The LOC Method / LCO Method

This is probably the most famous moisturising routine because of how effective it is at moisture retention. The L.O.C method is my favourite hair routine, and really the go-to method for dealing with curly hair. LOC stands for Liquid, Oil, Cream, this is basically the order the 3 products are applied to moisturise your hair. I try and do this every night when I plait my hair for bed and then I will spray the plaits with water when I undo them in the morning. This process takes me around 30 minutes to comb and plait while watching TV in front of the mirror. I love this method because even when I get lazy and fall off the bandwagon with consistently doing my hair, I can jump back into this simple routine. It really is as easy as A B C... or L O C.

The first step consists of hydrating the hair with water or a water-based product, such as a leave-in conditioner or a detangling spray. I simply use water because I find I run out of leave-in conditioner extremely quickly, whereas water is easily accessible and lightweight, especially with the number of products that get layered on with this method. I spray my hair with water until it is slightly damp. It is essential to make sure you don't drench your hair with water, however, as it will take ages to dry and will make the other products drip out or sit on top. This is the first layer of moisture to really soften and penetrate the hair before it is sealed in by the oil.

This step is for sealing in the moisture from the liquid. I use our Golden Hair Oil for this because it is lightweight and makes my hair feel soft, smooth and shiny (plus we have bottles upon bottles at my house). While water and oil don't mix, some natural oils have the ability to penetrate the hair shaft, such as Coconut oil, Olive oil, and Avocado oil. This helps the hair to retain the water you applied, so is great for moisturising. I do like some other oils like Castor oil, Grapeseed oil, and Jojoba oil but these work better as sealants, so if you were to go L.C.O, these oils would work better as the final step. However, this might be perfect for you depending on your hair texture. It's all about trial and error.

Now the final step is applying a cream. A cream product to close the hair cuticle which prevents moisture from escaping. For this step, I tend to use conditioner or something thicker like our Custom Hair Butter. I only tend to use a small amount per section of my hair. Some people use curling creams, twist and define creams, moisturising creams or even natural ingredients like Shea butter.

After you have put all the products into your hair its time for the most important step, styling. I tend to do this before bed so that the products can really absorb into my hair and my hair is quick and easy to deal with in the morning. When applying the different products to my hair I only use a small amount because I don't want my hair being weighed down and I do this every night. I like to plait my hair and do a braid out in the morning; if I'm tired I might just do two big plaits, but if I have more time I'll section my hair into 8 smaller plaits.

Now everything I've written above is subject to your personal preference. Everyone has a different head of hair in texture, length, health, and porosity so adapt as you see fit. I occasionally prefer to apply an oil after a cream when my hair is particularly dry because I feel the oil is more appropriate for sealing in the moisture at the end. You don't have to use all of the products together either, if your cream is particularly thick, you can skip the oil or vice versa. Just find what works and stick with it! Consistency is so important if you want to see real results.