This is our review of the best moisturizers for locs in 2023.
We often go for locs to be associated with the dreads culture. If not, we believe the hairstyle requires little commitment. But care is inevitable.
That said, moisturizers are essential in your care kit.
To have the best quality, I decided to review the best moisturizers for your locs after my long day of research.
Out of the many, Lion Locs Hair Locking Dreads Moisturizer is the overall best moisturizer.
Since compatibility differs, I reviewed other moisturizers best in their category. Keep scrolling to learn about them.
Our Top Moisturizers for Locs
- Lion Locs Hair Locking Dreads Moisturizer (Best for Overall)
- Peculiar Roots Daily Moisturizing Refresher Spray(Best for Refreshing Locs )
- Locsanity Daily Moisturizing Passion Fruit Loc Spray(Best Oil-free Formula)
- Locsanity Rose Water and Peppermint Dreadlocks Spray(Best for Itchy Scalp)
- Dollylocks Sea Salt Loc Tightening Spray (Best for Tighter Locs)
- Locsanity BOLD Dreads Moisturizing and Conditioning Spray (Best for Men’s Locs)
- Lockology Coconut and Lemongrass Loc Moisturizing Oil (Best for Coarse Locs)
- Tranzitions Aloe Vera and Rose Water Dreads Spray (Best for Damaged Locs )
- Loc Oil Dreadlocks Moisturizer with Cedarwood and Shea (Best Organic Moisturizer)
- Rastta Locking Gel and Moisturizer with Avocado Oil (Best for Deeply-moisturized Locs)
- Lockology Loc Retwisting Butter and Moisturizer (Best for Retwisting Locs)
- Loclicious Lightweight Hydrating Locs Moisturizer (Best for Frizzy Locs)
Top 12 Moisturizers for Dreadlocks Reviewed
In this section, we’ll detail our top picks of loc moisturizers. You’ll see their unique features and how they will benefit your dreadlocks.
Lion Locs Hair Locking Dreads Moisturizer
- Key features: All natural, healing, and strengthening
- Hair type: Curly
- Item form: Cream
- Scent: Argan oil
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Overall
By its name, Lion Locs is a brand deeply rooted in the locs space. They are seriously dedicated to high-quality natural ingredients that motivate locs health.
The creamy product is formulated with aloe vera leaf juice, wheat protein, argan oil, and jojoba oil. The magnificent mixture smooths the hair and helps tame frizz and flyaways.
It works for all types of locs. Whether you’ve worn crochet locs, sisterlocks, dreadlocks, or microlocks, you’re sure to moisturize and add shine to your locs. It leaves the hair soft, stronger and rejuvenated.
Remember the oil is too thick and works with nothing less than 4C hair. It does not hold up well with other hair types and may produce residue eventually.
Check on AmazonPeculiar Roots Daily Moisturizing Refresher Spray
- Key features: Wheat protein, rose water-infused, revitalizing formula
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Cream
- Scent: Rose
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Refreshing locs
Peculiar roots refresher spray breathes life into dry, damaged locs. If the locs were dull, it revitalizes shine onto the strands so that locs look new and fresh.
It’s made up of a blend of nutritious ingredients such as wheat protein, rose water, and essential oils. These plant extracts contain vital antioxidants and vitamins A, B, and E that nourish and enhance the growth of the locs. And it can be used daily as it’s gentle on the hair.
For scent lovers, the spray emits a sweet rose fragrance. If your hair smells nasty, it eliminates that to freshen the locs.
The product seems wonderful before it dries out. Because afterward, you’re left with drier hair than before applying the product. And the scent is like hair perfume as it takes time to fade away.
Check on AmazonLocsanity Daily Moisturizing Passion Fruit Loc Spray
- Key features: Scalp-nourishing, Hydrating, Chemical-free
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Liquid
- Scent: Passion fruit
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Oil-free formula
Let rough, stiff locs be a thing of the past with the help of the Locsanity passion fruit moisturizer. The oil formula is infused with aloe vera juice, passion fruit extract, hydrolyzed baobab protein, and honeyquat. With such lightweight materials, the oil is oil-free and cannot form residue on the locs.
