A four step wash day routine for locs

Wash day goes wrong more often from sequence than from product choice. This is the order we use in the studio, and the one printed on the card inside the routine set.

Start by diluting the shampoo one part to three parts water in an applicator bottle. Apply along the partings, massage the scalp for three to four minutes, then rinse for at least twice as long as you think you need. Residue left in a loc is the single most common cause of the flaking people blame on dandruff.

Once the hair is towel damp, mist the scalp and length, then work in the scalp oil along the partings only. Leave the length alone. Finish with the regrow cream at the hairline and parting if that is where you need it, and let everything air dry before you tie anything down.

Between wash days: mist daily, oil twice a week, cream three nights a week. Ten days between washes suits most people with mature locs, though weekly is fine if you are active or working out.