We've always understood that it's not the wax itself that causes the problems because beeswax in and of itself isn't wholey evil...actually it's not bad.  Most people make the mistake of lumping all products that contain beeswax together and this is unfortunate.  This article will help you understand the natural of beeswax and when to use a product that contains it and when to avoid it.

In addition to beeswax, many over the counter products contain other controversial ingredients...mineral oil and/or petrolatum .  In truth, these two ingredients, not beeswax, are actually the ones that lockwearers SHOULD avoid.


I may need to excuse myself from this topic because I use a dreadlocks products that contains beeswax.  My dreadlocks are approximately 8 years old and about 5-6 of those years I've been using the same product.  Here's the thing, I don't have any build-up.  My dreadlocks are amongst the softest.  I don't have problems with lint becoming embedded in my locks either.  So why then does everyone say to avoid beeswax?  I myself used to argue against it but now I know better...

Back in 2000 when I started my dreadlocks journey, I got on the web, went to a dreadlocks site that catered to individuals with naturally straight hair and used the information provided there to lock my hair.  The one thing that I remember from this site was an article and online video where it was suggest that I continually and repeatedly use "wax" on my locks.  Back then I didn't shop online so I went to Sally's Beauty Supply store and purchased a jar of Murray's beeswax, the black kind because well...my hair was black.

About two weeks later I was searching the internet and stumbled upon a Black hair forum with a dreadlocks section.  The first article I read said that I needed to avoid beeswax products.  GREAT!  Now you tell me.  I spent the next few hours using the hottest water possible to wash my locks.  No matter how much I washed my hair every time I squeezed my locks black Murray's beeswax would show up on my white towel.  Long story short I learned that beeswax wasn't for me.  That is until I saw a beautiful man online who subsequently became one of our first naaniMODELS...Mandingo.

That's Mandingo on the right.  In his naaniMODEL profile one of the questions I asked was "what products do you use on your locks."  He said, "beeswax."  Turns out, Mandingo was not only a real estate professional and actor but a licensed stylist as well.  Wait, he uses beeswax?  Why are his locks so clean?   Maybe it's not the beeswax, maybe it's how the beeswax is incorporated in the product.

Beeswax in products is sorta like sugar and Kool-Aid.  The right ratio of sugar to Kool-Aid and you got the best, inexpensive drink on the planet.  Too little sugar and you're better off drinking Gatorade.  Too much sugar and you'll sware it'll give you diabetes.  The point is, sugar isn't bad just because you use too much.  You're the one who made it, you used too much.  And therein lies the problem with traditional beeswax products for locks.  The manufacturer used too much wax.

Most of the products that you'll find over-the-counter (OTC) that contain beeswax are equivalent to Vaseline (tm) or Petroleum Jelly in consistency.  Such products are either thick and gooey OR, if it contains far too much beeswax and far too few oils, it will be hard as a brick, but "hard" products can be deceiving....

Make sure that the texture or degree of hardness/rigidity in your product that contains beeswax is not due solely to the beeswax.  For example, Cocoa Butter is very hard when cooled but it also has a pretty low melting point. Therefore, if you were to twist your locks with Cocoa Butter only for example, you wouldn't be able to get it out of the jar if the Cocoa Butter is at room temperature.  Does that mean that Cocoa Butter is bad for your locks too?  Of course not.  It's all about concentration.

WHAT'S IN YOUR PRODUCT?
When most people refer to beeswax, they're usually talking about Murray's Beeswax.  This is a great product on loose hair styles.  It's great for guys who want "waves" in their hair.  It's not for use on dreadlocks and here's why...

Yellow Jar Ingredients: Petrolatum, Select Australian Beeswax, Fragrance

Black Jar Ingredients: Petrolatum, Select Australian Beeswax, Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance

The first ingredient in a product is the ingredient that's used in highest concentration.  Now ask yourself, what's the consistency of Murray's Beeswax?  It's about the same consistency as Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly.  Now I wonder what's in Vaseline?  100% PETROLATUM!

The point is, even without the beeswax, Murray's would still have the consistency of Vaseline.  You wouldn't use Vaseline to twist your locks would you?  Then why are you using Murray's?  It's virtually the same thing.