The baobab protein is an anti-aging treatment that protects hair from harmful UV heat. Aloe vera is a hair strengthener, while honeyquat conditions and moisturizes the strands. On the other hand, passion fruit extracts improve blood circulation in the scalp for stronger follicles and hair.
Good thing these ingredients coexist without the presence of chemicals. The moisturizing spray has no parabens, sulfates, petroleum, or formaldehyde. Therefore, it will be safe and gentle on your dreadlocks.
You might have to tolerate the smell if you take this moisturizing spray. Some customers say it smells awful like spoilt fruit. The scent is not passion fruit, as described in the product description.
Check on AmazonLocsanity Rose Water and Peppermint Moisturizing Spray
- Key features: Rose water and peppermint additions, Scalp-soothing mix
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Liquid
- Scent: Rose
- Volume: 8 oz., 12 oz.
- Best for: Itchy scalp
Another product from Locsanity on our list that cannot go by without its magnificence revealed. This time it’s the rose water and peppermint moisturizing spray. Despite the name showing two components, the spray contains aloe vera and jojoba oil as well.
The peppermint and rosewater make the moisturizer have additional scalp benefits. They render the scalp healthier since they soothe and calm the scalp for extra comfort. So, if your scalp itches, you can save yourself the painful scratches by rubbing the oil onto your scalp.
All the ingredients are purely natural and extracted from plants. Hence it’s vegan-friendly, meaning the oil is suitable for vegans, in addition to the fact that it’s cruelty-free. Of more significance, these constituents are hydrating, repairing, and moisturizing on the locs.
But the spray nozzle needs modification. Instead of squirting out the moisturizer, it comes out as a stream. Then, the moisturizer is too light and watery, and the locs become dry again after drying.
Check on AmazonDollylocks Sea Salt Loc Tightening Spray
- Key features: Hawaiian sea salt, Hydrating, Loc-tightening, Unscented Moisturizer
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Liquid
- Scent: No scent
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Tighter locs
The name, Dollylocks already implies that the moisturizer is for locs. The oil has unique ingredients that help tighten loose locs, thus slightly reducing the massive volume. It may take a longer while before your next appointment with your loctician.
Coming to the ingredients, the spray consists of Hawaiian sea salt, aloe barbadensis leaf, coconut fruit powder, and water. Aloe and coconut are the main moisturizing agents that penetrate the hair cuticle, locking out frizz and dryness. Hawaiian sea salt is a scalp healer that enables a healthier scalp texture for stronger locs.
If you’re sensitive to strong scents, you may go with this unscented option. The liquid spray has little to no fragrance, providing a comfortable environment for you to use it.
Even though it’s a tightening spray, the tightening does not last more than a day. You have to take note of that temporary aid. Or you may find some flakes in your hair; it’s not completely residue-free.
Check on AmazonLocsanity BOLD Dreads Moisturizing and Conditioning Spray
- Key features: Vegan-friendly, deep moisturization, hair strengthening
- Hair type: All, dry
- Item form: Spray
- Scent: Mint
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Men’s locs
Give your locs the treat they deserve for a presentable appearance before people. This Locsanity Bold moisturizer suits dread-wearing men looking for a neater look. The manufacturer designed the moisturizer specifically for men as the world of hair mostly focuses on females.
By steering their attention to men, they made the moisturizer have cedarwood, peppermint, and orange blossom. Cedarwood and orange blossom stimulate hair growth by inhibiting hair loss. They condition the locs to be lustrous, while peppermint is the antibacterial ingredient.
The peppermint keeps dandruff away. And it boasts a masculine mint scent perfect for men. You can take it wherever you go because the spray has a lock feature that averts spills.
It may have moisturizing properties but is not very powerful. Some customers would have preferred it if it came in various scents. And the scent is not too masculine that women can also use it.
