How to Care for Your Braids, Locs & Co

Protective styles are everywhere right now and shown in so many beautiful variations. Right now actress Halle Bailey is rocking her red locs in the new Disney remake of "The Little Mermaid".

Protective styles originated on the African continent. Different styles showed which group you belonged to and what position you held in it. Even back then they were an important expression of identity. For actress Halle Bailey too, her locs are an important part of who she is, she's been wearing the style since she was five. Meagon Good wears cool Goddess Locs in the series Harlem, and in the indie film "Rye Lane" lead Vivian Oparah shows how laid-back protective styles can look.

High time for a few tips on caring for braids, locs and co.

Scalp: cleanse and care

We recommend regularly using a mild shampoo that leaves no residue and removes product build-up. Our liquid Shampoo is perfect for this. It's enough to apply the shampoo to your scalp, when rinsing it automatically flows down the lengths.

For acutely itchy scalp, an acidic rinse can help. Mix at least 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar with 1 liter of water and pour it over your wet scalp in the shower.

Refresh: DIY with tea tree oil and lavender

Between wash days, refresh with this DIY mix: distilled water with a few drops of refreshing and antibacterial essential oils (mint, tea tree, lavender, rosemary) and spritz on with a spray bottle. An absolute fresh kick that smells great.

For stressed and dry scalp, regularly massage our Hair Oil with warm water into your scalp. Take your time, this opens up the pores so the oil gets absorbed.

Lengths: be gentle

After washing, our rich Conditioner gives gentle care. Dilute it with water and spray from roots to ends.

If needed, after that or in between, spray our Leave-In also diluted with water to protect against outside influences.

To keep your protective style intact as long as possible, minimize friction. You can do this by air drying or using an old T-shirt or microfiber towel.

At night, protect your protective style with a satin bonnet or scarf and/or a satin pillowcase.

Extra tips from our Nana

If you're prone to dandruff, we recommend not wearing braids or twists longer than four to seven weeks.

And for protective styles without extensions, you can apply our Leave-In directly on the damp ends. That keeps your ends nourished and protected from breakage and dryness.