Winter can be a challenging season for your hair. Cold temperatures, dry air, indoor heating, wind and constant changes between outdoor and indoor environments can all affect how your hair looks and feels. You may notice that your hair becomes drier, frizzier, more static or more difficult to manage than usual.
The good news? With the right winter hair care routine, you can help keep your hair feeling soft, hydrated and healthy-looking throughout the colder months. From choosing the right shampoo and conditioner to protecting your hair from heat and giving your lengths some extra care, small changes to your routine can make a big difference.
In this guide, we share our best tips on how to protect your hair during winter and create a routine that helps your hair look healthy, shiny and hydrated all season long.
Why does hair feel dry during winter?
Before building your winter hair care routine, it helps to understand why your hair may behave differently during colder weather. During winter, your hair is often exposed to:
- Cold and dry outdoor air
- Wind
- Indoor heating
- Frequent temperature changes
- Scarves, hats and thicker fabrics
- More heat styling
- Less moisture in the air
Together, these factors can leave the hair feeling dry, dull and more prone to frizz. For some people, the scalp may also feel drier during winter, while others may experience hair that feels oily more quickly. This is why your summer hair routine may not always work in exactly the same way during winter. Your hair may need more moisture, more protection and a little extra care.
If your hair has recently started feeling dry or dull, you may also want to read our guide on 7 Reasons Why Your Hair Feels Dry.
1. Choose a shampoo that cleanses without overdrying your hair
Your shampoo is the foundation of your hair routine. During winter, it is especially important to choose a shampoo that cleanses the hair and scalp while helping the lengths feel soft and comfortable. If your hair feels dry, dehydrated or difficult to manage, a moisturising shampoo can be a great addition to your winter routine.
Our Pure Hydration Shampoo is designed for hair that needs an extra boost of hydration. Follow with the Pure Hydration Conditioner to help nourish the lengths and leave the hair feeling soft and moisturised.
If your hair is dry and damaged from colouring, heat styling or everyday wear and tear, our Shine & Repair Shampoo may be a better choice. Pair it with the Shine & Repair Conditioner for a nourishing wash routine focused on softness and shine.
2. Don't forget to double shampoo when your hair needs a deeper cleanse
Winter hair care is not only about adding moisture. A healthy-looking hair routine also starts with properly cleansed hair and scalp. During winter, it can be tempting to use more styling products to control frizz, static and dry-looking lengths. Dry shampoo, hairspray, oils and other styling products can also create build-up over time. When your hair feels heavy, dull or not properly clean after washing, double shampooing may help.
Double shampooing means cleansing your hair twice during the same wash. The first shampoo helps remove oil, product residue and build-up. The second shampoo then cleanses the hair and scalp more thoroughly. This can also help prepare the hair for the conditioner, mask and treatments that follow.
Our guide 3 Reasons Why You Should Double Shampoo explains more about the benefits of double cleansing your hair. You do not necessarily need to double shampoo every time you wash your hair. Instead, listen to your scalp and adjust your routine depending on how your hair feels.
3. Add a hair mask to your winter routine
One of the easiest ways to give dry winter hair some extra care is to use a hair mask regularly. While a conditioner is an important part of your wash routine, a hair mask can provide an extra boost of nourishment when your hair feels particularly dry, dull or damaged. During winter, your lengths may need more attention than usual. Wind, dry air and friction from scarves and jackets can leave the ends feeling rough and dry.
The Shine & Repair Hair Mask is a great option when your hair needs an extra moment of care. Add it to your routine as needed and focus on applying the product evenly throughout the mid-lengths and ends.
4. Protect your hair from heat styling
During colder months, you may find yourself using hot tools more often. Blow-drying your hair can be more convenient when you do not want to leave the house with wet hair, and many people also reach for curling irons, straighteners and blowout tools more frequently.
However, regular heat styling can leave the hair feeling dry if it is not properly protected. Before using heat tools, apply a heat protection product to help protect the hair from the effects of heat styling. Our Gloss Shield Heat Protection Spray is an easy step to add before blow-drying, straightening or curling your hair.
Make sure to distribute your heat protection product evenly throughout the hair and avoid using unnecessarily high temperatures. You can also reduce your use of hot tools by choosing lower-heat styling methods when possible.
If you are looking for a way to create beautiful curls without traditional hot tools, try our Heatless Curls Priming Mousse as part of your heatless styling routine. It helps create soft, defined and long-lasting heatless curls without weighing the hair down.
5. Avoid leaving the house with wet hair
Cold air does not automatically damage your hair simply because your hair is wet, but leaving the house with wet hair during winter can make your hair feel more uncomfortable and difficult to manage. Wet hair is generally more delicate than dry hair. Wind and friction can also make wet lengths tangle more easily. Whenever possible, give your hair enough time to dry before going outside.
If you use a hairdryer, remember to apply Gloss Shield Heat Protection Spray first. You can also use a gentle drying technique rather than immediately styling your hair with the highest possible temperature. After washing, avoid aggressively rubbing your hair with a regular towel. Instead, gently squeeze out excess water and use our Microfiber Hair Wrap to help absorb water while being gentler on the hair.
