Choosing products for locs

The hair care aisle is an invitation to overdo it. With locs that is exactly the trap. A loc is compacted hair: whatever you put in stays in, far longer than it would on loose hair.

The most useful rule is lightness. Fine oils sink in and feed without weighing anything down. Thick butters and rich creams settle into the core of the loc and never come out. They end up as white deposit, then as smell, then as a loc that takes a day to dry.

Avoid anything containing wax. It is the hardest thing to get out, it attracts dust, and it often takes months to be rid of. Be careful too with strong hold gels used at every styling.

A healthy scalp beats a shiny loc. Put the care into the roots, and give the length only a light pass.

Three products are enough for most people: a wash that genuinely cleans, a light oil, and a mist for daily moisture. Everything else is comfort.