Did you know, there are some popular products you should avoid using on your locs?
Finding products that work for you is not an easy task. Some products work so amazingly for loose natural hair that you may think they’ll work great with locs. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Moreover, there are some products you may want to avoid whether you are loose haired or locd.
Here are some products I won’t use in my locs.
Cream based products
Cream based products are also used to moisturize loose and locd natural hair. For locs specifically, they serve a dual purpose of helping maintain retwists. While they definitely will keep your retwists looking fresh, they unfortunately cause issues – namely stickiness and buildup. That is why they’re one of the products to avoid using in your locs.
Popular Product Example(s)
Coconut oil based products
Coconut oil is a fatty chain oil. Many people use coconut oil medicinally, in food, or to moisturize. However, it is not as good for your locs in my opinion. Natural coconut oil is solid at room temperature. Even when you melt it, it still tends to coat the loc. Moreover, it is highly comedogenic, which means it can block pores. Pores are not just on your face, but everywhere – including your scalp. Coconut oil can lead to product buildup and an itchy scalp. That’s why I avoid coconut based products in my locs.
If you do use coconut oil, I would recommend using fractionated coconut oil, which is more liquid than solid at room temperature.
Popular Product Example(s)
Shea butter based products
Shea butter based products are very popular with loose naturals. They’re known for locking in moisture naturally. Moreover, they’re great for giving a heavy hold for twist outs as well. Many think they’ll be great for locs, but unfortunately no. Shea butter can end up coating the hair strand and blocking moisture from entering. That can lead to sticky locs, coated in product, yet still somehow feel dry. That is why I avoid shea butter based products in my locs.
Popular Product Example(s)
Wax based products
Wax based products are popular in some parts of the locs community. They tend to be most popular to those with more straight curl patterns to form and retwist locs. Of all the products, wax based products are the worst offender when it comes to buildup. Beeswax in particular is not water soluble, which makes it very difficult to wash out. As such, wax based products are one type of product to avoid using in your locs.
Popular Product Example(s)
Heavily scented products
We all like to smell good, but some companies selling hair products seem to take this to the extreme. As such, it can be difficult to find products that aren’t heavily scented.
Why I avoid heavily scented products isn’t just due to their impact on my locs, but the impact on my body. Heavily scented products can cause headaches and breathing problems. Moreover, it doesn’t always just affect you, but those in your vicinity too. These types of products may just have one or two added words on the ingredients list (eg., parfum or fragrance), but those words are a cover for up to hundreds of different chemicals (often synthetic petrochemicals) which can be combined in order to create a distinctive, stable scent.
Aside from the above impacts, fragranced products can actually impact your scalp and locs. The chemical compounds used in some fragrance can cause dryness and contact dermatitis on your scalp. That can mean symptoms of itching, flakes and redness.
Popular Product Example(s)
- Hair Leave Ins
- Many Cantu, Shea Moisture, and ogx beauty products
Bonus – What You Should Use
After reading all these things to avoid, you may be wondering what you should use in your locs! Overall, the less the better. Locs by their nature retain moisture and product well. Thus, your best bets for hair products include plain water to moisturize and a clarifying shampoo to clean. If you need a bit more moisture you can try some light hydrating sprays.
—
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find this article helpful. A lot of these products you may think are fine at first, and months later you end up with sticky locs and buildup in your scalp. However, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary. Some people may have absolutely no issue using these products with their locs. But, given the notoriety of these types of products in the locs community, it’s good to be informed. At that point, make the best decision for you for the products to avoid on your locs.