6. Give your lengths extra moisture and shine
Your ends are often the oldest and most exposed part of your hair. During winter, they may be particularly prone to looking dry, dull or frizzy. A lightweight serum can be a great finishing step in your winter routine.
Our Hair Perfecting Shine Serum can be applied to the lengths and ends to help create a smoother, shinier and more polished finish. The key is to start with a small amount and add more only if needed. This is especially important if your hair is fine or tends to become oily easily. A serum can be particularly useful during winter when your hair needs help looking smoother after being exposed to dry air, scarves and static.
7. Be gentle with your hair after washing
Winter is a good time to slow down and pay extra attention to how you handle your hair. When the hair is wet, it can be more vulnerable to stretching and breakage. Try to avoid pulling aggressively when brushing or detangling. Instead:
- Gently squeeze excess water from the hair
- Use a Microfiber Hair Wrap instead of rubbing with a rough towel
- Start detangling from the ends and work your way upward
- Avoid pulling through knots with force
- Use heat protection before blow-drying
These small habits can help minimise unnecessary stress on your hair.
8. Protect your hair from friction
Scarves, high-neck jackets, hats and other winter accessories can repeatedly rub against your hair. Over time, this friction may cause your lengths to become tangled or leave the ends looking less smooth. You do not need to stop wearing your favourite winter accessories. Instead, consider how your hair is positioned.
Wearing your hair in a loose, comfortable hairstyle can help reduce constant rubbing. A loose braid or another low-tension style can be a practical option when spending time outdoors. Try to avoid hairstyles that pull tightly on the same areas every day. Switching up your hairstyle can help reduce repeated tension on the same parts of your hair.
You can also apply a small amount of Hair Perfecting Shine Serum to the lengths to help create a smoother-looking finish before heading out.
9. Keep your scalp in mind
When talking about winter hair care, it is easy to focus only on the lengths. However, your scalp is an important part of your overall hair routine. Cold, dry weather and indoor heating can affect how your scalp feels. Some people may notice that their scalp feels dry, while others may produce more oil and feel like they need to wash their hair more often.
The most important thing is to build your routine around your own scalp's needs. Avoid applying heavy products directly to the scalp unless they are specifically designed for scalp use. Focus conditioners and masks mainly on the mid-lengths and ends. When shampooing, gently massage your scalp with your fingertips to properly cleanse the are a without aggressively scratching.
10. Don't overwash your hair
When your hair feels dry during winter, you might assume that you need to wash it more often to refresh it. However, washing more frequently is not always the answer. How often you should wash your hair depends on your individual scalp and hair needs. Some people need to wash their hair several times a week, while others prefer a less frequent schedule.
Instead of following a strict rule, pay attention to how your scalp and hair feel. If your hair feels dry, consider whether your current products are providing enough moisture. You may also benefit from adding a hair mask or treatment rather than simply washing your hair more often.
11. Take extra care of your ends
Winter can be especially tough on your ends. Since they are the oldest part of your hair, they have experienced more washing, styling, brushing and environmental exposure than the rest of your hair. Keeping your ends healthy-looking is often about consistency.
Try to:
- Use a conditioner every time you wash your hair
- Add a nourishing mask to your routine
- Use heat protection before styling
- Apply a small amount of serum to dry lengths when needed
- Be gentle when detangling
- Avoid excessive friction from towels and clothing
- Keep up with regular trims
If you are wondering how to keep your ends looking healthy, our guide How to Prevent Split Ends and Keep Your Hair Looking Healthy is a great next read.
12. Create a simple winter night-time hair routine
Your hair does not stop experiencing friction when you go to sleep. Tossing and turning during the night can cause your hair to move against your pillow and potentially become tangled by morning. A simple night-time hair routine can help keep your hair more manageable.
Before bed, gently brush through your hair and apply a small amount of Hair Perfecting Shine Serum to the lengths if your ends feel dry. Avoid tight hairstyles that pull on the scalp. Instead, choose a loose and comfortable style if you prefer sleeping with your hair secured. You can also use the evening as an opportunity to add an intensive treatment to your routine. Our Ultimate Treatment – Reviving Night Cure is designed to be used as part of an overnight hair care routine.
A Simple winter hair routine to try
If you are not sure where to start, here is a simple winter routine:
Step 1: Cleanse
Choose Pure Hydration Shampoo for hair that needs moisture or Shine & Repair Shampoo for hair that needs repair and nourishment.
Step 2: Double shampoo when needed
If your scalp feels oily or your hair has a lot of product build-up, shampoo twice for a more thorough cleanse.
Step 3: Condition
Apply Pure Hydration Conditioner or Shine & Repair Conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends.
Step 4: Treat
Once or twice a week, replace or complement your regular routine with the Shine & Repair Hair Mask when your hair needs extra nourishment.
Step 5: Protect
Before blow-drying or using hot tools, apply Gloss Shield Heat Protection Spray.
Step 6: Style and finish
For heatless curls, use Heatless Curls Priming Mousse. Finish dry hair with Hair Perfecting Shine Serum when you want extra shine and a smoother-looking finish.
Love,