Check on AmazonLockology Coconut and Lemongrass Loc Moisturizing Oil
- Key features: Natural ingredients, nourishing, hydrating oil
- Hair type: thick, coarse hair
- Item form: Liquid
- Scent: lemongrass, coconut, rose
- Volume: 4.5 oz.
- Best for: Coarse locs
Lockology coconut and lemongrass oil is a deep-penetrating oil for thick, bulky hair. If you have a huge mane of locs on your head, the oil gets through every hair shaft to nourish it with vitamins and other nutrients. The moisturizer is strong and intense.
It possesses rosemary, aloe gel, lemongrass, coconut, and essential oils. The moisturizing oil is 90% organic to enrich your hair with nature for a more robust feel. The oil seals moisture in the hair, making it less stiff and more hydrated.
The oil leaves no gunky residue after application. Actually, the ingredients are sourced across the Caribbean, so they are natural and mineral-free. You may forget about dry, brittle, and weak hair conditions when you use this moisturizer.
However, previous users of the product claim the product is not user-friendly. It’s hard to spray the oil out of the bottle as the oil barely comes out. And the oil is too liquid that it may be watery on your locs, so you have to be careful not to wet yourself.
Check on AmazonTranzitions Aloe Vera and Rose Water Dreads Spray
- Key features: Purse pack, softening, repair oil, shine inducing
- Hair type: dry, damaged hair
- Item form: Spray
- Scent: Rose
- Volume: 1.1 oz.
- Best for: Damaged locs
Locs in an impoverished, damaged state can feel new and young again. Just a sufficient touch of the Tranzitions dreads spray, and they wake up from the initial dry, dull state. The moisturizer is a repair oil.
It’s a spray mist enriched with aloe vera and rose water so that hydration is easy to achieve. The sun is not a threat to your locs with locs moisturized as the oil protects the locs from heat damage. As a result, the locs stay shiny and smooth.
The form of packaging is a classy tiny spray bottle, providing great portability. You can fit in a purse, handbag, or any convenient pack and take it wherever you want. Easily have it at the beach, gym, office, or basketball court.
Avoid it if you’re scent sensitive. The scent is very strong that it may make you sneeze or cough. Also, the bottle might come with a missing cap.
Check on AmazonLoc Oil Dreadlocks Moisturizer with Cedarwood and Shea
- Key features: Caribbean herbal extracts, hair growth, strengthening oil
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Oil
- Scent: Rose, sandalwood
- Volume: 4 oz.
- Best for: Organic Moisturizer
If your language is all organic and plant-based, look for the Loc Oil brand. The product is a manifestation of the Jamaican biosphere. The active ingredients are got from the Caribbean, that’s rose water, sandalwood, shea, cedarwood, and castor oil.
The natural blend replenishes moisture and shine in your locs. It also nourishes a dry, irritated scalp. The oil has disinfectant properties due to castor oil, which mitigates dandruff. The shea increases softness in the hair for it to be more flexible and tame the flyaway strands.
Wondering what magic sandalwood does on your hair? Sandalwood minimizes excessive sebum production by your scalp, inhibiting greasiness and scalp buildup. That stimulates loc growth and fosters shine in the hair.
Unfortunately, the oil cannot lock your hair. It can only be good for loc maintenance.
Check on AmazonRastta Locking Gel and Moisturizer with Avocado Oil
- Key features: Antioxidants, hydrating, growth-stimulating oil
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Gel
- Scent: Avocado
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Deeply-moisturized locs
Rastta moisturizer with avocado oil works for locs requiring deep moisturization. You can also use it when interlocking the hair when refreshing your locs at an expert loc stylist. It’s a locking gel cum moisturizer.
The moisturizer has argan oil, aloe vera gel, avocado oil, wheat protein and shea butter. This is a whole package of what you need in a moisturizer. The oil softens, scalp-soothes, prevents heat stress, seals moisture, and promotes growth.
Regardless of being a gel, it is lightweight. It does not sit on the hair long since the oil sips into it quickly. It’s free of sulfates, silicone, dyes, paraffin, phthalates, and wax, keeping your locs out of harm’s way.
