Big hair, don’ care

Dress: Mango £19.99 | Jacket: Zara | Heels: Zara | Lips: MAC Ruby Woo

Hi loves I hope you are doing great. I am excited to be talking about hair today! Now we here in UK have officially stepped into winter, and it is fair to say – particularly in Yorkshire, that the weather outside is frightening! My natural hair and I have struggled through many a winters and I thought it might be helpful to share some of the techniques and tricks I have developed on keeping natural hair healthy through the winter.

1. Up the moisture

Similar to skin, hair is much drier in the winter and requires some extra TLC. When it comes to moisture I start from the very root of  my hair regimen, by swapping lighter products for more nourishing and creamier formulas instead.

• I use a moisturising shampoo from Giovanni or Aubrey Organics hair lines.
• I switch to a thicker deep conditioner (my favourite is Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, but I am trying out a few other ones at the moment).
• I also add penetrating oils to my deep conditioner – olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil (mmmm yessss to Avocado oil my hair loves it so much).
• And I always deep condition with heat for at lest 20 minutes, so sometimes I put a plastic cap on top of my hair and sit under the dryer or I use my portable heating cap.
• I use the LOC method to ensure my hair is efficiently moisturised and stays that way! LOC is Liquid, Oil, Cream moisturising method. My L is usually a water/conditioner mix, my oil is usually castor oil or my cheater mix and my cream is Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie or Mizani Butter Rich hairdresser mmm.

2. Be consistent

It’s tough on your hair out there. There can be no slacking. If you have fine hair like me, you will experience tangles after one day outside in the cold.

• I attempt to moisturise my hair EVERY night before bed.
• I use a water-based moisturiser and seal with a special Shea butter and oil mix or a thick oil like castor oil to keep all the moisture trapped in.
• Sometimes I take a hot shower with my hair out, allowing all the steam to penetrate in and then I just seal it in with an oil after and braid up or twist for bed.
• I also deep-condition my hair every week.

3. Keep your hair away

Despite the mighty fro I am rocking in this post, I actually opt to put my hair away in winter.

• So I usually wear my hair in a low bun with my ends tucked underneath
• Or I wear twists through the week and only let my hair out at the weekend
• Or I opt for protective styling

Wearing low-manipulation styles keeps my hair less prone to tangles and minimises single strand knots. It allows my hair to stay moisturised for longer too.

4.  Increase your hydration

Water is the key –  both internally and externally. It is important that you drink even more water in winter to keep your body hydrated. I find that all the dry heat from radiators and central heating makes my hair even drier and prone to breakage so I try to replenish my strands by:

• Utilising the Greenhouse Method every time I am in the house. It simply involves moisturising my hair – using a water/conditioner mix then covering with a plastic shower cap while I am in the house.
• I sometimes even sleep with the plastic cap on my head, the result is hydrated, moisturised strands full of life and health!
• An alternative to this is to buy a humidifier – this will put back some moisture in the air so that it is not as drying.

5. Protective styling

Wearing your hair out in dry conditions can affect the state of your hair by making it more dry and thus prone to breakage. Moisturising regularly is a good way of overcoming this but sometimes leading the busy lives we do, it is easy to get behind in your moisture game and decrease your hair health in the process. A good way to keep your hair protected and healthy in the winter for those with less time and busier lives is by protective styling. This is putting your hair away in a style that covers it or exposes it less to the elements.

There are several forms of protective styling, but my favourite has got to be wigging! The wig life is the easiest way I find to keep my hair away from the harsh, dry air yet accessible for my moisturising and washing routines. I recommend using wigs for those who are to busy to style and wash through the week, but care must be taken to ensure that your hairline and hair remain healthy and moisturised.  I always wear the wig in front of or behind my hairline and I always remove it when I’m home and put on plastic cap. I love me a good natural looking wig particularly those with natural hair extensions!

I think my next post will be about my favourite natural hair extensions and perhaps some photos of various ones I have tried and own. Let me know if you would like this in the comments below! I hope this has been useful for anyone struggling with winter hair care. Feel free to post any questions or suggestions for how in the comments. All my love and light x MC