How to Season Proof Your Haircare this Winter

Winter has it’s own specific haircare issues. It’s cold, windy and wet outside and dry and warm inside. It’s frizz central, unless you’ve got some great products to help lock the moisture in. There are particular haircare ingredients that will help reduce the ravages of winter, as well as extra steps you can add to your routine. Who doesn’t love new shampoo and conditioner, if you’re finding that your hair is a frizzy mess, you might just need one.

Here is a list of some lovely products and some different techniques you can try to help with the challenges of winter. The products are gifted and the links may be affiliate.

I have some great codes for my readers to get you some money off- enter GGSALECG at check out to get 8% off Grow Gorgeous and CRSALECG to get 8% off Christophe Robin until 1th December 2022.

Why is Winter Such a Problem for Hair?

When we spend so much time in the colder months going from cold and damp to warm and dry, it’s no wonder our hair loses it’s lustre. The dry air dehydrates the scalp as well as the hair so you have to think about moisturising the scalp as well as the hair itself, after all the scalp is where the hair comes from, it makes sense to concentrate your efforts there too.

The wind will also contribute to the problem. Detangling is quite damaging to the hair cuticle. The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair, it is short of like roof tiles, forming overlapping scales which should lie flat in healthy hair. Unknotting the hair mashes up the cuticle and causes split ends.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to hair loss. You probably know that there are only three ways humans can get vitamin D- from sunlight, by eating egg yolks and through supplementing. Sunlight is our main source of this extremely important vitamin (find out the results of my own vitamin D test here). It’s very important for our hair, as well as our general health, to think about vitamin D supplementation in the winter months.

What Makes a Good Winter Haircare Routine?

In winter, it helps to switch up your products and techniques to counteract environmental damage.

Here are some things you can do-

• Add a weekly deep moisturising treatment
• Switch to a moisturising shampoo and conditioner
• Avoid damage while detangling by using a special brush
• Make sure your diet is good- plenty of protein and a vitamin D supplement

Just like skin, hair needs hydration, moisture and nourishment. These can come in the form of humectants, oils, proteins and vitamins, so you want to look for products that contain appropriate ingredients. I’ll go through some great products in the next sections and break down why their ingredients are so great for wintertime.

Great Products for Winter Haircare

Grow Gorgeous have some amazing haircare products for nourishing hair and scalp and promoting healthy hair growth, perfect for winter time.

Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Shampoo £16 for 250ml

Ingredients- Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum), Caffeine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Inositol, Coconut Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Arginine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Isethionate, Glycerin, Aspartic Acid, Polyquaternium-10, PCA, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Phytantriol, Glycine, Alanine, Urea, Serine, Valine, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Disodium Phosphate, Limonene, Linalool, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Biotin, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide.

Grow Gorgeous products do not contain Silicones or Sulphates which is great for the Curly Girl routine. I have curly hair that I wear naturally and I loosely follow the Curly Girl method which advises no Sulphates to avoid stripping the hair, no Silicones which can weigh the hair down and no drying Alcohols. According to Curlsbot.com Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Shampoo is Curly Girl safe.

Aside from what it doesn’t have, Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Shampoo contains some amazing ingredients. –

• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine– These are very gentle cleansing ingredients which will clean hair without stripping it’s moisture
• Caffeine– Clinically proven to help with hair growth
• Panthenol– Vitamin B3 help smooth the cuticle, helps with frizz and gives hair shine
• Niacinamide– Boosts scalp circulation and strengthens hair
• Sodium PCA– Improves scalp health
• Allantoin– Soothing
• Phyantriol– Increases hair moisture, improves absorption of Panthenol and prevents hair breakage
• Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine– Amino acids are the building blocks of hair, they strengthen the keratin
• Urea– A skin identical humectant
• Gotu Kola extract– Aka Centella Asiatica a plant extract which help with skin soothing and is meant to help with hair growth

Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Shampoo has so many amazing ingredients and it makes hair feel and smell great. A perfect product to switch to for the winter months.

Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Conditioner £18 for 250ml

Ingredients- Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycol Distearate, Caffeine, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Isopropyl Alcohol, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Urea, PCA, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Emblica Officinalis (Amla) Fruit Extract, Phytantriol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Disodium Phosphate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Glycine, Alanine, Biotin, Caramel, Serine, Valine, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citric Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Rhizobian Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide.

There are so many lovely ingredients in this product! Let me go through the exciting ones-

• Cetearyl Alcohol– Smoothing moisturising fatty alcohol
• Niacinamide– Boosts scalp circulation and strengthens hair
• Caffeine– Clinically proven to help with hair growth
• Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine– A non silicone, silicone replacement that help reduce frizz
• Behentrimonium Chloride– Reduces frizz
• Panthenol– Vitamin B3 help smooth the cuticle, helps with frizz and gives hair shine
• Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil– Soothing and moisturising
• Sodium PCA– Helps keep the scalp healthy
• Hydrolyzed Rice Protein– Protein nourishes hair and gives it flexibility and shine
• Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil– For moisturising the hair and scalp
• Urea, PCA– Natural moisturising factors for keeping the scalp healthy
• Allantoin– A soothing ingredient
• Emblica Officinalis (Amla) Fruit Extract– Purported to improve hair health and increase growth
• Phytantriol– Increases hair moisture, improves absorption of Panthenol and prevents hair breakage
• Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil,
• Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonin, Histidine, Phenylalanine– Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, help to repair hair and nourish the scalp
• Sodium Hyaluronate– A humectant, it draws water and traps it

Both the Grow Gorgeous Intense Shampoo and Conditioner have such amazing ingredients and they are lovely to use. My hair feels clean and not squeaky and dry after the shampoo. I don’t really like shampooing my hair often because it can make it frizzy, but the Grow Gorgeous shampoo is much more gentle than other shampoos. Both are great actually, a real hair treat and a wonderful addition to my routine for the autumn/winter.

Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Prickly Pear Oil £50 for 250ml

Ingredients- Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Benzoate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Behenyl/Stearyl Aminopropanediol Esters, Disodium Edta, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Linoleic Acid, Geraniol, Linalool, Caramel, Limonene, Inula Crithmoide Flower/Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Linolenic Acid, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Amyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Tocopherol.

Here are the standout ingredients for rejuvenating parched winter hair-

• Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol– Hydrating and moisturising fatty alcohols for hair and scalp
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride– Derived from coconut oil and glycerin, moisturises and seals in hydration to the hair and scalp
• Behentrimonium chloride– a frizz reducing conditioner
• Behenyl/Stearyl Aminopropanediol Esters– Also known as Rep’Hair. It’s a ceramide-like molecule and is a hair restructuring agent. It reduces split ends and damaged hair as well as having a preventive action. It also improves hair gloss.
• Linoleic Acid– Nourishes hair follicles and seals hair cuticles
• Inula Crithmoide Flower/Leaf Extract– Golden Samphire extract, great moisturiser for hair and scalp
• Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract– Prickly Pear extract, full of vitamins and antioxidants, great for dry hair

All these wonderful ingredients make a rich conditioning mask. Christophe Robin recommends using the mask after shampooing. Apply to both the scalp and the hair and leave on for 5 minutes. It feels beautifully restorative and leaves hair supple and shiny.

Haircare Routine for Dry Winter Hair

• Switch to a hydrating shampoo and conditioner like the Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening, avoid rinsing with hot water
• Use a weekly moisturising mask for extra conditioning
• Use a gentle detangling hair brush to avoid further damage. Brushing wet hair causes damage. I like this brush from Wet Brush

• Reduce heat- turn down the heat in the shower when you’re rinsing your hair and avoid heat styling

I’ve showed you some great products with amazing ingredients that can transform your hair. Feel free to visit my other posts on haircare and skincare and visit my Instagram to chat. Don’t forget my codes- enter GGSALECG at check out to get 8% off Grow Gorgeous and CRSALECG to get 8% off Christophe Robin until 10th December 2022.