So the other day I was perusing one of the many natural hair groups I happen to belong to and there was a thread about the LOC Method. The LOC method is an application technique, very popular among naturals, that involves applying products to the hair starting with the Liquid, followed by Oil and finished off with a Cream.
READ: 10 Things Professional Hairstylists Want You To Stop Doing To Your Hair Now!
The poster asked the following:
Question: If water cannot penetrate or blend with oil, how does the LOC method (liquid, oil then cream) make sense?? Is it easier for liquid and cream to mix rather than liquid and oil, so how can cream seal oil??
I’ve studied with many experienced natural hairstylists during my cosmetology training and quickly learned that the LOC method is an absolute load of crap. Here’s why:
1. Oil is not a sealant.
Yes, ladies, you read that correctly. Oil is NOT a sealant. In fact, the hair is actually sealed during the conditioning step. Conditioner has always functioned as a sealer. Prior to its application the hair feels rough. That’s because shampoo raises the cuticle and conditioner comes behind and smoothes things over closing the cuticle and sealing in all that moisture/hydration.
2. The LOC Method is confusing!
Prior to the #30dayhairdetox I was an avid user of the LOC Method and for the longest time I found it to be a bit perplexing. While I understood water to be the liquid (although sometimes I would consider my leave-in to be so but sometimes I used a creamy leave-in…see how it get’s confusing), coconut oil was my oil of choice (and I used waaaaay too much) and cream was whatever cream I had on hand. After getting through over 900 hours of cosmetology school this doesn’t make any sense. That’s not how hairstyling works at all.
READ: 7 Reasons Why You Need To Stop Using Coconut Oil & Shea Butter In Your Hair
Hairstyling involves a physical change of breaking down the hydrogen bonds by using either heat or water to manipulate the hair into a desired style. Styling products such as mousse, defining creams, setting lotions are then used to hold the manipulated style in place. This means that whatever products you use after your conditioner need to have a purpose in helping you to achieve your desired style or else you’re going to end up like most women who say that their twist outs don’t make it past 24 hours.