How to Care for Your Curls in Cold Weather

Cold weather isn’t everyone’s favorite type of weather and it can make for itchy skin and a dry scalp. Curls can suffer too, especially from lack of moisture leading to dried tresses. Knowing how your skin and hair adapt, or don’t, to the cold is helpful. Once you see and feel the changes of the season, begin to make some changes to your curly hair care routine too.1. Stay hydrated. When cold weather starts, it get even drier, so it’s important to start drinking more water. Carry a water bottle with you to work, school or when you visit friends. You’ll see and feel a difference in your hair and skin when you start getting more hydration.MORE FROM NATURALLY CURLY: Hair Care Tips for Rainy Days2. Shampoo for your hair type. If you have thicker, coarser curls try to not wash them every day. You don’t want to wash away or disturb the natural oils in your hair that help promote growth and protect your tresses. If you have more sensitive skin or thinner curls, try to avoid shampoos and conditioners with lots of dyes and fragrances. Using a moisturizing conditioner as an alternate to shampoo is also an option. There are lots of great conditioners out there to try for all curl types.3. Deep-condition. Some good ones to try: Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment, DevaCurl Heaven in Hair or Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner. Read the directions to your deep-conditioner carefully. You’ll want to set aside 30 to 45 minutes for the product to sit in your hair. Cover your hair and sit under a dryer, if you can, to help intensify the effects of the conditioner. Be sure to rinse the product out to avoid build-up or flaking later.MORE FROM NATURALLY CURLY: 15 Essential No-Frizz Tips4. Get rid of summer products! When the cold weather sets in, you may also want to make some changes to the products you normally use for spring and summer months. Get rid of anything you no longer use or won’t be using over the next two to three months. Make space for new items you’ll need for the upcoming cold weather season. It’s best to look for products that have lots of humectants for your curls during cold, winter months. Puddings, creams and butters are all great options for cold weather curly hair care. You may have to experiment and see just how much of the product your tresses will need. Since these are heavier products, you may need to transition into them over a few weeks. You may also want to keep a refresher product on hand during the winter months as well. There are a number of wonderful curl mists and freshening sprays that can help revive curls from the drying conditions of cold winter months.5. Dress up your curls. Lastly, remember to “dress up” your curls with a cute hat, or some other type of protection during the winter season. A lot of curlies like cowl neck sweaters and jackets that have over-sized hoods. There are also a number of cute crocheted/knitted hats that work well with curls as they don’t press or flatten hair as they’re worn. You may opt to loosely wrap a scarf around your curls as well.MORE FROM NATURALLY CURLY: Easy Hairstyles for Hassle-Free Mornings