As the weather changes and we trundle into winter, it’s a good time to change your haircare routine to suit the cooler months.
During summer we tend to have drier hair with sun or chemical damage and split ends. You may find you have lost some shine and lustre. You also might tend towards an oiler scalp from all the sweating. If you’re blonde you may be looking over-bleached and dry.
As winter approaches, you want to firstly repair any summer damage and then start changing up your routine to adapt to the cooler, dryer weather.
Repairing the summer damage
- Treat yourself to lots of beautiful moisturising hot oil treatments.
- Better still, take yourself off to a salon that offers hair rituals – these involve luscious hot oil treatments and head massages.
- You also can make your own oil treatment: mix equal parts castor, olive, coconut and lavender oils, leave in for four hours then wash as normal.
- Use a cleansing rinse before you wash, to add shine: a good homemade one is one part apple cider vinegar, three parts water.
- Beware of too much protein. It sounds weird I know, and protein is needed in your hair but too much can make your hair brittle. If have very dry, frizzy hair you need lots of moisture.
- Use the original Moroccan Oil as a leave in treatment. According to the lovely @queenofthrift on Instagram, the one from Aldi is a well priced substitute.
Cut and colour
- The end of summer is a great time to have a good haircut, you’ll get rid of dry ends. Make sure you get a decent style cut for your hair type and face shape.
- In winter you might end up wearing it down more (it won’t be hot on your neck!) so think about going a bit shorter than normal.
- If you need new colour, why not go warmer for winter? If you are cool brown, go for colours like auburn, mocha or walnut or chocolate. If you’re strawberry blonde head towards rich copper red. If you’re dark blonde add some caramel or if you are light blonde, perhaps add some warmer highlights.
- Don’t forget your eyebrows! If you change your hair take a look at your brows and see if they need a bit of colouring too.
- Make sure you ask your hairdresser to consider your age, skin tone, natural hair colour and your eyes. You might like the idea of going for dark chocolate brown, but it might be too harsh for your face.
Winter haircare and styling
- Throughout winter, keep treating your hair with a deep conditioning treatment. Depending on your hair type you might need to go heavier, or adjust the oil content.
- It’s likely you’ll be blow drying your hair a bit more, wandering about with wet hair in the cold is a bad idea (you’ll catch your death of a cold). Buy a decent heat protectant product.
- Keep shampooing to the minimum. If your hair is oily, try a dry shampoo. After your wash, while your conditioner is in, gently comb through with a wide tooth comb.
- Winter is a great time to experiment with hairstyles that are half up/half down, think high quiffs, braids and finger waves. Try using hot rollers, it’s much more comfortable in winter to wander around with a hot head than in the peak of summer!
- If you need any advice on ways to style your hair across all the seasons, have a look at the always inspiring Hair Romance. Christina’s written the book (literally!) on amazing and easy upstyles of all shapes and sizes. Check it.
This post was written in collaboration with my very own hair whisperer Kelly Stoakes (pictured below). Kelly is an exceptional and talented stylist and has been working in the industry for over 15 years. She is highly respected in the industry, and has worked on Mercedes Benz Fashion shows, many magazine editorial shoots & music videos. She also has a wonderful following of personal clientele.
Great tips and thank you for including my tip!