If you've noticed your coils feeling brittle and breaking off as the temperature drops, you're not alone. Winter weather can be brutal on natural hair. Cold air, low humidity, fabric friction, and indoor heating can be a recipe for dryness, breakage, and hair loss. Curly hair is particularly vulnerable because natural hair oils cannot travel down the strands as easily. The good news is you don't need to overhaul your entire routine—you just need a winter hair care strategy.
Why Curly Hair Needs Special Winter Care
Since curly hair is naturally prone to dryness, winter makes it even harder to keep your hair hydrated. Here's why:
- Low humidity and cold air strip moisture fast. When temperatures drop, the air pulls moisture from your hair, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Sealing in moisture is a must.
- Indoor heating creates a dehydrated environment. We love indoor heating; however, it can dry out your hair even further, dehydrating your hair and scalp. Adding extra moisture to your routine helps.
- Friction from winter accessories causes damage. Hats, beanies, scarves, and coat collars are winter must-haves. Unfortunately, they can wreak havoc on your curls. The friction from wool, cotton, and synthetic fabrics causes breakage, especially at the ends.
- Dry scalp leads to flaking and itching. Scalp care is essential during cold months. In winter, dry scalp is a common problem due to the freezing air. Maintaining a healthy scalp helps maintain hair growth.
Hair Care Tips for Winter
Let me let you in on a secret: I don't change my products in the colder months; I simply change how I use them. Here's my exact cold-weather routine, step by step, so that you can incorporate these hair care tips for winter into your routine.
Start With a Clean Slate
No matter the season, my low porosity hair always needs to be properly cleansed. That's why I always start with our Detoxifying Shampoo Bar.
Note: This is a cleansing shampoo, not a clarifying shampoo. It contains activated charcoal, a gentle detoxifying ingredient that removes buildup without stripping your hair. Thorough cleansing is also great for the scalp. Think of this as your base that will help your hair absorb more moisture.
Choose Your Conditioner Based on Porosity
For low porosity hair (like mine), I use Hydrate and Renew Conditioner. This lightweight conditioner contains kaolin clay, a white clay that's more moisturizing and less drying than the bentonite clay you might be more familiar with. It hydrates without weighing down low porosity strands.
For medium-to high porosity hair, you'll want our Restoring Hair Treatment. This formula is thicker and richer, perfect for hair that absorbs moisture quickly. You can use it as a deep conditioner if your hair is extra dry.
Get the Right Ratio
In the summer, when there's more humidity and moisture in the air, I recommend using:
- Less moisturizer (Moisturizing Hair Pudding)
- More styler (Get Set Hair Jelly)
Why? The jelly creates a barrier that keeps excess moisture from hitting your hair and causing frizz.
In the winter, when the air is extremely dry and there's no humidity, you flip that ratio:
- More moisturizer (Moisturizing Hair Pudding)
- Less styler (Get Set Hair Jelly)
As always, play with your product-to-water ratio and adjust your product amount until you find what works best for your hair.
Remember:
- More pudding, less jelly in winter.
- More jelly, less pudding in summer.
Never Skip the Dryer
This is non-negotiable: Always heat-dry your hair until it's 100% dry. Sit under a hooded dryer or use a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer. Never air-dry in winter, and definitely don't go outside with wet hair when it's this cold (No catching a cold on our watch). Heat drying ensures your hair is completely dry, your cuticles are sealed, and your style is set properly
Other Common Winter Hair Mistakes to Avoid
- Washing too often. Frequent wash days strip natural hair of its oils, leading to breakage.
- Using harsh sulfate or alcohol-rich products that strip your hair.
- Brushing dry curls aggressively. This can also cause further breakage.
- Neglecting scalp health. An itchy, flaky scalp is a signal to wash your hair.
- Avoid heavy protein treatments in winter, which can dry out curls.
And that's it! Those are the changes I make every winter that keep my natural hair thriving. Try it and let me know how it works for you.
Stay warm out there!
Xoxo,
Scarlett