Best Products for LOC Method

The LOC method is one of the ways utilized by naturalistas to maintain moisture in curly hair especially type 4 hair and high porosity hair.

In this article, I share the best products for the LOC method, how to do the LOC method on curly hair, and how effective it is for low porosity hair and high porosity hair.

Maintaining moisture is one of the challenges of curly hair and the LOC method is one of the ways to address this challenge

What is LOC Method for Natural Hair?

The LOC method is a layering technique created to achieve peak moisture levels in natural hair.

The LOC method is supposed to hydrate and lock in moisture for days. The method includes 3 steps known as liquid, oil, cream and is broken down as follows:-

L – liquid for hydration
O – oil for locking in the hydration
C – cream for keeping the moisture in for several days at a time

Choosing to use this method for your hair depends on your hair porosity level.

If you’re not sure what your porosity level is, read What is Hair Porosity and How to Check for Hair Porosity before reading this article.

The LOC Method is best for type 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, and 4C hair. It might be too greasy for any other hair type.

There will be a little bit of trial and error before you decide on the right blend of products for the LOC method on your hair.

Is the LOC Method Effective?

The LOC method is very effective when it is practiced the right way with the right products and in the right order.

Additionally, you should start on freshly washed hair to get the best out of the LOC method for your curls.

Find my best shampoo recommendations at What Are the Best Shampoos for Natural Curly Hair?

LOC Method for High Porosity Hair

Because the LOC method is designed to optimize moisture levels and retention in dry hair, it is a perfect treatment for high porosity hair.

If you color or chemically process your hair in other ways, then you definitely need the LOC method because you will likely have high porosity hair.

LOC Method for Low Porosity Hair

While the LOC method can work for low porosity hair, I much prefer the LCO method for low porosity hair and finer hair types.

In the LCO method, the order of the products is changed around. I will cover this in greater detail in the next article.

LOC Process for Natural Hair

The LOC process involves applying a liquid on freshly washed hair, followed by a thin layer of oil over it, then closing off the process with a heavy cream. You will also need:

Sectioning clips
Wide-tooth comb to spread the products (fingers also work)
Hairdryer with a diffuser if you don’t have time to air dry. If you already have a hairdryer, you can just get this diffuser attachment

LOC Method Products

Best Liquid for LOC Method

The liquid in the LOC method is usually plain water, distilled water, or floral waters like lavender water, and rose water.

The liquid could also be a watery and/or milky leave-in conditioner such as:-

You don’t want the liquid to be too heavy for this first step because of the other products coming up.

Additionally, you don’t want to cause build-up by starting with a heavy product.

Feel free to dilute the leave-in if you think it’s too thick. For more on this, read How To Dilute Hair Products.

All the leave-in products recommended above are suitable for high porosity hair and low porosity hair.

Best Oil for LOC Method

The oil in the LOC method is a heavy oil or a heavy oil-based product for high porosity hair and lighter oil for low porosity hair.

Some of the best oils and oil-based products for this step include:-

High Porosity Hair

For more oil choices, read 97 Best Hair Care Products for High Porosity Hair.

Low Porosity Hair

For more oil choices, read 103 Best Hair Care Products for Low Porosity Hair.

Best Cream for LOC Method

For high porosity hair, you want to use a heavy hair butter or a hair cream that isn’t water-based such as below:-

You can also try this DIY hair butter recipe for curly hair using one of the natural butters recommended above.

For low porosity hair, use a hair cream that’s water-based such as:-

I would not recommend using heavy hair butter on low porosity hair for the LOC method.

How Often to Do LOC Method?

Every time you wash your hair, you can practice the LOC method.

For instance, if you wash your hair every week, do it and keep your hair in a bun until the next weekend.

You can also do the LOC method every time you wash and go. Keep in mind, you can’t layer products repeatedly without washing your hair.

If you do this, you will cause severe product build-up and the products will stop working properly.

Another variation of the LOC method is the LCO method which changes the order in which the products are applied.

I will cover this in great detail plus why choose the LCO method in the next article. Be sure to sign up so you’re notified when the article goes live.

Curly Abi

Abi is a curly hair expert, researcher, product tester, and author of the highly-rated Healthy Hair Care Series. She is also the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Healthy Natural Hair Products, and Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty. HNHP has strict editorial standards and ensures all the information on Healthy Natural Hair Products is the best for natural hair care. Learn more about our Editorial Policies

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