I have 4 non-negotiables products I will not put in my locs, but all for good reasons. The biggest reason is buildup. One I refuse to go through. Here are the reasons why I am trying to stay away from them for the health of my locs.

DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission. Read more about it in the Privacy Policy.

Hair Gels

Hair gels aren’t that harmful to locs — until they are. Certain hair gels contain harmful ingredients that can cause dryness and crazy product buildup in your hair.

Once the hair is dry, it can become flakey and white, resembling dandruff. If it has drying ingredients like alcohol, sulfates, Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives, fragrance, or parabens, it can cause your scalp to itch like crazy.

Even though most gels are water soluble, this is just my preference. Now I do have a few exceptions. And I know you are going to call me a hypocrite.

I love using twisting gels like this:

This hair gel is not like most gel. It’s as if you put regular hair and edge control together but without parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, or petrolatum. It goes on like edge control but works like gel.

It doesn’t leave any buildup in my locs, which is awesome!! I also use it to braid my daughter’s hair.

Hair Waxes

Honestly, hair waxes scare me when it comes to putting them in my locs. Why? Most, if not all, aren’t water soluble. Anything that won’t come out of my hair with a little water and shampoo is a big no-no for me.

Most waxes cause product buildup that’s extremely hard to come out of your locs. So if you are a fan of using beeswax, wax sticks, or other sticky hair products, beware of the product buildup to come.

You can try to do a hair detox to help remove the buildup, but you may have to gently squeeze the product out with your fingers.

Hair Creams

It’s something about creams and locs that don’t go well together for me. Not that I have anything against creams, but the thought of putting something creamy in my locs scares the bananas out of me.

Once again, I’m afraid of the possible buildup it could cause and so far, I’ve been doing really well without buildup.

But, if I do use something a little creamy, I’ll just dilute it with water. While I know that may also dilute the effectiveness of the product. However, I also believe some benefits are better than nothing.

Hair Chemicals

Hair chemicals are an absolute no-no for my locs. It just scares me. The thought of coloring my hair excites and terrifies me at the same time. Because I’ve seen and heard horror stories of people coloring and bleaching their hair, just for it to cause breakage and damage.

Heck NO. Absolutely NO.

Although I am a haircare professional and know that it can be done, I just don’t want the potential hassle or problems that can come with it.

What are your thoughts?

– Much Love, Ash ❤️