How to Keep Natural Hair Moisturized in Winter: 7 Ways to Prevent Dryness
1. Put Away Your Humectants
Products that include honey, glycerin, panthenol, hydrolyzed wheat protein and propylene glycol are great when you’re looking to draw moisture from the air into our thirsty strands. But products with these ingredients can go totally opposite on you during the winter months, drawing the moisture out of your hair and releasing it to dry ol’ man winter (who I’m pretty sure doesn’t have curly hair anyway).
That’s why I shelve most of my favorite leave-ins and conditioners with these products during the winter months, and only allow humectants in products I rinse out—like instant conditioners and deep treatments.
2. Oil It Up
Oil is important every month of the year, but even more so during the colder months. Here are some of my favorite oils for the winter months:
- Coconut Oil (perfect for pre-pooing and finger detangling, but might harden during the winter months. Simply scoop and warm between your hands for easier application)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this natural emollient is great for promoting scalp health and deep conditioning)
- Avocado Oil (heals and prevents brittle hair with its high fatty acid count)
- Shea Butter (soothes dry and irritated scalp and leaves your strands feeling soft)
3. Cleanse Your Hair More Often & Deep Condition Every Time You Do
When it gets cold, your natural instinct is to stretch out your wash days… don’t do that. Slathering on hair product and then not washing it out as soon as you should is a great way to Spring into damaged hair.
This is also not the time to rush through the conditioning step. In fact, consider adding a super-moisturizing hair mask into your deep conditioning routine. I know bathrooms can get cold during the winter time, but it’s worth turning on the heat and doing even more luxurious deep conditioning treatments.
Just remember, if your deep conditioning game is on point during these months you won’t have to chop or fix a bunch of damage in the Spring.
4. Invest in Deep-Conditioning Tools With Mild Heat
Tools like hooded or handheld steamers, bonnet dryers and microwavable heat caps are great ways to infuse the hair with moisture without damaging it with heat.
5. Don’t Skip the Leave-In
Leave-in conditioners are easy to skip during the winter months, but remember they’re our first line of defense against dry and cold weather. You especially need a daily leave-in during the winter to keep your hair protected, moisturized and pretty.
6. Make a Refresher Spray
Simply combine water, leave-in conditioner, your favorite oil and some aloe vera juice in a spray bottle and refresh your curls with a nice light mist of moisture about every four to five hours and right before you go to bed.
Your hair will thank you for the extra moisture.
Hands down, my favorite way to retain moisture during the winter months is…
7. The LOC Method
This genius method was discovered by blogger Black Onyx and it has been proven time and again to provide intense moisture and definition when you need it most. Even better it is super simple to remember and do, since it’s basically…
LIQUID, OIL & CREAM
Your Liquid is usually water on wash days, but you can also spray your hair with water or refreshing spray when you need to bounce it back in between wash sessions.
Oil is your next step, so simply pick your favorite. Coconut Oil is a popular one because it penetrates the hair shaft so well, but other Curlies love Olive Oil and Jojoba Oil for this, too.
Last, but not least, a good Cream will not only moisturize, but also seal the oil and water to the hair shaft. I love raw shea butter for this step, but creamy leave-ins also come highly recommended.
This is how I keep my own hair moisturized during the winter, but other curlies swear by reversing the last two steps.
Give the LOC method a try, too, and let us know what you think!
-Excerpted from When Good Hair Goes Bad by Nikki Walton
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