Product Review – Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Crème Wax

When I first wore locks, they were installed with lemon juice and Jamaican Mango & Lime Wax. The young lady who worked her magic sang its praises to the high heavens and said it was the best thing smoking. I went to her 2 more times (every two weeks.) Of course, I asked questions about dreadlock care because my intention was to do it myself. For the life of me, I can’t remember if we discussed wax buildup nor can I remember if I had buildup in my dreads. However, I can remember the waxy, tacky feeling left behind after every retwist that hung around for a good 3 to 5 days.

Fast forward to August 2010 & my 2^nd set of locs. This time, a locking/twist gel was used. I went back once more for a retwist about 3 weeks later. Like the first visit, the gel left my baby dreads white and flaky with an incredibly dry scalp to boot. I wasn’t feeling any of that. So, when it came time for my next wash and retwist, I purchased and used Jamaican Mango & Lime Wax Crème. This product contains petrolatum, mineral oil, micocrystaline wax, D&C yellow #11 and fragrance (parfum.) I’m quite sure you see the BIG no-no’s ingredient in the list – petrolatum and wax. Although not as heavy as it’s sibling, the wax crème still leaves a tackiness that weighs down my usually light dreads. And yes, I have build-up because I have been using it religiously and applying “generously” as instructed to do on the container instead of going the less is more route. But, I will say this – once my dreads absorb it, they are super soft and shiny. There’s no itchy scratchy scalp or flakes. On top of that, they smell great. I love that herbal, natural smell. However, there’s still that buildup!

Will I continue to use the wax crème? Ummm….no. With this buildup, I don’t really have a choice. My next wash and retwist is coming around, so I will start experimenting with some locking gels to find one my dreads will love. In the meantime, I have to work on getting the rest of this buildup out.

What do you use when you retwist? Any suggestions on a good locking gel that doesn’t leave my dreads looking like they’ve been frosted?