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEESWAX
Beeswax has traditionally been used to help keep twists intact and smooth fly-aways during the initial locking stages. The problem with traditional beeswax products is that they were manufactured to be so thick that they are very difficult to shampoo out of your hair. Very hot water is often needed to fully remove the product and even then, there may still be some residue which overtime leads to build-up.

Try purchasing a jar of over the counter (OTC) beeswax and examining its consistency. Unlike the pomades we're used to, most OTC beeswax products are thick and repel water like a raincoat.  These products usually contain additives like petrolatum/petroleum or mineral oil which clogs pores and gets trapped in dreadlocks. So imagine having it in your hair after regular applications. How can you truly expect to remove it all in just one setting...especially when you have dreadlocks?

Using petroleum based products repeatedly can cause a build-up of the material in your dreadlocks that may be impossible to remove. In addition as your locks mature, OTC beeswax or petroleum based products can give your hair a dull, lifeless appearance and can also cause your dreadlocks to become quite heavy.

Unfortunately, some of the company's that manufacturer "dreadlocks wax" design it for use on naturally straight hair which is difficult to lock.  These are the companies/sites that will tell you to put tons of their product on your hair in order to lock it.  Most of the customer examples on these website show people with dreadlocks that look sticky, discolored and frankly untouchable.  This is due to excessive use of a product that's poor for locks and/or infrequent shampoos.  Don't fall into the trap.  Just because you entered a search term in Google and the site popped up doesn't mean the products they offer are for you.  Even if you don't trust me, once you get the product, if it's hard as brick...you were warned.

DREADLOCKS WAX vs. DREADLOCKS BUTTER
We've discussed the ingredients in Murray's Beeswax and we now know that the problem with it and lock care is that Murray's contains petrolatum.  We now know that it's the petrolatum, not the beeswax that makes this particular a poor choice for use on dreadlocks.  But what about products that are termed "Dreadlocks Wax?"  How are they bad?

A lot of folks make the mistake of calling any product that contains beeswax, "dreadlocks wax."  They also make the mistake of thinking that one can use beeswax straight.  The only way to use 100% beeswax on your hair is to melt it down (which requires high heat).  Beeswax, sans the addition of other ingredients, is hard.  But remember, cocoa butter is hard.  You can't apply 100% cocoa butter to your hair without melting it down so don't get distracted by the use of the word "hard."

The benefits of using beeswax is because it acts as a stabilizer.  If you were to use cocoa butter and cocoa butter ONLY to twist your locks, on a very hot day, the cocoa butter would melt due to the heat from the sun.  Next thing you know, you got a greasy, oily mess on your head.

Beeswax can stabilize the cocoa.  Since cocoa butter has a lower melting point, we need to add ingredients to it to raise the temperature at which it melts...hence, beeswax.  By adding beeswax, on a hot day, you won't have to worry about the cocoa butter melting to the point that your hair is oily beyond belief.  However, what happens if you use too much wax.

Here are the ingredients of a popular "dreadlocks wax:" Beeswax, Microcrystaline wax, Mineral/White Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Vitamin E.

Notice that the first ingredient is Beeswax.  This particular product uses too much wax.  As a result, you get a product that's, well...wax.  It's hard, it's water repellent, it's difficult to shampoo out of your hair and in the long-term, creates dull/ashen, heavy locks.  The problem here is that the manufacturer relies on wax to "glue" your hair together versus using the wax to "stabilize" other beneficial ingredients.

Of course there has to be a way to get the stability hold that beeswax offers and not get the negatives.  naani's found a way...

The point in showing you the above photo of naaniMODEL SoulSista is to demonstrate that there are plenty of things that can build-up on locks.  Shea butter has waxy properties and when used in excess, it too can build-up/in locks.  If you've read up to this point, you now understand that most all ingredients, excluding petrolatum and mineral oil, aren't wholey evil.  Again, it's how the manufacturer has chosen to use the ingredients AND the concentration of the ingredients that determines if a products is good or bad.

Now take a look at the photo to the left.  This is naaniMODEL SoulSista after a THOROUGH deep cleanse with naani's naturals products to remove the shea butter build-up.  I had to work very hard to remove the build-up in her locks. 

I then twisted with naani's naturals LOCK'D DOWN Dreadlocks Butter.  Our product contains the following Ingredients: Herb Infused Olive Oil, Jojoba, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Illipe Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Essential Oil and/or Fragrance Oil Blend.

