3 Ways to Cold-Weather Proof Your Hair

Temperatures are falling and if you live in a place like Alberta, the air gets really dry.

We feel it quickly as our lips crack, our skin gets ashy, and our hair gets frizzy.

Much like how you'd double up on lip balm and hand cream, your hair needs a bit of extra attention to fight off the winter cold.

Here are 3 tips you can take to ensure your hair stays as healthy as possible this winter.

#1. Switch up your shampoo and conditioner.

You may find that the shampoo and conditioner you've been using just haven’t been doing the trick when the weather gets colder.

A dry scalp requires a more refined touch, and you may find that you'll benefit more from a shampoo formulated to deal with these issues.

Typically this is within the realm of anti-dandruff shampoos. A few recommendations can be found in this NBC News Article [1].

The key takeaway: you want something that contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, as well as naturally moisturizing oils. This combination ensures that your hair doesn't get even more irritated and can remain in a healthy state of balance.

You also want to pair the shampoo with a hydrating conditioner that can counteract all the dryness you'll be experiencing.

If you're big into wearing hats and toques during the winter, this is especially important as the frequency of hat-wearing means there is more friction and static occurring on your head.

Static isn't necessarily damaging to the hair but it can be annoying to deal with and is mainly caused by dry hair [2]. So by ensuring your strands are moisturized with a good conditioner, you'll be able to limit how much static occurs.

My Top Recommendation:

Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner. This combination has rosemary oil which is known to be an excellent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent [3]. The shampoo also contains coconut oil, which is very nourishing to the scalp as it contains plenty of vitamins and fatty acids [1].

#2. Add an additional haircare product to your routine.

Sometimes shampoos and conditioners are just not enough to get the hair in a healthy state. If this is the case then you'll need to get something that will help boost the hydration of your hair outside of the shampoo and conditioner.

There are typically 3 types of products that will do this for you.

Leave- In Conditioner

This is something that can be used regularly (about every 2-3 days). Usually in a spray form, you can add this to your hair after shampoo and conditioning and have it sit in your hair all day so that your hair can stay hydrated.

When it comes to preventing static, leave-in conditioners are the products I would lean more towards as they aren't super heavy. So your hair won't feel greasy even after covering it with a hat all day.

The one that I recommend is the MoroccanOil- Leave-in Conditioner.

Hair Oils

Much like leave-in conditioners, these are meant to sit in your hair for a bit of time so that your hair can soak up its nutrients. However, most oils should be applied a couple of hours before a shampoo and condition.

And unlike, leave-in conditioners which are meant for the hair strands, hair oils are meant more for the scalp.

The oils may add nutrients, but they also cover the hair and scalp which can lead to a build-up of dust, sweat, and bacteria. Give your hair time to soak up the benefits but be sure to thoroughly wash it off. Don't worry, you're not undoing all of that effort by washing your hair!

Certain oils are known to be more beneficial than others for the hair and scalp. I already wrote about the benefits of rosemary oil, but you can get moisturizing benefits from coconut, argan, or jojoba oils.

Hair Masks

While leave-in conditioners and hair oils can be a great choice for making your hair feel soft and shiny, you may find that they aren't enough. If you're looking for something more heavy-duty, then you'll want to use a hair mask.

These are really powerful products that are meant to sit in the hair for a couple of minutes, usually between shampoo and conditioning or right before. These aren't meant to be done as regularly, and it is recommended that you use them no more than once a week.

However, the formulation for these products is designed to really hit your hair and scalp with the nutrients it needs to fight dryness.

#3. Limit heat and chemical damage

You may also want to consider switching up your hairstyle during the colder months. Styles that require daily blow drying can accumulate heat damage to your hair. Even with the best oils and heat-protectant products, your hair will start to feel the effects of frequent heat.

Going for a more low-maintenance hairstyle means you'll have to mess with the heat less often.

You may also enjoy getting your hair coloured or permed on a regular basis, but those processes are especially harsh on the hair as they use chemicals that penetrate into the hair strands to change their appearance.

No matter how much aftercare you use, your hair won't ever be able to return to the same level of moisture as in its natural, virgin state.

If you find that your hair is extremely frizzy and brittle in the winter, then those kinds of processes are really not doing you any favours, and you may want to consider taking a break to let your hair recover a bit.

In Summary

As the temperatures drop, so does the moisture in the air, and that can leave our hair and scalp feeling in need of some tender loving care.

There are a few things that we can change to make it a lot more pleasant for our hair such as switching up our shampoo and conditioner, adding extra hydrating products, or limiting damaging activities until the weather is more agreeable.

I personally think the winter is a good time to dedicate more attention to improving hair health so that when the hats come off, we’ll have more to play with in the warmer months!