Winter can often leave our hair feeling dry and lifeless; with the icy, cold air and the constant use of heaters our hair can really suffer through the cooler season.
It’s time to schedule some self-care and treat your hair to a routine that will help nourish and hydrate it through the winter months. We’ve put together five steps to get that ultimate hydrated hair look and feel - inclusive of some of our favourites, but completely customisable if you have already found your go-to products.
Step one: Use a pre-wash treatment
Pre-wash treatments can assist in removing build-up and oils from the hair. One of our favourites: the Redken Blondage High Bright Pre-Shampoo Treatment contains Vitamin C to help brighten hair that has dulled, darkened, or mattified due to dulling agents and pollution, and it's a great option for blondes!
We also like to use a nourishing hair oil prior to washing to ensure we hydrate those strands and lock in some moisture before we wash all the natural oils and moisture away. If you’ve got a pamper day at home or an extra few hours to give to your hair routine slather your favourite hair oil onto your hair, wrap it up in cling wrap or a warm wet towel and leave it sit for 4-8 hours. The result: shinier, healthier hair.
Step two: Wash and condition
This may be the most obvious and basic of steps in the routine, but don't sleep on the difference a good shampoo and conditioner can make to your hair! Depending on your hair type, you may need to change up the products you are using to get the ultimate result for your hair during Winter.
If your hair is more on the dry and brittle side you will want a shampoo and conditioner that is hydrating, and maybe something that foams up less. One of our favourites for hydration: PPS Silk Hydrant Shampoo & Conditioner. Whereas if your hair is on the oilier side, you might like something that is more cleansing to achieve the results you are looking for. One of our favourites for cleansing: ORI Lab Plump Cleanse. And if your hair is curly you might like to look at curly hair specific products that help to enhance your natural curl. One of our favourites for curls: AG Hair Curl range.
Step three: Mask
Now that your hair is fresh and clean, throwing on a mask is the perfect finale to the in-shower portion of your routine. Depending on which mask you choose, the benefits will vary so you can complete customise your mask experience!
With so many options you can find the perfect mask to help moisturise and nourish your hair! One of our favourites for dry, damaged and frizzy hair: Muk Deep Muk 1 Minute Ultra Soft Treatment.
Step four: Leave-in Treatment
With your hair now clean and hydrated, it's ready for nourishing with a leave-in product to assist in keeping it healthy until you wash that hair again.
We highly recommend adding some form of leave-in treatment to your routine to reinforce hydration and strength prior to styling. One of our favourites: Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother.
Step five: Style
Now onto the fun part; it’s time to style your hydrated, frizz-less and nourished locks! You could use a couple of different products here depending on what your styling intentions are.
We also recommend using a heat protectant at this step if you are planning on heat-styling. One of our favourites: Muk Hot Muk 6-in-1 Working Spray has thermal styling built-in so you get that protection AND finishing spray all in one. For curly hair, a mousse is great to lock in that curl form without stripping all that hydration we just created - one of our curl styling favourites: AG Hair Curl Mousse Gel.
