If you’re rocking natural hair, transitioning, or just lurking in the natural hair space, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the L.O.C method for moisturizing natural tresses. If you don’t know what L.O.C stands for, check out this article to learn more about the acronym.
Earlier this year, Dark and Lovely launched Au Naturale Moisture L.O.C, a new collection of products formulated for naturally curly hair that follows the L.O.C method. Designed to take you from cleanser to finished style, the line contains 5 products, a shampoo (shampoil), deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, hair oil, and a sealing cream. I saw promos and review teasers all over social media, and being the product junkie I am, I jumped at the opportunity to review the shampoil from this new line.
The fruity, tropical scent that greeted me upon popping open the cap was a check in the win column for the shampoil. Unfortunately, it was the only solid win for this cleanser. I was really looking forward to trying out the cleansing shampoil because I had been experiencing a bought of dryness in my hair, and I was almost certain it would be alleviated by using a “shampoil”. I expected a product that had A LOT of slip and would glide over my hair given the name.
Though lathering was easy, slip was not something that came naturally. In fact, despite the name, the shampoil performed much like most other shampoos with respect to slip (very similar to a non-sulfate free shampoo), and I didn’t feel like my hair was any more moisturized than before I had started. There is also very little, if any, detangling support garnered from the cleanser.
I was a bit bummed by my initial experience, but knowing any number of things, including my extra dry hair, could have contributed to my first impression, I decided to give it another shot a few weeks later, this time with more moisturized hair, to see if I’d get the same results. And voilà, it worked! This time, my hair felt soft, it detangled a bit easier, not to mention it smelled AMAZING!
Of course when my next wash day rolled around, I reached for this cleanser, however, this time my results mimicked my first trial, leaving me disappointed. What was different this time? Most likely the starting condition of my hair, which was once again very dry on my third use (I live in a climate that is generally cold in the winter/spring, but where temperature and humidity can fluctuate day to day/week to week).
Ultimately, I think the Moisture L.O.C Sulfate Free Cleansing Shampoil is best for hair that is already fairly well moisturized and in good health. I ended up “gifting” the remainder of the cleanser to a friend with naturally straight hair—and who doesn’t deal with some of the challenges us curlies face. She LOVED it and has continued to use it.
I can’t give this product a high rating because of my inconsistent results and because expectations didn’t match with reality, but it clearly works for some (my friend still talks about how much she likes this shampoo), so I give it a 6.
It’s worth noting that the Au Naturale Moisture L.O.C Sulfate Free Cleansing Shampoil is one in a line of five meant to be used in conjunction with each other. While I was only able to review the shampoil, click the following links to check out the reviews for the Soak It Up Cocktail and the Lock It In Sealing Cream.
Will I try it again? It’s likely that I’ll try it again once I’ve figured out how to manage these dry spells as I think it has the possibility to perform well as a maintenance product. Plus, you know us naturals like to smell like “tropical paradises, coconuts, and fruit salads”!
WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOTTLE
Too many shampoo days leaving your mane looking dry and stiff? Get the best of both worlds. Meet our Sulfate-Free Cleansing Shampoil, where caring hydration couples with gentle cleansing.
Start here to bring moisture and softness back to your curls on every wash day. Apply a generous amount to wet hair. Lather, massage, and rinse. Follow up with our Deep Conditioning Delight for an intense moisture treatment.
• No Sulfates
• No Mineral Oil
• No Parabens
• No Petrolatum
