Winter Haircare: Switching up your routine for the cooler months
With the cooler months upon us, you’re no doubt noticing that your hair is feeling the impacts of the cold, just as much as you are. While you may be able to rug up and add a few extra layers of clothing to protect your skin from the cold weather, you don’t necessarily have that option with your hair. Just like our skin, our hair's needs are going to change throughout the seasons. So, what do you do to ensure you make it through winter with your hair in tip-top condition? Read on for our favourite products to help you and your hair make it through the cold in one piece.
What happens to hair in winter?
Winter can take a serious toll on your hair. The cold, harsh weather and dry air can cause serious dehydration, making it more prone to breakage and split ends. You may have noticed that when the weather turns cold your hair begins to feel brittle and dry. This is a direct effect of the winter weather.
And, not only does our hair have to handle the suddenly crispy air temperatures, but it also needs to put up with chilly winds, sudden temperature changes from heaters and an increase in hat-wearing leading to the dreaded frizz and static hair. Contending with these extreme temperature changes can feel like a bit of a rollercoaster for your locks. But it doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom for your hair. There are tried and tested methods to help your hair through the cold seasons and come out looking and feeling great.
Why should your hair routine change by season?
As the seasons change, it’s important that your hair care routine changes too. Depending on the season you’re currently experiencing, your hair is going to need different types of care for it to remain in great condition. Shifting environmental factors can cause a lot of damage to your hair if you’re not careful. Everything from the bitter cold to increased or extreme UV exposure in the warmer months is going to impact your hair differently. In order to maintain your perfectly balanced locks, you should be treating your hair with a seasonal haircare routine designed to provide your hair with the correct nutrients and protection.
Which ingredients should you avoid in winter?
Ensuring that you are providing your hair with the right ingredients in the winter is essential to keeping your hair in great condition. You wouldn’t want to accidentally dry your hair out even more in your quest for healthy and lush locks in the cold months. With this in mind, these are some of the top ingredients to avoid in winter and why you should save them for the summer months:
Sulphates
As much as we love having squeaky clean hair, sulphates are at the top of our list to avoid this winter. Sulphates are a cleansing agent that can be commonly found in household cleaners such as dish detergents and other chemicals. While sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate, two main types of sulphates that are present in a huge variety of shampoos, are great at cleaning away gross stuff such as hair care and product build-up, oils, and dirt, these are going to seriously dry out your hair and scalp as well, especially in the cold weather. When you’re already at risk of extra dry and brittle hair due to the weather, it’s best to avoid these sulphates as much as you can.
Parabens
Parabens have traditionally been utilised in the beauty industry to prolong the shelf life of many shampoos and conditioners. Parabens are bad for your hair. They are known to mimic estrogen, a hormone already present in our body and may create a hormonal imbalance. They have also been shown to cause a number of problems for your hair including dryness, scalp irritation, faded colour, and even hair loss in some extreme cases. Combine these impacts with the cold weather and your hair is going to suffer.
Silicone
Silicones are terrible for your hair as they create a layer that locks on top of your hair shaft. This top layer of silicone causes significant damage to your hair, blocking other essential nutrients from getting into your hair follicle and causing more damage than good. Over an extended period of time, this silicone build-up can result in hair that is much drier and more damage-prone. Using products with silicones in them through the winter months can lead to extra brittle hair that is difficult to maintain.
Products to keep your hair nourished during the winter
So, you may be wondering just which products you should be adding to your winter routine to keep your hair looking and feeling its best? The following are some of our ultimate, tried and tested favourites to keep your locks looking lush:
1. Kérastase Nutritive 8h Night Serum
Kérastase Nutritive 8h Night Serum is a beautiful serum that is packed full of great ingredients like Iris Root extract and a comprehensive blend of 5 hydrating and nourishing vitamins, including vitamin E. This serum penetrates your hair fibre throughout the night to restore your hair's balanced nutrition levels. This provides a barrier of moisture and protection to your hair. It’s been shown that hair is 65% more nourished 8 hours after application.
We recommend applying this serum to your hair in the evening before you go to bed for the night. Apply 2 to 4 pumps to the lengths and ends of your hair before bed. Your hair should look and feel amazing when you wake up.
2. NAK Replends Moisture Mask
The NAK Replends Moisture Mask is designed to provide your hair with some much needed rehydration while softening and detangling locks. This can help make your hair much more manageable in the cold weather. It is packed full of nourishing ingredients such as Baobab Seeds and Elderflower extracts, as well as Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera. This mask saturates your hair with essential ingredients to help replace moisture lost in the cold air while letting the other essential ingredients soak deep into your hair. Your hair will be left feeling softer, smoother and much easier to style and maintain.
We recommend applying this to wet hair after shampooing, from the very roots all the way to the ends. Leave it in for up to 5 minutes and then wash it out and style your hair as normal.
Are you looking for more haircare tips?
If you’re looking for more hair care tips and the best ways to make it through the seasons with your hair in great shape, head over to our blog. With everything from the latest haircare and skincare tips to product reviews and everything in between, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.
Shop these Winter Haircare saviours and more at Oz Hair and Beauty today.
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