Winter Hair Care: Essential Tips and Top Product Picks for Your Healthiest Hair

Winter hair woes are a very real thing. Between the blasting indoor heat and the frigid, windy air outside, your poor tresses are stressing out from static, dryness, frizz, breakage, and so much more.

So, what’s the quick fix? Today, along with Color Wow Chief Chemist Dr. Joe Cincotta, we’re breaking down our go-to winter hair care tips that are sure to restore your hair to its happy, healthy, bouncy self. And keep it there all winter long!

FIRST OFF, HOW DOES COLD WEATHER AFFECT HAIR?

So what is it about the cold that makes our locks feel extra… lackluster? According to Dr. Joe, it all comes down to humidity (or lack thereof), which has a profound effect on hair.

“My biggest concern regarding colder weather is the very low humidity levels in the cold air. When your hair is exposed to the low humidity levels, water molecules inside the hair will migrate out of the hair shaft leaving the hair feeling and looking dry.”

And if you tend to wear hats throughout winter, you could be creating extra frizz without even realizing! “Wearing a wool cap in cold weather will cause even greater charge buildup on the hair causing static fly-aways and frizz,” says Dr Joe.

So, how can we make sure our winter hair care routine is on point?

6 TIPS FOR HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HAIR IN WINTER

TIP #1: EASE UP ON HOT SHOWERS

We know you love hot showers (especially when the temps drop below freezing), but we promise your hair isn’t feeling the same love.

Hot water is a surefire way to zap moisture, leading to straw-like texture, hair static, frizz, breakage and dull color. We suggest using warm to moderately hot water instead.

TIP #2: HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE

The best winter hair care tip we can give you? Amp up your moisturizing routine!

Dr. Joe agrees, “My top recommendation in winter is to keep your hair both hydrated and moisturized. This means look for products that contain humectants such as glycerin, propanediol or butylene glycol as well as moisturizing oils. I strongly recommend that in addition to your rinse out conditioner that you use a leave-in conditioner such as Dream Cocktail Coconut-Infused or Curl Wow’s Flo-etry that provide both hydration and moisturization.”

For hair that’s always soft, silky and supple, we suggest you follow these 3 tips:

Condition every time you shampoo. We like Color Security Conditioner for its weightless hydration and detangling that never oxidizes to turn our color yellow.
Use a leave-in moisturizing treatment like our Coconut Cocktail, which hydrates, silkens and protects as you blow dry.
Use a deep conditioning hair mask once a week. Our fave is Money Masque, which replenishes hair’s lost moisture in 5 minutes.

Get more tips on how to care for dehydrated hair on the blog.

TIP #3: CUT BACK ON BLOW DRY TIME

Spending 30+ minutes blowing out your hair everyday can majorly exacerbate your dry hair woes. But we also get that not everyone is willing to give up their blowouts.

That’s why we created Speed Dry Blow Dry Spray. Its unique alcohol-free formula acts like shrink wrap to squeeze excess moisture from your hair as you blow dry, cutting drying time down by 30% for healthier results.

TIP #4: USE HEAT PROTECTANT WHEN STYLING

You should do this all year round, but especially in the winter. We’ve got you covered there!

Nearly every Color Wow product comes loaded with at least two heat protectants (some even have three; see a full chart here!) so your strands are always protected to the max.

“Heat protectants found in Color Wow Formulas prevent thermal degradation of the proteins in your hair from blow drying, flat irons and curling irons. This thermal degradation will lead to frizz, split ends and eventually breakage,” says Dr. Joe.

TIP #5: STEER CLEAR OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING ALCOHOL

Using products with alcohol on your dry hair in the winter is the equivalent of throwing oil on a fire – just making matters worse.

Our article with Dr Joe on why certain alcohols can be bad for your hair has everything you need if you’re curious about this subject.

TIP #6: REHYDRATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY

When your skin or lips get dry and cracked in the middle of the day, you swipe on some lotion or chapstick. But what about hair that loses moisture midday? That’s where One Minute Transformation comes in!

Packed with avocado oil and omega 3’s, it instantly absorbs into the hair to deliver mega moisture and a silky, supple texture in 1 minute. And because it’s so lightweight and non-greasy, it’s the perfect essential for ALL hair textures, from super fine to super coarse.

We recommend keeping this essential in your purse, car or desk drawer for easy access. Simply apply on dried hair, brush through and voilà!

WINTER HAIR PRODUCTS: COLOR WOW'S TOP 4 PICKS

You’ve now got six practical tips under your belt to help protect your hair from the cold! Alongside them, creating a winter hair care routine that works for you is also key to making sure your locks stay healthy and happy throughout the colder months. We’ve listed out a few of our fave winter hair products below.

1. XTRA LARGE BOMBSHELL VOLUMIZER

color wow xtra large product with mittons Limp, flat top hair is a common side effect of cold, dry weather. All it takes is one blustering gust of wind or hat hair to ravage your ‘do. But it’s nothing a little volumizing foam can’t fix!

We love Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer. This weightless froth (made without alcohol, salt or crispy resins!) blows up instant sexy volume without leaving the hair dull, dry or damaged.

While it can be used on damp hair before blow drying, it can also be used on dry hair to revive your ‘do. Read up on our tips and tricks for adding volume to flat hair.

2. EXTRA MIST-ICAL SHINE SPRAY

You know us, we’re all about that EXTRA shine, especially in the winter when hair can be at its dullest, most dehydrated.

Through the magic of Mullein (the flower power behind our Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray) you can turn your dreary winter hair into a solar-powered spotlight.

3. DREAM COAT

You wear a coat to protect yourself from the cold. Why wouldn’t you do the same for your hair? Frizz is a common occurrence in the dry winter months. That’s why we love to use one of our Dream Coat products.

It’s like you’re bundling up each strand of hair with a glossy, glassy cloak of anti-frizz. Learn how to use Dream Coat like a pro.

4. STYLE ON STEROIDS

There’s nothing worse than pulling off your hat and scarf to a huge mess of hair that is staticky. Static electricity happens when your dehydrated hair rubs up against an object and becomes negatively charged.

The solution? A styler that actually neutralizes that negativity and helps you achieve your desired result. Our go-to is Style on Steroids Texturizing Spray.

Unlike other texturizing sprays that dry and dull hair, leaving white, chalky residues behind, ours contains translucent moisturizers.

So not only do you get instant glam and guts that can withstand any electric charge, but your color stays bright and glossy.

Find out more about how to fix static hair with our guide.