Summer to winter: How should my haircare routine change?

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about how you can protect and nourish your hair during summer, and look how the weather has changed already! So, it's time to start thinking about how to maintain your hair health during the colder months and keep your hair looking happy and healthy.

Many of us change our skincare routines in winter, but fewer of us think about changing our haircare routine. Cold air, low humidity, and central heating can leave our hair feeling dry, frizzy, and brittle, so let's talk about our top tips for tweaking your haircare routine to help your hair look its best all autumn and winter long.

Add Extra Moisture

In summer, the heat and humidity can cause excess sweating and oil production, meaning you may need to wash your hair more often to keep it fresh. However, in winter, the dry air can strip moisture from your hair, leaving it feeling dull and dry. If you notice your hair tends to feel drier in the autumn and winter months, switch out your lighter shampoo and conditioner for more moisturising products. Argan, jojoba and sunflower seed oils are brilliant ingredients to look out for, as these can help to moisturise and soften your hair.

It's no secret that we're strong advocates for including hair masks in your normal haircare routine if you find your hair needs some extra moisture. We spoke about the benefits of using nourishing hair masks in our Autumn Trend Report last year, and how they're a brilliant way to moisturise your hair and add stunning shine. Once a week (or more if your hair needs it), treat your hair with a deep-conditioning mask to add shine and help replace moisture lost to winter conditions.

We absolutely love Hair Treat, our intense moisturising mask that helps to leave hair feeling healthy and silky-smooth. To get the best results, simply apply it to damp hair, focusing on your mid-lengths to ends where your hair needs the most love. Hair Treat has a thick, rich, creamy consistency, so you'll want to rake it through your hair using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to distribute it throughout your hair. For that deeper conditioning boost, leave it on for 3-5 minutes, or for more damaged hair, leave it 5-7 minutes before rinsing to soak up all that nourishing goodness. 

Reduce Washing Frequency

In summer, we tend to wash our hair more frequently due to product, sweat and oil build-up. However, overwashing can strip your scalp and hair of natural oils. Combine this with colder temperatures and lower humidity, and this creates the perfect storm for drier-feeling hair. So, reducing your wash frequency can help if you find this is a common concern for your hair in the colder months. If your hair is prone to oiliness and you prefer to wash your hair more frequently, we have some tips for you too! Read our hair type blog here to learn more about our recommendations for oily hair.

Tackle Frizz and Static

Cold winter air combined with central heating can lead to static and frizzy hair. In contrast to summer humidity that can cause frizz, winter presents a different challenge: While frizz in summer is often due to excess moisture swelling the hair cuticle, in winter, it's because your hair lacks moisture and the dry air creates static electricity. We recommend using leave-in treatments or moisturising sprays to add moisture back into your hair, helping to reduce static and add extra shine.

Our argan oil-infused Hair Moisturiser is a fantastic everyday essential that's perfect for revitalising and taming frizzy, unruly hair. If you want healthy, shiny hair but prefer that weightless, no-product feel, this is your new best friend! To rehydrate or gently detangle brittle or damaged hair, simply spritz it into your mid-lengths and ends as often as your hair needs it. 

Use Heat Protectants

Rather than leaving our hair to air dry in colder weather, many of us opt for blow drying. If you use heated styling products on your hair, like hairdryers, curlers or heated rollers, we strongly recommend applying a generous amount of heat-protecting products to your hair before drying or styling. These products help distribute heat more evenly and seal the cuticle, which can prevent moisture loss that contributes to dry, damaged hair. If you have curly hair, we also recommend using a diffuser on a lower heat setting to create better defined curls and retain moisture.

When we want to add heat protection in our salons, we reach for Blow Dry Lotion. It gives a non-sticky finish, light hold and volume, perfect for creating beautiful blow drys with a gorgeous shine.

Get Regular Trims

We always recommend coming into the salon for a trim every 6-8 weeks, so maintaining your regular appointments during winter can help to remove split ends, helping hair to look fuller, healthier and preventing splits from travelling further up the hair shaft. 

The autumn and winter months can throw some challenging conditions at your hair, but a good, consistent haircare routine tailored to your hair’s unique type and needs can keep your hair happy and healthy, all season long.