The Science Behind Why Your Hair Needs Extra Moisture in the Winter

When winter rolls around, it pays to be prepared. And revisiting your hair moisturizing routine is a great first step. Regardless of your hair type, pattern, styling habits, etc., your hair needs extra moisture in the wintertime. Want to know why? We’ll share the science behind winter-related hair dryness and what to do about it.

The Science Behind Winter Hair Dryness

The wintertime can wreak havoc on your hair. Here are two of the main ways:

Outdoor Air

First, the temperature plummets, sometimes to freezing status. Colder air doesn’t hold on to as much moisture as hotter air, so there’s less moisture in the air for your hair to absorb at any moment. As a result, many notice that their hair is drier during the winter.

Indoor Air

On top of that, when it gets cold outside, we hang out indoors and blast the heater. The heater’s combustion process removes a lot of moisture from the air. So, even the indoor air is dry. Forced air heaters are most likely to have this effect on the air and your hair.

Dry scalp and static can also become issues in the winter, though these issues are much less scientific in nature.

What Happens If You Don’t Moisturize Your Hair in the Winter

Considering how dry the air is in the winter, your hair care routine should focus on replenishing that lost moisture. Though this may be more than a notion for some, failing to boost your hair moisturizing routine could result in the following (in addition to relentless hair dryness):

• Extreme frizz

• Split ends

• Breakage

• Tangling

• Dullness

• Styling difficulties

• And more

How to Preserve Your Hair’s Moisture in the Wintertime

Just because wintery conditions are set up to ruin your hair doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Read on to learn how to preserve your hair’s moisture this winter.

Increase Moisturizing Sessions

If you normally moisturize once a week, try 2 to 3 times a week during this season. Doing so will ensure that there’s a consistent, lasting barrier between your hair and the outside environment. You can use moisturizing creams or sprays and oils like argan and coconut for your moisturizing sessions. Always apply moisturizing products to damp hair.

Get the Right Products

If you haven’t already done so, we recommend adding the following to your hair product stash:

• Deep conditioner - Deep conditioners give you intense moisture to keep dryness and related issues at bay. You can deep condition as often as a couple of times per week to stave off dry, crunchy strands.

• Leave-in conditioner - Leave-in conditioners give you light moisture and leave behind a thin protective film to make your hair look and feel its best. Leave-in conditioner can be used as often as every day.

Tweak Your Routine

Here are a few other things you can do to preserve your mane’s moisture levels:

1. Keep shampooing at a minimum.

2. Cover your hair whenever you’ll be spending an extended amount of time outdoors.

3. Limit heat styling and chemical hair processing.

4. Do a hot oil treatment if your dryness becomes severe.

Read this article for more winter hair care tips.

So, there you have it - the science behind why your hair needs extra moisture in the winter. We hope you found all the information you were looking for, and we wish you the best with your hair. If you haven’t already done so, we recommend checking out Daily Dose Leave-in Conditioner and Deep Conditioner. These two naturally formulated hair goodies leave your hair moisturized, shiny, supple, and altogether healthy.

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15+ years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of CurlAdvice.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.