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Winter is filled with tons of great stuff, like stylish coats, cosy blankets, steaming hot chocolate, and crackling fires. And while the cold weather is the reason all of those things are so delightful, it doesn't always play nicely with your hair. Chilly winds and dry air can dry out even the most luscious of locks, causing them to look lacklustre and staticky and even become damaged. Throw in hats and hoods and you have the recipe for a bad hair season. The good news is that there are great products you can try to help tame even the unruliest of hair.
1. Moisturise dry hair with a mask
With a drop in temperatures comes a drop in your hair’s moisture level, and the result is dry, brittle hair. Just as you would reach for a rich cream to moisturize very dry skin in the winter, you should also reach for products that’ll condition your strands. You don’t need to ditch your normal shampoo and conditioner—just add in a moisturising hair mask to boost your hair’s hydration.
The SAFISA Coconut Oil Hair Mask moisturises, reduces frizz, and adds shine for dry, damaged hair with shea butter and coconut oil.
Get the SAFISA Coconut Oil Hair Mask on Amazon for £19.99
2. Nix static with a spritz
Dry air with little to no humidity can also ramp up the static electricity in your hair. What’s more, the hats and hoods you use to stay warm can worsen the problem because they create friction as they rub against your hair. In a pinch, gently rubbing a dryer sheet over your hair can also reduce static. But like many of our winter hair care problems, the first step to combating static is moisturisation. Once you’ve given your hair a moisturising boost with your typical hair products, you can try an anti-static spray to stop those rambunctious electrons and keep static under control.
Consider the Bold Uniq Coconut Heat Protection Spray, which neutralizes hair static and prevents frizz.
Get the Bold Uniq Coconut Heat Protection Spray on Amazon for £15.95
3. Smooth frizzy hair with a serum
Cold air contains less moisture than warm air, so when the winter rolls around, you may see that lack of moisture manifest in the form of frizzy hair. To tame fuzz, moisturisation is key. Ideally, you’ll want to use moisturising products throughout your routine, beginning with shampoo, but sealing the hair with a serum at the end is a sure-fire way to beat frizz.
Try the John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum. Formulated with a blend of bamboo extract, silk proteins, and seaweed extract, this anti-frizz serum repairs dry, damaged, and frizzy hair. It works for both colour-treated and natural hair and it protects your hair from heat damage (which can exacerbate frizz), and it repels humidity. Apply to wet hair before heat styling to lock in moisture.
“I am amazed by this product!” one Amazon reviewer raves. “I have always hated my hair when it air dries because it dried into a big frizzy ball but, in just two short weeks of using this product, my hair is looking amazing when I let it air dry.”
Get the John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum on Amazon for £15.58
4. Fight hat head with the right strategy
If you tend to reach for a hat when the weather takes a frigid turn, you’ll inevitably wind up with hat hair. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make sure your tresses aren’t a flattened mess when you arrive at your destination. First and foremost, wet (or even damp) hair puts you on the fast track for hat head. So, to avoid dents and flat hair, be sure that your hair is completely dry before donning your cap.
If flat hair is more of an issue for you, try this trick for volume: If you normally have a part in your hair, flip your hair to the opposite side before putting your hat on, or to one side if you normally part in the middle. When you reach your destination and remove your hat, flip your hair back, and voila!—instant volume.
Also, keep a texturising spray on hand to touch up your post-hat hair. Try the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Volume Texture Spray, which claims to add volume and texture with zeolite (minerals that contain aluminium and silicone compounds) and silk powder.
“By far my favourite volume product!” one reviewer gushes. “My thin flat hair looks 100 times better using just a little of this! Plus, it lasts a couple days, worth every penny!
Get the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Volume Texture Spray on Amazon for £25.89
5. Relieve a dry, itchy scalp with the right shampoo
Just like the skin on your body, your scalp is also likely to become dry and itchy in the cold months. You'll want to get to the, er, root of the problem with a targeted shampoo that cleanses and soothes. Harsh shampoos can strip your scalp of its natural oils, which is not ideal during the cold winter months. For that reason, you may want to switch out your regular shampoo with a more gentle formula.
For this, try the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo. Tea tree oil is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, and this combination works to soothe a dry, itchy scalp. Also, this formula contains the famous “tingle complex,” a blend of tea tree, peppermint oil, and lavender that leaves your scalp with a pleasant cooling and tingling sensation.
One Amazon reviewer writes: “During winter months my scalp gets itchy, dry, and flaky … not attractive. I saw and felt a difference after one wash!!”
Get the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo on Amazon for £24.46
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