Note, it contains beeswax but I'm sure you've been paying attention.  LOCK'D DOWN leaves no residue.  It has been our best selling product for 5 years.  Many of our clients and naaniMODELS have used the product succesfully for years and not only does their hair look fabulous, LOCK'D DOWN washes away easily, leaving no build-up or harmful residues.  But how?

Because we understand that it's not about gluing your hair together.  You want hold, you want sheen, but you don't want your locks to look dry or damaged.  We use beeswax as it's intended with hair care...to stabilize.  We rely on BUTTERS, not wax to hold your hair.  The end result is a product that's safe for use on dreadlocks.

So what's the difference between dreadlocks wax and dreadlocks butter?  Dreadlocks wax is damaging to hair, dreadlocks butter is not.

Excerpt from The Dreadlocks Commandments
i. thou shalt not use 100% beeswax or petroleum based products
heavy pomades and styling elements lead to unhealthy dreadlocks. as your dreadlocks mature, removing the residue they leave behind will prove tedious, if not impossible. it's best to use light, natural butters or they melt/absorb quickly as they are easier to wash away and are less likely to result in the formation of mildew.


100% Beeswax refers to using beeswax stand alone.  Pure beeswax has the consistency of a candle.  Virtually NO ONE uses 100% Beeswax.  So when people refer to 100% Beeswax, they're usually making a misstatement.  They're usually referring to Murray's Beeswax which contains petrolatum OR "Dreadlocks Waxes" where the first ingredient is beeswax.

If the beeswax concentration is high, then the product will be thick, gooey or extremely stiff.  Getting it out of the jar will be difficult and when you try to rub the product between your fingers, it will take a great deal of effort to make it smooth.  Once smooth, it will still have a pasty/stiff texture.  It will have a higher melting point and as a result, it'll be difficult to wash out of your hair.

If the product has a good concentration then you'll be aware that something's on your hair (it will shine better, hold better, etc) but it won't weigh it down or feel thick. When you remove it from the jar, you will be able to move it between your finger and you'll find that the consistency is that of traditional "hair grease." It'll have a lower melting point so it will react to your body heat and hot water.  Meaning it will shampoo out easily.

Look at it this way...have you ever gotten up in the morning, lotioned yourself down only to find that a few hours later your legs, elbows and hands are ashy again?  Wonder why?

Well your lotion is probably water-based.  The water evaporates and you're left with ashy skin.  So the better quality the lotion, the less you have to worry about lubricating those ashy knuckles.

That's pretty much the idea of using beeswax in products. If the concentration is right, you only need a little and a little goes a long way.  It's not that the beeswax based product is thick either (some are, some arent).  It just doesn't evaporate or wear away as easily as other products.  As a result, you can use a lot less and reap the benefits a lot longer.

Here's where the problem comes in.  Ever heard of too much of a good thing?  Too high a beeswax concentration and it'll take longer for the product to wear/wash away.  If you're a product junkie, then you may over-applicate and if that's the case, the problem is you...not the wax.  Over-application will make ANY product difficult to wash out.

If you had to do a comparison of beeswax products, they usually fall into one of two category examples: Vaseline vs. Eucerin (a high-quality lotion recommended by dermatologists).

Both of these products will keep you lubricated.  Both require very few reapplications.  The only difference is, at the end of the day, the Eucerin can be washed away.  It can be used on all body parts (including your face because it won't clog pores).

The Vaseline however will spend half the day rubbing off on your clothes, chairs, anything you've come in contact with.  Use it on your face and not only will you clog your pores but a shine at that level is never regarded as healthy or cute.

So when you're thinking about beeswax, try looking at it in these terms.  You want Eucerin quality vs. Vaseline.  They both have the same objective but clearly one is better than the other at achieving its aims.

naani's naturals LOCK'D DOWN Dreadlocks Butter is available in two varieties.  LOCK'D DOWN contains Cocoa Butter, Illipe Butter and Beeswax for their holding and stabilizing properties.  It is by far our best selling product. 

LOCK'D DOWN II is our vegan formula.  It relies on greater amounts of Cocoa Butter and Illipe Butter for hold.  It does not contain beeswax. 

Both products are available online in the our retail store or at our retail location in Jacksonville, Florida.