But on the negative side, the product reaches you messed up. The container might be cracked, and the gel sspillsall over the packaging. The company needs to work on improving their packaging.
Check on AmazonLockology Loc Retwisting Butter and Moisturizer
- Key features: Residue-free, Moisturizing, Organic
- Hair type: All
- Item form: Cream
- Scent: Coconut, lemongrass
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Retwisting locs
People with twisted locs have this oil as 2 in 1 product. No need to buy a separate retwisting butter and moisturizer when the Lockology item is both. When refreshing the twists, apply this, and later keep your locs intact longer using the same as a moisturizer.
The company is reputable, with over 20 years of experience making dreadlock products. The oil gives long-lasting retwists. It makes no residue that may result in itching, scratching, and flyaway hair.
For the best results, the manufacturer recommends applying it on damp hair. The loc oil will effectively infuse maximum moisture into the locs in this condition.
Few users revealed their experience with this moisturizer. Most liked its sweet scent and its ability to lock hair faster. But some attested to not getting the results they expected.
Check on AmazonLoclicious Lightweight Hydrating Locs Moisturizer
- Key features: Blend of natural carrier and essential oils, lightweight, frizz control
- Hair type: All, frizzy
- Item form: Gel
- Scent: Natural
- Volume: 8 oz.
- Best for: Frizzy locs
See your locs frizzy for the last time once you put Loclicious moisturizer to use. This hydrating moisturizer instills moisture into your locs to fight frizz.
You don’t want your hair strands sticking out of the locs and forming a bushy mess. The locs get kept in control to look fine and streamlined. This is made possible by the mixture of carrier oils and essentials in this product.
Plus, the hair does not break and the locs remain undamaged. Through hydration, it locks in moisture, adds shine, and does not flake. Generally, the health of your locs becomes rejuvenated.
Most customer reviews show happy buyers. The item is loved for its great hold and easy spread on the hair. And after drying, one can feel the moisture in the hair.
Check on AmazonHow to Moisturize Locs Properly (Step-by-step)
Only by following the correct procedures will you use your choice of moisturizer to its full potential. We all demand nothing but value and benefits from every purchase appertaining locs.
So, keep dryness out of your locs with these steps below:
Step 1: Part your locs ear to ear into two halves, the back and the front half. Split the front half into two smaller halves to reach every part of your hair.
Step 2: Grab your spray can with water inside and start with the back half first. Spray the water onto the hair, from the roots to the strands, to make it damp but not dripping wet. Then massage for the locs to absorb the moisture.
Step 3: Finally, work in your moisturizing oils to seal the moisture. Massage the oil after applying it to your hair.
How to Choose the Right Moisturizer for Locs
Of course, the health of your locs correlates to particular elements in your moisturizer before buying. You need to give ample time to your research as you go through the product sites.
It’s not a matter of pick and pay but putting much thought into the following until you get an appropriate item.
Quality of Ingredients
We all know the ingredients of a moisturizer or any product are crucial in determining its suitability. How compatible and healthy a product is for your locs depends on what makes up the moisturizer. Will your locs thrive on it or not?
Keeping that in mind, we advocate for natural oils. These oils are derived from plants or any other biological matter and contain no harsh artificial chemicals.
If you hold sight of phthalates, silicones, alcohol, sulfates, and mineral oils, keep off the oil to prevent locs damage. This is a common rule in subjects related to hair products, regardless of locs, and worth having on your fingertips always.
You should look for jojoba oil, argan oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. These oils are the most suitable if you seek heavy hydration and nourishment.
And if the dreadlocks are in a dire dry and damaged condition, they’ll definitely require greater attention. You’ll use shea butter or cocoa butter for faster softening and deeper moisturization. You can top it up with aloe vera or glycerin to enhance moisture retention.
In the case of an itchy, flaky scalp, opt for herbal extracts such as peppermint oil, lavender, and rosemary. They have healing properties for a healthier calm scalp.
