Having natural dreadlocks is hard to pull off, but wearing dreads gives you one of the most bizarre and amazing hairstyles.
However, getting dreadlocks is a long process that requires a ton of patience. Although there are many products in the market that will help you form, grow, and maintain good-looking dreadlocks, you might want to make sure they are actually effective.
Letting your dreadlocks be is what many dread heads do to maintain their locs, and there is nothing wrong about it—except if you are struggling with loose dreads, which can be very annoying.
But simply neglecting your hear and getting bed head is probably not the best method to use if you want your locs to mature in a healthy way. Using hair products is a must, but using the RIGHT products is the only way to go if you want to sport a healthy set of good looking locs to match your style.
In this article, we will talk about sea salt spray and how it affects dreadlocks. There are good sides and some disadvantages, and if you want your locs to grow faster and maintain its good shape, you might want to read more into sea salt spray.
What does sea salt spray do for dreadlocks?
Saltwater or sea salt on young dreads can dry it out to make them coarser, enabling them to knot faster to form better dreadlocks. If you want to make your locs mature faster than it would normally do when not using product, your best course of action for coarser dreads is to use sea salt spray.
However, like we mentioned above—it is only good if you use it in moderation because of its osmotic effect that dehydrates hair. And as a result, your hair will have more volume by soaking up the excess oil.
Sea salt spray will not only help tighten loose dreadlocks for young dreads, but it can also can help tame the frizz when you want to create a cleaner appearance. People who don’t use sea salt spray tend to have their dreads all over the place with loose hair that will eventually merge with the locs over time.
But with moderate use of sea salt spray, you can accelerate the dreads process. If you ever think about making your own sea salt spray recipe, (which is always better and inexpensive than buying pre-made ones at the store) do not use common table salt. They may have come from the sea, but they are processed—meaning they will leave residue on your hair which can cause damage.
The best option is less-processed sea salt, such as pink Himalayan salts that you can also get in most grocery stores these days. But we will talk more about making your own DIY salt spray later in the article.
Will It make your locs grow faster?
Sea salt spray does not actually make your locs grow faster, but it helps in tightening the dreadlocks. If you are struggling with loose dreads, especially when new sets of hair starts to grow, using sea salt spray in your first year of wearing dreadlocks can help a lot—but remember to use it in moderation if you don’t want your locs to go for the worse.
So basically, sea salt water spray does not make your hair grow faster, but it makes your hair knot faster—which is good if you really want to accelerate the dreadlock process.
Can sea salt damage hair?
Sea salt can damage your hair and make them super dry if you use it too much. It may help tightening and making the locs denser, but in return, your locs will get dry, which will make it look and feel unhealthy, itchy, and uncomfortable than they already are.
How often should you use sea salt on your dreads?
Sea salt has an osmotic effect, which dehydrates hair strands—which means excessive application can dry your hair. But using just enough of it on your young dreadlocks is a good way to speed up the knotting process. But how often should you use it? Well, a good rule of thumb is using it once every 7 days.
The best place to start using sea salt spray is on loose hair first or newly growing roots. If you do not wash your dreads daily, you can apply sea salt spray before you wash it. However, do not leave it on overnight or for days, at will damage your locs to the point of no return.
The best time to leave it on your hair is no more than two hours. Leaving it on for more than that will irritate the scalp and make your head itchy.
For young dreads, you can spray the solution all over, but if you have mature dreads, only limit it to the loose ends and newly growing hair on the top of your head.
Does salt help form dreads?
If you have healthy straight hair, forming dreads could take months or even years of neglect. However, with sea salt, you can form dreads faster as it makes your hair dry. You will be able to group your hair into the size of locs you want faster by using just enough sea salt water in one week.
You can start by applying sea salt water at least once or twice a week to make sure you don’t damage your hair and make your locs appear healthier and thicker with its natural oils. These natural oils are tend to be washed out by too much salt water, so make sure you only use it once or twice when forming and maturing your dreadlocks.
Pros and Cons of Using Sea Salt Spray on Your Dreadlocks
If you are still on the fence of using sea salt spray to form or mature your dreads, here is a list of advantages and disadvantages that might help you make up your mind:
Pros:
- Sea salt spray, especially DIY versions, are very cheap compared to other commercial dreadlock accelerators in the market. You can save a lot of money by making your own sea salt spray, and frankly, they work just as good as the expensive options in the market.
- You know what exactly you are applying on your head if you make it at home—compared to other options that do not state the entire list of ingredients, such as chemicals that can damage your hair and scalp further.
- Sea salt spray is ok to use on mature and starter locs.
Cons:
- Using sea salt spray can dry your locs in the summer.
- Sea salt spray has the tendency to knot up multiple strands of dreadlocks together if you are not careful with the applications—which can cause painful dread separation.
- Applying it directly to the scalp can cause irritation and buildup that you won’t like.
What’s the best DIY sea salt spray recipe
As mentioned, you can save a lot of money by making your own sea salt spray for your dreadlocks. Instead of buying expensive options in the store, making your own will limit the chemicals you put on your hair. Just make sure you use the purest sea salt you can find in stores and don’t just grab any salt you find in your home.
Gather all the ingredients
Before starting the procedure, here are all the ingredients and materials to need to make your own sea salt spray:
- Warm water
Warm water from the sink will work fine. Just don’t use cold water from the fridge.
- Pure salt
When looking for salt at home, make sure it is less processed. To be sure, make sure you pick up pure salt water from the grocery store—or better yet, choose pink Himalayan salt for the best results. It is recommended to purchase “fine” salt so that it dissolves easier. You can purchase the brand I use by clicking here (Amazon link).
- Basic spray bottle
Any old refillable spray bottle will work, but you can also buy one from Amazon. If you are going to use an old spray bottle at home, make sure it is empty and sanitized. You don’t want any unwanted chemicals on your hair and scalp.
- Essential oils (optional)
You can use essential oils to add scent and retain moisture on your dreads, but it is completely optional if you don’t have any.
Some of my favorites essential oils for locks are:
- Lemongrass (Amazon link)
- Peppermint (Amazon link)
- Thyme (Amazon link)
- Lavender (Amazon link)
Instructions:
Step 1: The first step is the tricky part because you need to figure out the right salt to water ratio. A good rule of thumb is 1 cup of water for every 1 and a half teaspoons of salt.
You can also try these:
- 1 tablespoon of salt for 1 pint of water
- 2 tablespoons of salt for a quart of water
- 4 tablespoons of salt for a half gallon of water, and
- 8 tablespoons of salt for 1 gallon of water.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients in your spray bottle and shake it really well to dissolve the salt.
Step 3: It is optional, but we recommend using essential oils such as lavender to retain the moisture in your dreads when applying salt water spray. Just a couple of drops to the mixture should do the trick, and anything more than that can counter the effects.
