# Curl Care Routines: LOC, LCO & Wash Day by Curl Type | Curltine

> Build LOC or LCO wash-day routines for wavy, curly, and coily hair. Seasonal tips plus Curltine AI hair scan for a personalized plan.

Canonical: https://curlyhair.app/ar/routines

Routines that work for your actual hair.

The Curly Girl Method is a starting point, not a rulebook. Build a wash-day flow that fits your curl family, porosity, and lifestyle — then refine it with a Curltine AI hair scan.

## LOC vs LCO

The most important moisture-layering idea for textured hair. Same three layers, different order, different results.

### LOC Method (4A–4C)
Liquid → Oil → Cream

| Layer | What | Detail | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| L | Liquid | Water or a water-based leave-in to hydrate the strand. | Water mist, aloe spray, light leave-in |
| O | Oil | A sealing or penetrating oil to slow moisture loss. | Castor, jojoba, or light coconut oil |
| C | Cream | Curl cream or butter to close and hold the layers in. | Curl cream, butter-based styler |

### LCO Method (2A–3C)
Liquid → Cream → Oil

| Layer | What | Detail | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| L | Liquid | Water or a light leave-in while the cuticle is open. | Water, light leave-in spray |
| C | Cream | Medium-weight cream first — better for lower porosity absorption. | Leave-in cream, light butter cream |
| O | Oil | A light oil last to seal without smothering the pattern. | Argan, grapeseed, sweet almond |

## Wavy hair. (2A · 2B · 2C)

Wash frequency: 2–3× / week
Between washes: Mist with water + leave-in spray. Scrunch. Air dry or diffuse briefly.
Night: Loose pineapple or satin bonnet. Skip cotton pillowcases.

### Wash day, step by step

- **Pre-poo (optional):** Optional: apply a lightweight oil to dry hair 30 minutes before washing.
- **Clarify:** Sulfate-free shampoo. Waves pick up silicone and heavy-product buildup quickly.
- **Condition:** Slip-based conditioner for 3–5 minutes. Rake with fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
- **Apply products:** On soaking-wet hair: lightweight leave-in + mousse or gel. Scrunch in — don’t rake.
- **Dry:** Diffuse on low/medium, or air dry. Plop with a microfibre towel for ~10 minutes to cut frizz.
- **Scrunch out the crunch:** Once fully dry, scrunch to break the cast and release soft waves.

- Not sure this is you? [Curl type quiz](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/curl-type-quiz)
- [Weekly 2A routine](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/weekly-routine-2a)

## Curly hair. (3A · 3B · 3C)

Wash frequency: Every 5–7 days
Between washes: Mix water + leave-in in a spray bottle. Spritz and scrunch curls back to life.
Night: Pineapple or loose twists. Satin bonnet or satin pillowcase.

### Wash day, step by step

- **Pre-poo (optional):** Oil or conditioner pre-poo for 20–30 minutes to detangle and protect.
- **Cleanse:** Sulfate-free shampoo or co-wash. Massage the scalp, not the lengths.
- **Deep condition:** Protein–moisture balanced deep conditioner under gentle heat for 20–30 minutes.
- **Detangle:** Wide-tooth comb or fingers through conditioner. Ends first, then work up.
- **Apply stylers:** Section by section: leave-in → curl cream → gel. Rake through each section.
- **Dry:** Diffuse or air dry. Avoid touching until completely dry.

- Not sure this is you? [Curl type quiz](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/curl-type-quiz)
- [Weekly 3A routine](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/weekly-routine-3a)

## Coily hair. (4A · 4B · 4C)

Wash frequency: Every 1–2 weeks
Between washes: Remoisturise with water + leave-in. Seal with light oil. Finger coil or shake to revive.
Night: Satin bonnet or pillowcase. Pineapple for wash-and-gos. Retwist before bed for twist-outs.

### Wash day, step by step

- **Pre-poo:** Penetrating oil or conditioner on dry hair for 30–60 minutes. Essential, not optional.
- **Detangle:** Detangle while pre-poo is in, in sections, from ends to root.
- **Cleanse:** Co-wash or sulfate-free shampoo. Never rub — squeeze cleanser through in sections.
- **Deep condition:** Heavy moisture or protein–moisture deep conditioner under heat for 30+ minutes.
- **Moisturise (LOC):** LOC or LCO section by section on damp hair. Don’t skip the seal step.
- **Style & protect:** Twist-out, braid-out, wash-and-go with gel, or a protective style.

- Not sure this is you? [Curl type quiz](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/curl-type-quiz)
- [Weekly 4A routine](https://curlyhair.app/ar/blog/weekly-routine-4a)