New to locs and wondering how to properly shampoo your locs outside of the salon? No sweat, you’ve come to the best place!
Many of us who start out with locs, rely on the genius of our locticians to shampoo and maintain our locs. But this year more than ever, we’ve started to realize how important and valuable it is to know how to also be able to maintain our locs, and especially shampoo them, on our own. Here are our tips for shampooing your locs from the scalp to the tip of your locs!
First things first
Before you even grab that buildup free Yasin Shampoo, you’re going to want to start with the Pre-Cleanse. Spray and massage the Pre-Cleanse evenly around your scalp. Then let it sit for a few minutes and rinse. This part is important because you are securely removing any dirt that has accumulated over the week. (You can skip this step if Dr Locs products are the only products you’ve ever used, we are buildup free so we know you won’t have buildup with following our five part system).
Next up
Some people like to clean the scalp with the Pre-Cleanse 2-3 times, depending on their habits and hobbies. A spray, massage, rinse and repeat sort of method. The Pre-Cleanse is gentle yet effective, so you shouldn’t have to worry about drying out your scalp. The essential oils work with the antibacterial oils to cleanse and hydrate the scalp.
Then when the scalp and locs are wet, shampoo the scalp with the Yasin Shampoo. Please don’t forget to shampoo those locs, because yes, dirt can get trapped inside your beautiful locs. You may need to shampoo two to three times, depending on your general environment and habits. For those of us who love to workout, run in the heat, hike, or simply get our sweat on, you may want to shampoo a few times. Again, this is up to your habits and hobbies.
How many times should I shampoo my locs?
First wash is just to soak up water, for your ‘superficial’ wash. Let your locs soak in that water and add a bit of shampoo. The second round of shampoo is when you put your standard shampoo and really work your way in there. The first rinse won’t really offer you a good clean. The key is to soak your hair really well from root to tip. Some people wash their locs three to four times.
The last shampoo is focused on the ends and the second half of the locs. Run your fingers around, rub your hands together over the locs to really get it clean, and then really rinse it out. Get all that shampoo out. Don’t let the shampoo remain in the roots or the back of your head. Turn around and flip your head down in the shower to let the water run down the back of the neck. We recommend to squeeze, soak and rinse that way. Flip back up and bring your locs up to the shower and let the water run through the locs aiming at the end of your locs.
How to Get Your Squeeze On
Squeeze the shampoo into the locs one at a time to really clean the inside of those locs.
Once you’ve evenly shampooed those locs, you’re then ready to squeeze the locs to help get the water hiding inside the locs - out. And when you rinse out the shampoo, make sure that when you squeeze your locs, the water runs clear.
Once You’ve Shampooed and Rinsed 2-4 Times
If you steam your locs after shampooing to ensure your locs stay moisturized, you can use the steamer with the leave-in conditioner for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with cold water and dry. We recommend using a hair or hood dryer to properly dry your locs. If you don’t want to sit under a drier, you can sit out in the sun, but it needs to dry completely, from the outside in.
Everyones hair dries differently. Your hair might dry quickly or it might take a long time to dry. If you don’t thoroughly dry your locs, you’ll get a mildew smell. So it’s really best not to let your hair dry on the run. The outer shell of the locs might seem dry but the inside matrix can still be wet. You do have the option to dry your locs later on, but don’t let them remain wet all day long. Drying your locs is an important habit, not drying your locs is not a good habit.
That’s it. You’re ready to have an incredible hair week!
