August 27th will be my 4th year with locs! Sometimes it seems like less, sometimes I'm like "Dang, that's all?" LoL! So far the dreadies are thriving. They are getting a little frazzled around the ends, do to my not tying them up at night (they get rubbed as I toss and turn so they feel really "brushed" and are thinning, but just on the ends and just some of them. )
my routine has eased up again. I still love moisture and comditioners, so I'm loving
my glycerin and aloe spritz. I'm still using my peanut oil for... OILING! LoL! Far as special shampoos, I'm just using Suave and some of hubby's White Rain Apple Blossom shampoo. It smells great, but isn't sold in stores around here. If anyone remembers the product, I found it in www.bythecase.com . Not sure why they stopped selling it in stores.
My conditioners are Suave Naturals and Vo5 Moisture Milks. Or whatever you call it. I'm too lazy to check right now. Imma add some photos to my fotki page, so you'll see the products there in more detail. ( http://public.fotki.com/BlackAngelPlayah ) most times I just rinse mu locs out by spritzing with water (when I remember to) and slather with conditioner, massaging my scalp in the process. Then rinsing well after my shower. My hair is always very clean and smells great. (and I'm not the only one to say so!) I usually hit it with some actual shampoo twice a month, lathering twice ever so often just to be sure it's clean.
And as you know I don't twist, and at this point I don't even seperate. I just let 'em be free. Thus sounds like a nightmare for some, but it is locking at it's purest form and the results are wonderful. You learn to let go. You learn patients. You surrender control over such a small part of your existance, but it's like a TON of negative crap and worry and just WEIGHT is lifted off your shoulders. It's liberating. Freeing for you as well as the hair. You get some of this with any method of locking, a great deal in fact! But freeforming is the ultimate in pure surrender. I guess that's why I love this method. Infact I could stand to let go a little more! LoL. But that's an issue for another day.
Jen
