreadlocks.com also suggests when it comes to shampooing, you need to shampoo your locks on a regular basis:

If you have dreads that are less than a year old, then you may be concerned that your new, delicate locks will come undone when you shampoo dreadlocks. You may find that wearing no-snag rubber bands on both the root and tip of each of the dreads will help reduce this problem.

Dreadlock wearers with more mature locks don’t have to worry about this. In fact, mature locks can be washed as much as everyday, if needed. Some wearers wash – or simply rinse water though their locks – every three to five days.

With new or mature locks, you should follow a good hair maintenance routine. To see what your routine should include, please follow this link to our article on dreadlock maintenance.

When it comes to choosing products to maintain your locs, mydreadlocks.com says you can find shampoo for your hair at many mass-market retailers.

You can find shampoos in the following formats:

* Soap shampoo / bar shampoo

The best thing about bar shampoo is that it’s basically super concentrated liquid shampoo; the water sucked has been sucked out of it and shaped into a soap bar!

* Liquid shampoo

Shampoo in this format is the easiest to find and the one that most consumers are familiar with using.

* Dry shampoo / aerosol shampoo

In general, dry shampoo is great for camping because it takes up so little space and is less heavy. However, it’s also great for when you don’t want to go through the whole shampooing your hair in the shower rigmarole.

Be careful about the amount you use though, because a little really does go a long way. The basic idea is to section the hair, sprinkle or spray the aerosol or dry shampoo onto your scalp and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Let it absorb all the excess oil from your scalp then bend over and shake it out with your fingers.

You may also want to look around for colors other than the typical white, which works best for blondes. You might even consider dying it yourself.

But beware of residue:

Any dreadlock shampoo manufacturer will tell you that dreads with little or no residue will lock up more quickly. So whichever shampoo format you choose, you should always opt for a brand that won’t leave residue behind.

Residue from shampoo that’s left in your hair or hair products that haven’t washed out well can lead to itchy scalp, which is fairly easy to handle.

A harder situation to handle is for the left over residue to remain in the core of your dreadlocks, trapping chemicals, dirt and dust in your mane.

Make sure that you’re not fooled by naturally-based or herbal shampoos, as they can leave a residue too. The package should clearly state that the product is residue free shampoo.

Ideally, any product you will use to shampoo dreadlocks nicely will be made up of all-natural ingredients with no added scents, moisturizers or conditioners.

If you really want to have a scent in your shampoo, then get an essential oil and put a couple of drops in your shampoo bottle.

Essential oils are great and come in a very wide variety of scents that will get you in any mood you want from happy and perky to calm and relaxed.

To find out more about caring for your locs, please check out mydreadlocks.com and Erin of Scandalous Beauty

P.S. The winner of last week’s Ojon Giveaway is Lana of Gainseville, Florida! Congrats, girlie!