Natural hair DIYs can be intimidating, especially if you’re used to hitting up the salon every time you want a fresh look. Whether you’re trying to cut back on expenses, want to ensure your health and safety, or just want to get better at doing your own hair, DIY styles are affordable and fun. Plus, they give you something to do! Having a new project is always a welcome distraction.
When it comes to DIY hairstyling we’ve always loved the beauty and versatility of goddess locs and we have Meagan Good to thank for putting them on the map. The talented actress has rocked tons of envy-inducing looks over the years but it’s her signature locs that have become the perfect natural hair inspo that work for any time of year.
Copping Meagan Good’s iconic hairstyle might take some work to achieve on your own but the most important thing to remember is not to get frustrated. This is especially important if you’re new to styling your own hair. Getting a professional-level hairstyle at home takes lots of patience and practice. Fortunately, getting those fabulous Meagan Good faux locs at home is easier than ever when armed with African Pride Black Castor Miracle Braid, Loc & Twist Gel and our handy DIY goddess loc guide. We’re also breaking down the proper way to care for and maintain faux locs plus a step-by-step guide to recreating her looks at home.
What Are Faux Locs?
In 2015 Goddess locs were created by Dr. Kari Williams specifically for Meagan Good. She wanted a look that mimicked Lisa Bonet’s actual natural hair. While it took lots of thought (and many prayers) Dr. Kari Williams created the stunning look we all know and love.
The primary difference between faux locs and goddess locs is that traditional locs are created with synthetic hair, have a shinier look, and are twisted to the ends of the hair strands or left straight. Goddess locs on the other hand are created with human hair, have a lighter look, and have wavy ends.
Why We Love Goddess Faux Locs
We love Meagan Good’s faux locs for so many reasons: they’re versatile and can be styled into updos, side parts and more, they’re unique, the wavy ends really set them apart, they’re low-maintenance, while it may take some time to install them properly they can last for up to 4 months! Don’t just take our word for it, Meagan Good also loves goddess faux locs for good reason.
“The Goddess faux loc style has become my favorite look. No breakage, easy-styling or no styling at all-they’re gorgeous, soft, and easy to wear.” – Meagan Good
Pre-Installation Natural Hair Care
Before you even start thinking about styling your hair you need to begin with a clean slate. Prepping your hair for protective styling or intense manipulation is the best way to make at-home DIY hairstyling a breeze.
Since you likely won’t be able to properly wash your hair for a few weeks at best, make sure your hair is clean and free of any product build-up before installation. First reach for a hydrating yet effective formula like our Moisture Miracle Pre-Shampoo to prep your strands and get the most out of your shampooing. Next wash and condition hair with Moisture Miracle Coconut Oil Shampoo & Coconut Oil Conditioner. Starting with a clean base, especially a clean scalp, helps hair stay healthy through the duration of your protective style.
Next, opt for a Deep Penetrating Conditioner Treatment to strengthen strands. Distribute the product evenly from roots to ends, detangle, cover the hair with a plastic cap, and apply moderate heat for up to 30 minutes before thoroughly rinsing thoroughly.
Lastly, spray a lush leave-in conditioner generously onto strands to give them an extra dose of moisture.
How To Get Meagan Good’s Faux Locs
Getting goddess faux locs is a tricker and more time-consuming hairstyle to get perfectly on your first time. Remember that patience and practice is key. It can also be helpful to have a friend or family member assist you.
Step 1: There are a few steps to getting the perfect faux locs but it all starts with buying the right hair. To get the best faux locs you’ll need at least two different types of hair extensions: deep wave (or european wave) and either marley hair, braiding hair or cuban twist hair.
Step 2: Starting with small (about 1 inch sections) of hair, add a hair extension strand to one section and loop around the base of the hair. Next begin creating a two-strand twist to give your hair a cylinder shape. Twist from scalp to end but stop a few inches before the ends of your hair as you want them to be loose and wavy. Repeat across your entire head.
