Efficiently and thoroughly cleansing your locs is an integral part of maintaining and retaining hair health.


Here is my tried and true method for shampooing my hair.

 Step 1: Band locs into smaller sections. Though often recommended only for younger locs that have not settled, I've continued this because as my hair gets longer and more cumbersome to wash, this is how I insure I don't miss a section of scalp or length.


Step 2: Cleanse with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo. It really removes build-up well and has a pleasant peppermint smell.

Step 3: Follow up with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter (honeysuckle scented) conditioning shampoo. This may seem odd to double shampoo but, the aforementioned shampoo is so rich and my build-up so stubborn that it conditions my hair sufficiently without contributing to my build-up problem.  I also hesitate to condition my sisterlocks, cleansing properly yields better sheen and results than risking conditioner buildup.

Though not the best for locs, the Shea Moisture shampoo is amazing on the fro, my daughter and sister love it! It also smells like heaven (like Jesus himself came down and touched it), and the smell lasts for days.


Step 4: Inspect. I always look closely at my scalp for that gray build-up sludge as an indicator of whether or not I cleansed thoroughly enough.


 Step 5: Squeeze the excess water out in the shower, towel dry and leave it banded to air dry overnight (I tend to wash my hair near the end of the day). Leaving it banded to dry really yields a great next day look.


Final Step: Remove band and go (additional styling is optional). 

Here is a video showing some of my shampoo prep.