Winterizing your hair routine
As the weather outside stays frightful for some of us, hair tends to suffer. In colder climates where the moisture is already being sucked out of your skin, the dry air tends to change how your hair behaves. There are no cure-alls for hair, but there are definitely some things to help with the winter blues (for your hair, at least).
As the seasons change, so does your scalp. Someone that has never had a dry, flaky scalp might suddenly see white on their black sweater. An exfoliating shampoo may the answer for you. Just as our skin needs exfoliating, sometimes our scalp does as well. Exfoliating shampoos rid the scalp of buildup and flakes, and sometimes give the added benefit of making hair appear fuller. They are also excellent for oily scalps as they can remove excess sebum that can build up on scalps. Rusk Sensories Cucurbita and Tea Tree Oil Deep Cleansing Shampoo (salons and drugstores nationwide) is a great exfoliating shampoo. I like to recommend using it daily for two weeks to help clear up the flakes, and then alternating every second or third day with another shampoo suited for your hair type. While no one might get to see the benefits of your radiant new scalp unless you follow Natalie Portman’s latest style, your sweaters will thank you.
Flyaways also tend to be problematic more in the winter than other seasons. With the static from the air, hats, scarves and various other winter accessories, it seems to turn any hair into a veritable mess. Women with thicker, coarser hair can get away with using a smoothing serum, such as Biosilk Silk Polish (salons nationwide, or drugstore.com), keeping away from the roots as to not make them greasy. It will smooth down the hair and the flyaways for a glossy finish, and help seal dry ends to make them less noticeable. For finer hair, I love John Frieda’s Sheer Blonde Dream Crème Instant Silkener (drugstores and supermarkets nationwide). Just a pea size of this crème is great rubbed between palms and lightly glided over hair, even near roots, to calm down the flyaways without weighing hair down. Both of these products are nice on dry hair for finishing touches and small enough to be carried in your purse for touchups after taking your hat off.
As always, deep conditioning should remain a priority year-round for lustrous locks. Rusk Cure (salons and drugstores nationwide) is wonderful as a protein deep conditioner that can be used every time you shampoo. It is not softening, and aids in restoring protein to your hair that is lost from styling, the environment and everyday wear and tear
~~~ Erin
