Locs are not loose hair with a different name.
That sounds obvious, but it is the reason so much hair advice fails when people apply it to locs. A loc is a dense, compressed structure. Whatever you put into it goes in and mostly stays in. Loose hair rinses. Locs accumulate.
So when customers ask me whether they can use batana on their locs, my answer is yes — followed immediately by a conversation about how much, and where, and which stage they are at. Because the honest truth is that batana is a heavy oil, and heavy oil is the thing locs are least forgiving about.
Here is how I talk it through in the store.
First, the Principle That Governs Everything
Oil the scalp. Moisturize the loc. Do not confuse the two.
Your scalp is skin, and skin can get dry, tight and itchy. A small amount of oil there is comfort and it is appropriate.
Your loc is a rope of hair that has already left the follicle. It does not absorb oil so much as it absorbs whatever gets forced into it. What a loc actually wants is water first, then a very small amount of oil to slow the water leaving.
Most loc buildup problems in my experience come from people treating the loc like a scalp.
Starter Locs: Use Almost None
This is the stage where people cause themselves the most trouble, usually with good intentions.
A new loc — comb coils, two-strand twists, palm rolls, whatever your method — is trying to knot. It needs friction to do that. It needs the hair to catch on itself and tangle in a controlled way until it holds without help.
Heavy oil adds slip. Slip is the exact opposite of friction.
Coat starter locs in batana and you can genuinely slow down the locking process. You will also find your coils unraveling in the shower and wonder why.
What to do instead at this stage:
Apply a very small amount of batana to your scalp only, using your fingertips, along the parts. Not on the coils.
Once a week is plenty. Some people go every two weeks at this stage.
If your scalp is not dry, you can skip it entirely for now. There is no rule that says you must be oiling something.
Let your locs be a little dry and a little frizzy. That is what locking looks like. It is not a problem to be fixed with product.
The Budding Stage: Still Light, but You Have Room
This is the awkward one. Your locs are swelling, frizzing, doing unpredictable things, and looking less neat than they did on day one. Everybody wants to fix it with product. Do not.
Your locs are now starting to hold on their own, so you have a little more room than you did — but the buds are still forming and you do not want to flood them.
What to do:
Batana on the scalp, once a week, small amount, worked in with fingertips.
If the ends feel brittle, a trace of batana on the ends only. Rub it between your palms first and press it on rather than rubbing it in.
Water is your friend here. A spray bottle with water, used more often than the oil, does more for a budding loc than any oil will.
Resist the urge to make them look neat. They will not look neat and that is the stage doing its job.
Mature Locs: This Is Where Batana Shines
Once your locs are fully locked and holding, batana becomes genuinely useful.
Mature locs — especially older ones, and especially the ends — get brittle. The oldest inch of a loc might be several years old. It has been washed a hundred times, tied up, slept on, and pulled. That is where locs snap.
Batana is a rich, high-oleic oil that softens exactly that kind of brittleness and gives the ends flexibility so they bend instead of breaking.
What to do:
Once or twice a week. Warm a small amount between your palms.
Scalp first, along the parts, with fingertips.
Then run what is left on your hands down the length, concentrating on the last few inches. Do not squeeze more oil out of the bottle for the lengths. What is left on your palms is the correct amount.
Best on damp locs, right after washing, once they have dried enough to not be soaking.
Retwist Week: Oil After, Never Before
I will say this one plainly because it causes so much frustration.
Do not oil your roots before a retwist.
New growth needs grip for the twist to hold. Oiled new growth is slippery, the twist will not set, and it will unravel in two or three days. Then people conclude their hair “won’t hold a retwist” when the problem was a bottle of oil.
The order that works:
Wash. Clean roots, no product.
Dry, or nearly dry.
Retwist.
Let it set. Give it time, and sleep in a scarf or bonnet.
Then oil — the next day for most people — and even then, scalp only, lightly.
Clarifying Is Not Optional
If you use oil on locs, you have to clarify. This is the trade.
Buildup announces itself before it becomes a real problem, if you know the signs:
- Locs feel heavy or slightly waxy between your fingers
- They look dull no matter what you do
- They take much longer to dry than they used to
- There is a sour smell, especially near the roots
- Light-colored locs look grey or dingy
An apple cider vinegar rinse or a clarifying shampoo made for locs will lift what ordinary washing leaves behind. Every four to eight weeks suits most people who use oil regularly.
And then the part people skip: dry your locs completely. A damp loc is a dense, warm, enclosed environment. Take the time. Sit under a dryer, sit in the sun, use a hood — whatever you have to do.
Signs You Are Using Too Much
Your pillowcase has an oil mark on it in the morning.
Your locs feel heavier than they look.
Your fingers come away shiny after just touching your hair.
You are washing more often to feel clean rather than because your hair is dirty.
Any of those means cut the amount in half. Not the frequency — the amount. Most people who think they have a “product problem” simply have a quantity problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is batana oil good for locs? Yes, particularly mature locs and dry ends. Use small amounts and oil the scalp more than the loc.
Can I use it on starter locs? Very sparingly, and on the scalp only. Heavy oil adds slip and can slow locking.
Does it cause buildup? It can, because it is heavy. Small amounts plus regular clarifying prevents it.
Before or after a retwist? After. Oil on the roots before a retwist stops the twist from holding.
How often? Once or twice a week for most people, often scalp only.
How do I remove buildup? An ACV rinse or a clarifying shampoo for locs, every four to eight weeks. Then dry completely.
Where can I buy it in Brooklyn? Nicholas Brooklyn, 1396 Fulton Street.
Bring Me Your Locs
Honestly, this is a conversation that goes better in person. Where your locs are in their life, how your scalp behaves, how often you wash — all of that changes the answer.
We carry raw batana oil, a 4oz batana hair oil that is easier to handle for scalp application, and lavender oil if you want something much lighter for the days in between.
If you want the fuller picture on what batana does and does not do, I wrote about that here.
Come by. Nicholas Brooklyn, 1396 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216.
This article is for educational purposes only. Batana oil is a cosmetic product intended to condition and beautify hair. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition, including hair loss. If you are experiencing scalp irritation, thinning, or tension at the roots, please speak with a physician or dermatologist.
— Monique Nicholas, Owner