Let’s start with your morning shower. Nothing feels better on a cold morning than a nice long, hot shower. Unfortunately water is more alkaline than the acid mantle that protects our hair and skin. Basking in a hot stream of water for too long will strip your hair and skin of natural oil and moisture. Try limiting the length of your shower, and tamping down the heat. The cleansing agents in most shampoos will also rob your hair of moisture. Use a sulfate free cleanser such as Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo or any of the Pureology shampoos, and try skipping a day between shampoos. Your hair will feel better and your color will last longer.
Most people will benefit from regular use of a thick, rich, moisturizing conditioner. If you have medium to thick hair you should use a thick, conditioning hair mask at least weekly. If your hair is very coarse it will have a tendency to hold oil at the roots, so start your application a couple of inches away from the scalp. You should leave the mask on for at least the amount of time recommended, but it wont hurt if you go longer.
If your hair is very fine, thin, and flyaway avoid the conditioning mask-- it's just too heavy even for severely damaged hair. Instead use a regular conditioner every time you wash your hair, supplemented with a light conditioning leave-in spray. Colourmax from Pureology is an excellent choice, and has the added benefit of acting as a sunscreen. You may also add a dry oil spray. These mostly-silicone based products go on dry so they don't weigh hair down, but still offer a layer of protection against the elements.
No matter what your hair texture, adding a natural vegetable oil to your regimen is essential. Olive oil works well, but I recommend argan seed oil. Simply put a few drops of the oil in the palm of your hand, rub until your skin glistens, then starting at the bottom and working upwards, run your fingers through your hair. You can do this before you dry your hair, between washings, when you come in from the cold, or anytime your hair looks very dry.
One of the most problematic winter conundrums is static hair. The traditional approach is to use a boar bristle brush, but sometimes you need a more extreme solution. When rogue hairs just won't be tamed, grab a dryer sheet like Bounce and rub it lightly over your hair. What it does for the fibers of your clothes it will do for the fibers of your hair. No joke, it really works.
When it comes to styling winter hair, a few quick product switches may be all you need to combat most problems. For starters try substituting a hair cream for your usual styling gel or lotion. One reason styling creams are quickly replacing gels is because they add moisture to the hair, make it more pliable, and give it better elasticity so it's less likely to break -- all extremely important in winter.
In fact, when choosing any winter hair styling products including holding sprays, avoid high alcohol content which can be drying to hair. Likewise avoid putting fragrance directly on your hair since its alcohol content can also cause your tresses to look and feel dry and brittle.
Most importantly, limit your time under a blow dryer -- good advice all year round but essential in winter. To do that and still effectively style your hair use a towel to gently blot your hair and let it air dry until 25% to 50% of the moisture is evaporated, then hit it with the heat, stopping the moment your hair is dry.
To cut down on the proverbial "hat hair," pull longer locks into a pony tail high on your head, or push short hair straight back, before putting on the hat. Pushing hair against the way your style should fall will help it spring out with bounce once the hat is removed. To ensure that it does, carry a travel sized dry-hair texturizer that adds instant body. If you styled your hair with a cream product, adding just a few drops of water to your hands and rubbing them through your hair can refresh the style.
For more product recommendations to fight winter’s maladies visit us at Envy: a boutique salon.
