How to moisturize 4c hair after washing

So, for more than a year now I have been growing my natural hair. Since the big chop in March 2020, my goal has been to grow healthy and preferably long 4c hair. 

And because of that, I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to take care of 4c hair.

One of the things that I learned is the L.O.C. method. 

It’s the acronym for the Liquid, Oil, and Cream method. A popular layering method natural hair experts use because it helps to keep your hair hydrated long after wash day. Meaning that moisturizing your 4c hair daily won’t be a whole production. 

And here is how it works.

Step 1) Moisturize 

The first step in the L.O.C. method is to find a moisturizer (liquid) that works for your 4c hair. That can be a leave-in conditioner or some sort of liquid that gives your hair the necessary nutrients it needs. 

In my case, I use a leave-in conditioner from Cantu because it’s one of the only ones I found that does not have castor oil.

For those of you that don’t know. Castor oil is a very popular ingredient in natural hair products as it helps grow hair quickly. Unfortunately, I am allergic to the oil and therefore a lot of natural hair products don’t work for me. 

Either way, you can choose the conditioner of your choice.

Step 2) Oil

Now, this step can be your second or third step, as I have heard from a lot of people that they like to apply the oil after the cream. I personally prefer applying the oil first and find that it works for my hair. 

You can choose from multiple different oils, such as essential oils like lavender, peppermint, etc. Or you can use growth oils such as castor oil, tea tree oil, and so forth. Again, I can’t use castor oil, so my oil of choice has been coconut oil and avocado oil.

Both oils have worked perfectly fine, smell good, and are scalp soothing. Which was great when I first chopped off my hair and needed to take good care of my scalp. 

In terms of applying the oil, I always suggest you stick your scalp. As you will apply the cream to your hair strands later. 

Step 3) Cream

The cream seems to be the most confusing of the steps to most people because it is oftentimes an ingredient that they did not use before. Which is understandable.

I use shea butter as my cream because I started using it back when I first realized I was allergic to certain oils. It’s very rich in vitamins and provides the hair with necessary fatty acids, which will help with your natural hair growth. 

But what is even more important for the L.O.C. method is that it perfectly locks in the moisture you applied prior.

Using the L.O.C. method is a technique on how to moisturize 4c hair after washing, which will guarantee your hair stay healthy.