Winter has arrived! In the same manner that we change up our wardrobe to adapt to the harsher, colder weather, we also have to change up our hair routine and products. If you don’t know how to care for your hair during this time of year, or if you need a refresher, here are few tips on how to keep your hair winter-ready!
Because our natural hair tends to be a bit drier during the colder months due to the dry air, heaters all around us keeping us warm, winter knit hats covering our tresses, and a host of other reasons, it’s important to protect our natural curls and find ways to incorporating more moisture into your hair regimen. Here are a few ways you can modify your routine this winter season.
Avoid Humectants. Humectants are hair or skin products that promote moisture retention. Common humectants ingredients include: honey, glycerin, panthenol, hydrolized wheat protein, and propylene glycol. These ingredients are great during the warmer months, as they draw moisture from the humid air into our thirsty strands. During the winter months, they tend to have the opposite effect. They can potentially draw moisture out of our hair strands into the drier atmosphere. So, try to avoid these ingredients in products that you don’t plan to rinse out.
Deep Condition. It is recommended you deep condition your hair on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to help replace the moisture you lose during the cold, drier months. Look for deep conditioning products, such as Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner, that have water as a key ingredient.
You can deep condition with or without heat. However, if you have low porosity hair, deep conditioning with heat is more effective. Using heat from a steamer, a warm shower or even your own body heat will help open hair cuticles that are usually tightly bound in low porosity hair. This allows the hair to better accept the moisturizing ingredients within the deep conditioner. Also, cover your hair with a plastic cap and allow the deep conditioner to soak into your hair for at least 20 minutes.
If you are a DIYer, you can also create your own deep conditioner. There are tons of recipes on the internet.
Add Water. Water is the #1 best moisturizer for your hair. Therefore, make sure you incorporate it frequently by doing the following:
- Cleanse your hair, but be sure to use sulfate-free shampoos because sulfates tend to cause the hair to be dry and brittle. Uncle Funky’s Daughter shampoos are good examples of sulfate-free cleansers that are filled with great natural ingredients that assist in keeping your hair moisturized and healthy.
- Use water-based moisturizers, hair butters and creams. Remember, water-based moisturizers, such as Midnite Train Leave-in Conditioner, help the product’s nutrients to penetrate the hair shaft. Midnite Train is especially effective at night when setting your hair for bed. It works during the night to help replace all of the moisture and nutrients your hair may have lost during the day while out in the winter elements.
- Incorporate product layering processes such as LOC (Liquid-Oil-Cream) or LCO (Liquid-Cream-Oil) into your regimen. The LCO method is my preferred method as the oil (coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, olive oil, etc) traps in the moisture provided by the water-based moisturizer and the cream applied to your hair.
- Drink more water to help your hair’s health from the inside out.
Rock Protective Hairstyles. Protective styles help maintain and lock in moisture. They also protect your ends from becoming overly dry and brittle by tucking them away and shielding them from the cold, dry air. As we know, when we protect our ends, we encourage length retention. The cold, dry air of the fall and winter months tends to pull moisture from your hair, and this is especially true of wet hair. Therefore, during the winter, it’s important that you don’t leave home with wet hair. This is less likely to happen if you’re rocking protective styles.
Invest in a Humidifier. The air is not only dry outside during winter months, but also inside the home where we have our heating units working overtime to keep us warm. Humidifiers introduce the much needed moisture into our home’s air – keeping our hair and skin more moisturized.
Check out a few more tips that can help during the winter months:
- Wear a satin cap or scarf underneath your cotton/wool knit caps and beanies to help avoid having the moisture sucked out of your hair.
- Avoid using hair gels as often as it can cause your hair to become overly dry your hair during these drier months. Instead, replace the gel with a curl cream or a control paste for a more controlled or sleek hairstyle.
Curlfriends, incorporate some of these recommendations into your hair regimen this fall and winter and you will yield immediate results, if done properly. I hope this was helpful and provides you with some information to help your hair reach its maximum potential during this cold season.
How do you care for your hair during the winter? Let us know below.
Until Next Time,
Take Care and God Bless!!!
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