Another way to create goddess faux locs is to braid a hair extension into your own hair. Starting with the same smaller sections, braid each area until you near the ends of hair. Do this all over your entire head. Then grabbing 2 braided strands at a time, twist the two strands together, wrapping the braided sections together creates a faux loc. Remember to keep the ends loose and wavy.
Step 3: To secure your ends use a little bit of hair or nail glue (some people opt to lightly cinch the ends with a lighter but we’d recommend using caution when doing this). Once ends are secure gently comb the remaining strands.
Step 4: If you want your ends to have a looser curl Lightly dip ends into boiled water for a few seconds (be careful!) then squeeze out any excess water with a microfiber towel.Step 5: Time to accessorize! You can add any accents like rings or beads into your faux locs. The easiest way to apply beads is to thread your hair through, knot several times (with the thread NOT your hair) and voila!
Styling with Black Castor Miracle Braid, Loc & Twist Gel
To ensure your faux locs are sleek, frizz-free, and have lasting hold be sure to use a specialized formula like our Black Castor Miracle Braid, Loc & Twist Gel. This non-flaking gel also helps to style hair tighter so you don’t have to pull as hard against your scalp.
When braiding or twisting your hair outlined in the steps above, take a small amount of our Black Castor Miracle Extra Hold Braid Gel and work it into the scalp down through the mid-section as you braid or twist.
The unique blend of Black Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, and Castor Oil is naturally formulated free from harmful components like parabens, mineral oil, suflates, and petrolatum. This multi-tasking formula helps smooth frizz and flyaways while boosting shine for longer lasting styles. It keeps braids, locs and twists neat, controlled, and smooth with its moisturizing properties hydrate thirsty strands without feeling greasy.
Maintaining Your Faux Locs
The great thing about Meagan Good’s faux locs is how long they can stay in and how relatively low-maintenance they are. Most people keep them in around a month at which point they should be re-done. Though they are a fairly easy hairstyle to maintain, proper care is necessary to make sure they last as long as possible and you’re not damaging your natural hair in the process.
Sometimes however, our fear of frizz, breakage, or ruining the locs that took forever to get just right stops us from properly washing or caring for our new hairstyle. Also hey, sometimes we just get lazy.
Washing and making sure our strands are moisturized however, is vital to ensuring tighter textures and curls are protected and healthy.
Cleanse Your Scalp
Keeping your hair in a faux locs style without properly cleansing can lead to a multitude of ongoing hair and scalp issues. The biggest one? The dreaded dry scalp. Not thoroughly cleansing your scalp allows build-up to accumulate. Think: sweat, pollution, dirt, hair products, grease, flakes, and other gross stuff.
Since you don’t want to get your locs wet opt for a gentle scalp cleanser like our Black Castor Miracle Braid & Scalp Cleansing Rinse. The fine nozzle tip will allow you to easily apply the rinse to edges, scalp, and part-lines. Make sure to never rub faux locs as this can cause frizz.
Moisturize Your Locs
Keep your faux locs shiny, healthy, and hydrated by lightly massaging African Pride 5 Essential Oils into the scalp and locs every week to two weeks. This will also work to nourish your natural hair and give it the nutrients it needs to fight breakage, moisturize, and keep locs smooth.
Sleep On Silk
The best way to ensure your locs stay moisturized and tidy is to always sleep with a silk or satin bonnet and on a silk or satin pillowcase. Sleeping on cotton will strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture you need to keep a healthy scalp and smooth strands.
No matter how many articles you read or tutorials you watch, styling your own hair is a personal experience that will take some trial and error. Don’t get discouraged and don’t rush the process, we promise the results (and savings) will be well worth it! Happy styling!
Want more celebrity natural hair inspo? Check out some of our top DIY natural hair guides like How To Get Gabrielle Union’s Braids At Home and How To Embrace & Care For Your Natural Hair Like Tracee Ellis Ross.
