You probably stack your skincare arsenal with moisturizing products before winter sneaks up on you. But what about your curly hair routine? Well, winter can do all kinds of damage to your ‘do, so you need to make sure it has what it needs too.
Humidity in the summer months can bring its own set of naturally curly hair issues (mushroom hair, anyone?). But the dry strands of the chillier months… call for a special set of the best curly hair products and hair care tricks.
Never fear, we gotcha.
8 Hot Tips for Winterizing Your Dry Curly Hair
Curly hair tends to be *ahem* a tad high maintenance on a good hair day. Throw in cold weather, indoor heating, hats, and static-inducing sweaters and you have yourself a recipe for crispy, erratic curls, breakage, and a detangling nightmare that rivals a long Thanksgiving weekend with your BFs extended family (watching football).
Before you consider a pixie cut (which can be cute, but not as a last resort) or taking on the turban (also can be cute, but again, not as a last resort), let’s wrangle those curls into a soft, smooth, manageable winter dream.
Tip 1: Use a hair mask once per week
You know that weekly hair mask you use every single week? No? OK, time to start. If you’re wondering – is a hair mask really worth the effort? The answer is FOR SURE. Our consciously clean hair masks employ the use of rich natural oils that deliver a feeling of deep-down conditioning, nourishment, and moisture to parched strands. Goodness, that keeps on giving throughout your long winter weeks. But yeah, give it a go weekly for best results.
Our picks for dry curly hair masks:
Briogeo Curl Charisma Curl Defining Mask
Davines Love Curl Mask
Tip 2: Use a more moisturizing shampoo and conditioner for curly hair
The first step in every high-performance hair care routine is, obvi, shampoo and conditioner. You’ve probably experienced the effects of under-moisturizing or over-moisturizing products on your curly hair. No one wants waxy curls or a frizzy curly hair bomb. The best shampoo for curly hair contains moisturizing ingredients that won’t weigh hair down. We love:
Verb Curl Shampoo
Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo
The best conditioner for curly hair, similarly intensely hydrates the hair and provides detangling benefits, so you aren’t left picking through your hair for days. Don't forget when conditioner is applied in the shower is when it is the best time to detangle the hair using a curl-friendly detangling brush, like Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Brush.
Our go-to Conditioners for curly hair include:
Living Proof Curl Conditioner
For wavy to curly hair
Davines Love Curl Shampoo
Ouidad Vital Curl Conditioner
Tip 3: Use a daily moisturizing leave in conditioner or hair serum
Leave in conditioners, curl primers, hair serums, and hair oils are the best way to add extra moisture to dry curly hair. But they have other benefits too. The smooth the cuticle taming appearance of frizz and flyaways, increase manageability, and make detangling hair super easy. Leave in conditioners and primers are best applied to damp hair, but can be applied throughout the day for a hit of extra moisture. As for hair serums and hair oils, think of it as a more concentrated version of a leave in conditioner that you can apply to damp or dry hair at any time of day.
Our experts go-to Leave in Conditioners or Primers include:
Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In Conditoner
Adds hydration and primes curls for styling
Davines Love Curl Primer
Sets the stage for your fav curl cream or gel
For hair oils and serums, MANEPRINT experts recommend:
Ouidad Mongongo Oil
For ultra hydration
Verb Ghost Oil
For Tight to Coily Hair
Tip 4: Change out your gels for more hydration
While gels deliver high shine they can be somewhat drying. Creams and serums, however, have the dual impact of delivering hydration while smoothing down the cuticle to eliminate frizz. During the winter months change out your regular gel for a curl cream like Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-In Defining Creme or Ouidad Curl Quencher Intense Curl Cream (for very dry hair).
If you have a hard time letting your gel go, choose a gel-cream or gel-oil mix that delivers hydration with the high shine! Our experts love:
Ouidad VitalCurl Define & Shine Gel-Cream
Davines Curl Gel Oil
Tip 5: Protect while you sleep
Stocked up on flannel bedding for the colder months? Perfectly fine. But we suggest swapping out the pillowcase for silk or satin. These fabrics don’t pull hair or cause friction. Another bonus to using silk or satin is that they don’t absorb the oils on your hair. Meaning, those moisturizing products stay on your hair (not your pillowcase) and you wake up with smooth, soft locks.
Even better, tie up your hair in a oversized silk scrunchie to keep your curls in tact and prevent frizz and breakage.
Even better than a silk pillowcase is investing in a hair bonnet for sleeping. This protects every hair style from frizz, breakage, and drying caused during sleep as well as preserves your hair style for days.
Tip 6: Avoid products with alcohol, sulfates, and parabens
Now you know which products you do want to use on your dry curly hair this winter. What about the ingredients you want to avoid? Kicking sketchy hair care ingredients to the curb can help to keep your locks from drying out. It’s true, alcohol, sulfates, and parabens are all commonly used in conventional hair care, and all are extremely drying.
Styling products are common culprits that contain them. If you’re wondering how to style curly hair without using drying products, you’ll find the answer in a styling product that’s also moisturizing.
Tip 7: Wash your hair less often
Less frequent washing isn’t nearly as hard to pull off in the winter versus summertime. But it can still be tricky to get a good hair day everyday if you are trying to skip shampoos. As for how often to actually wash your curly or wavy hair? Shampoo only when you feel your scalp needs cleansing.
If you feel you just need a rinse and condition, there’s no rule saying you can’t and there are amazing co-washes created now for our curly girls that do just that. Our favs include:
Ouidad Curl Shaper Co-wash Conditioner
Davines Love Curl Cleansing Cream
Here’s a little post-shampoo tip for you: Be extra gentle on fragile wet strands to avoid pulling and breakage by using a detangling tool made especially for curly hair.
Tip 8: Add omega-3s and antioxidants to your diet
It’s not just about what you use on your hair, but what you give it from the inside out. Omega-3s and antioxidants are essential foods for anyone who’s dealing with dry hair. Get your omegas from fish, fish oil, or flaxseed. Choose brightly colored fruits and veggies for antioxidants. And guess what? Eating a healthy diet makes you feel good too. Win-win.
BONUS TIP: WASH YOUR HAIR WITH TEPID WATER. HOT WATER IS EXTREMELY DRYING
Last but not least, let’s talk temperature. Not the temp outside on those uber-chilly days, but the water you use when you wash your hair. It can be tempting to jump into a super hot shower on a cold morning. But hot water is extremely drying to hair because it strips strands and scalp of natural oils. It’s best to wash your hair with tepid water and preserve that precious moisture.