Moisture Retention Strength
Moisturization doesn’t end at infusing moisture to your locs. There’s the part of locking in the moisture to maintain the strong, healthy locs. If the moisture goes away, you re-introduce the weak, dry strands you initially tried to solve.
Well, that brings us to checking the moisture retention ability of the moisturizer you choose. How well does the moisturizing agent seal in the moisture before it starts depleting? That pivots around the ingredients in the product.
The moisturizer you pick should have long-lasting hydration. It should be able to keep dryness at bay within those few days before the next oil application. Also, avoid moisturizers with sulfates as they strip natural moisture out of the scalp and hair.
Lightweight Formulation
Additionally, consider that a lightweight moisturizer adds to the completeness of the product. The moisturizing oil should not weigh down the locs due to its heavy and tacky nature.
It shouldn’t be the type that leaves behind a greasy residue or unwanted flakes. When applied to the locs, the oil should flow and easily penetrate cuticles in every strand section. That ensures even distribution of the benefits.
If the oils are too thick, massage thoroughly to ensure they melt properly into the hair. Or melt the oil in a microwave prior to using it.
All in all, confirm that the moisturizer is non-greasy and absorbs into the hair without buildup left.
Scalp Health
When it comes to hair, it is never about the hair only but the scalp, too. If the scalp’s health is neglected, the hair will be negatively affected. Therefore, you have no choice but to check if the moisturizer is formulated to soothe and nourish the scalp.
Eye for ingredients in the moisturizer that promote a healthy scalp. This means the oils are lightweight and residue-free as well. Residues aggravate buildup, which clogs the scalp and traps dirt, causing inflammation.
Compatibility with Hair Type
Not all moisturizers fit every hair type. Please understand your hair type in terms of texture, length, thickness, and its current condition. By taking this information into account, you’ll select a moisturizer that adequately works with your locs.
So, look for oil products specifically designed for your type or similar hair profiles. However, some products may not specify which hair types they’re meant for.
Here’s a helpful guide. If your hair is dry, thick, and coarse, go after anti-frizz oils like shea butter, coconut oil, and castor oil. On the other hand, light oils like jojoba and almond oils complement thin, fine hair.
Product Descriptions
Usually, hair products have labels on the bottles. Apart from the volume and ingredients, short description lingos relay the benefits. All are important information; thus, you ought to analyze the labels.
Check for specific keywords like “moisturizing”, “nourishing”, and “hydrating” and “loc-friendly”.
Some labels may even define what hair type it is for and the natural extracts the product is enriched with. In most instances, this will be the first to see details that enable quick decision-making. That is, if the product is appropriate for your own use.
Professional Advice
Still, after evaluating the above elements, you might need help to fathom which moisturizer to buy. Don’t let the selection overwhelm you when you can consult with a professional hairstylist.
Seek their second opinion for personalized recommendations. Their expertise can offer valuable insights that direct you toward the ideal moisturizer for your locs.
Helpful Tips for Moisturized Locs
Beyond the moisturization itself, using hair moisturizers, there’s more to do for moisturized locs. Care for locs is a broader topic than you think. It involves applying these tips altogether to keep the locs healthy and moisturized.
Here are the tips to add to your care routine:
- Protect the locs during sleep time. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase or wear a satin bonnet or sleep cap. You may wrap a silk hair scarf as long as the locs get guarded against damaging friction.
- Avoid heavy hair products that lead to product buildup and attract dirt and lint. That includes shampoos, conditioners, and protein treatments, besides moisturizing products.
- Incorporate regular deep conditioning into your care regimen for added hydration.
- Maintain a healthy diet and take enough water daily for overall hair health.
- Keep your locs squeaky clean for the moisturizers to perform as intended. If you work out frequently, you’ll need to cleanse them more often because of sweat.
The Bottomline
The right choice of moisturizer is significant in meeting your TLC for your locs. Like you thrive on food as a human being, locs thrive on moisture and tender treatment. Keep them pumped up and the Rastafari heritage alive.
