Locs are a really great way to keep your natural hair. There seems to be quite a lot of division between those who consider locs to be a way of styling your natural hair and those who think locs is not necessarily “having natural hair” and see it as being completely different.
Recognising the difference between the 2 as being a “loose” natural and a “loc’d” natural helps a lot. Both are forms of having natural hair.
One thing I have realised having been both a loose natural and a loc’d natural is the way in which you have to moisturise your hair. Having loose and loc’d hair although similar have very different ways that your hair needs to be moisturised.
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So How Do You Keep Locs Moisturised?
There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your locs stay nice and moisturised. No one wants to have dry dull looking locs but not only that having dry locs is actually detrimental to your hair.
When locs are dry they are much more prone to breaking in the same way that having loose natural hair can. With locs you can lose a whole loc just by not having a proper maintenance routine.
Remember knowing how to keep your loose natural hair moisturised is very different from keeping locs moisturised.
Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your locs stay luscious and moisturised.
1. Water
Water is the key to healthy hair no matter if your hair is natural or loc’d. There is nothing else out there on the market that can or will moisturise your hair in the same way that water will.
This is why any product that you purchase for your hair that you want to get any type of moisture out of needs to have the first ingredient as water (aqua). The first ingredient in a list of products is the one that is the most. If water is not listed first you probably won’t get a whole lot out of it.
The great thing about having locs is that you don’t have to get complicated with a whole range of different products water on its own can be enough.
In my experience spritzing my hair each day with water from a spray bottle like this one makes the world of difference to my hair.
2. Rosewater
Using rose water is also very good for your loc’s. Rosewater contains properties that not only help to condition your hair but is also very hydrating and contains some really great vitamins too.
You can read more about how rose water can benefit your hair here.
You can also pick up a bottle of rose water from here at a really great price too!
3. Oil
Some people think that oil alone can help to moisturise your locs and the truth is that it can’t. Oil alone does not benefit your hair. Even if you are going to use an oil it has to be the right type of oil. Some oils, penetrate the hair shaft and some seal it. In this instance we don’t necessarily want to seal in the moisture we want to actually moisturise our locs.
The best oils to use to moisturise are locs are coconut oil, Jojoba oil (which is very close to our hair’s own natural sebum) or olive oil.
4. Clarify
Clarifying your hair on wash day is also very important as it helps to get rid of product build-up and anything else that may be stopping your hair from being properly moisturised.
When you use a lot of products those products can almost cause a seal on your hair and stop water being able to penetrate it. Clarifying your hair regularly can help to combat this as it removes build-up from bothering your hair and scalp enabling your hair to breathe.
This is a shampoo that you can try.
5. Drink Water
It’s true that you should be moisturising your hair from the inside out, so that means you need to make sure that you are also drinking enough water and not just spraying it on your hair.
Drinking the recommended amount of water each day helps to ensure that your body is also providing enough water for your hair to stay moisturised but it is also flushing out any nasty toxins from your body too. In other words, you can’t really lose out by drinking water, it’s for your benefit.
6. Satin Scarf
Let’s not forget about the satin bonnet too. Sleeping on cotton will take all that much-needed moisture out of your hair whereas wearing satin bonnet like this one will actually help to keep the moisture in your hair as well as cause less friction to your hair.
If you are one of these people who can never seem to keep a satin bonnet on for the whole night then using a satin pillowcase is a great alternative for this.
Final Thoughts On How To Keep Locs Moisturised
Remember you have to keep your locs well maintained if you want those locs to survive. Keeping your locs moisturised is a great way to help with this.
I like to spritz my hair each night before I go to bed with a mix of regular water, rose water, coconut oil and lavender essential oil. I find that this combination keeps my hair fresh, moisturised and smelling good too.
If you prefer you can spritz your hair during the day time instead but I find that I get way too much shrinkage spriting in the morning so I prefer doing it in the evenings.
Having said that everyone’s hair is different and you might find that adjusting things work better for you.
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Are microlocs and natural hair considered the same?
