Winterizing Ur Curls
Posted on 07 December 2018
It’s that time of year again! The temperature starts to drop and frosty flurries start falling from the sky. But what does that mean for our curls?
It’s no secret that it gets a lil’ harder to maintain a healthy head of hair in the winter season. ❄️
The harsh winds and dry air make it difficult to retain moisture and can cause frizz, split ends and breakage. That’s why we’ve put together a list of five easy ways to winterize and protect ur curls this season.
1. Stay Dry
You’ve probably been told a dozen times not to go out with wet hair in the winter to avoid catching a cold. While wet hair hasn’t been directly correlated with a case of the sniffles, it can certainly lead to hair damage.
1. Take Ur Time With Step One
If you’re giving your head a super quick lather and moving onto the next step, you’re not doing your new products any justice. To ensure that our shampoo was super gentle we kept those harsh, stripping agents known as sulfates and other harmful ingredients away from our formula.
1. Take Ur Time With Step One
If you’re giving your head a super quick lather and rinse before moving on to the next step, you’re likely not getting the most out of our sulfate-free shampoo. As with any sulfate-free shampoo, you need to WERK to break up oil and dirt at the roots. Reason being that normal shampoos (the ones that contain sulfates) are full of harmful, drying agents that foam and strip the hair.
Since we did away with those, you’ll need to give your entire scalp a solid massage to get your roots nice and clean. @craft_and_mane does an awesome job of showing you how it’s done here.
When the cold air hits you, it affects your hair from the inside out. Since water expands as it freezes, the water molecules inside wet hair can cause the hair shaft to swell and cause the cuticle layer to lift.
This leaves it more susceptible to splitting, breakage and shock from extreme temperatures. So be sure to give yourself some extra time to air-dry or diffuse your curls before you wander out into a winter wonderland.
2. Bundle Up
Just because your curls may not ‘feel’ the cold the way your skin does, doesn’t mean they don't need to be bundled up too. Covering up your curls in the cold will help to keep them warm and protect them from climate shock.
Tucking your curls away in your jacket, hood or hat will also shield them from strong winds. Just be mindful of the fabrics and material in your winter gear.
Knits, wool and fleece not only steal moisture and frizz up your hair but are also prone to trapping individual strands of hair in the weaves of the fabric.
Stick with smooth synthetics or silk-lined winter wear to avoid unnecessary snagging and frizzing, your curls will thank you for it!
2. Rinse Out Step Two
Raise your hand if you’ve ever finished your shampoo and conditioner at the same time?
(Ha! We didn’t think so.)
It’s no secret that curly girls can go through a lot of conditioner, and we’re not knocking you for that. Conditioned curls retain more moisture, more moisture means less frizz, and less frizz equals more definition.
However, as curly girls ourselves, we didn’t want our customers to have to use TONS of conditioner to get the uber-hydrated curls they desire. Like the other two steps in our line, our conditioner is also activated by water and requires a lot less product than you think. It’s a concentrated formula that’ll still give you all the detangling and slip you desire, without requiring boatloads of product to do so.
3. Step Up Ur Deep Conditioning Routine
Here at LUS, we’re big advocates for a solid and consistent deep conditioning routine, especially at this time of year. In fact, when the cold weather comes in, you might want to start deep conditioning more frequently: perhaps every 1–2 weeks, depending on your hair type and wash cycle.
Bonus Tip:
Steam is a safe way to use heat to open up the hair shaft while deep conditioning. It allows the conditioner to penetrate deep into the hair shaft for maximum effectiveness.
An easy way to incorporate some steam in your routine is to run a towel under water, wring it out and put it into the microwave for a hot minute.
Let the towel cool down a touch to make sure it’s safe to wrap around your hair after you slick through with conditioner.
Place a shower cap or plastic bag over the towel to seal in the heat and sit back and relax and let the conditioner work its magic. ✨
4. Seal It In
Once you’ve found your perfect wash and deep conditioning routine, it’s time to put all that moisture on lock. You don’t want to work so hard to maintain your moisture just for it get sucked right back out.
Hair oil is a great ingredient for softening your curls and sealing moisture inside of them. Hot oil treatments can be used for quick repair while using a small amount of oil right after styling can help smooth out frizz and maintain moisture levels in between wash days.
Less product = even better results (at ALL stages of the LUS application!).
It’s also important to know that the LUS conditioner should not be used as a leave-in conditioner.
While it’s chock-full of amazing hydrating ingredients, the formula was designed to do all its work in the shower; when you choose not to rinse it out, you risk clogging your hair follicle and dulling your shine.
Bonus: Rinse out your conditioner with cool water to close up the hair follicle and seal in moisture.
5. Hit Refresh
With the dry winter season upon us, in the best interest of your curls, you should avoid washing your hair too often. Of course, how often you wash your hair will always depend on your hair type, but it’s important to keep in mind that every time you shampoo, you're removing natural oils that help nourish and protect your hair.
As a curly girl, trying to stretch your styles and have your curls last longer can be difficult. That’s where ‘refreshing’ comes in. By refreshing your hair, you can get slept-on curls looking fresh for the day while also buying you time between wash days. Like all curl routines, refresh methods can vary with each unique curl type. To find out what works for you, check out the LUS How-To Page where we feature a compilation of curly girls from our community (each with different curl types) showing us how they rock their next day curls.
3. Detangle In the Shower
We strongly advise doing all of your dirty detangling work IN the shower! Why? You’ll handle your curls less as they dry, reducing frizz and preserving all of your glorious definition. Many of our curlies actually find it easiest to detangle after letting their conditioner sit for about 5 minutes. You can see our founder demo this here.
Add a bit of water (try sticking your whole head under the running water for 1–2 secs) and then slowly detangle using your fingers or curl-appropriate comb, a bit more water, a bit more detangling, until ahhh—you’ve got a silky smooth, tangle-free mane.
4. Less Product, More Water
Our All-in-Ones are activated by.... you guessed it, water! So, you’ll want to apply them to soaking wet hair. Since lots of us aren’t accustomed to working with more H2O than product, many curlies go overboard with our products their first time around. Even though it may be scary, try a lighter hand with your All-in-One and be generous with the amount of water you use. Keep in mind that this may change depending on your curl type and porosity level.
Someone with 2A curls, for example, will have hair that easily retains moisture so adding water after applying your All-in-One might not be necessary. Someone with 4B curls, however, may need to use a spray bottle to add water throughout their application process.
You’ll know you’ve used the right product-to-water ratio when you can easily start to rake your fingers through your hair without a ton of excess product coming off in your hands.
The application really is the key to a great finish (our founder proves this here), so take your time to really work in the product. Not only will you experience better results, but you will also find that you can last longer between washing and styling your hair. Who would have thought that one product could do all that?
What Works For You
At the end of the day, it’s important to listen to your hair. Since every curly girl has her own unique head of hair, it’s important to experiment to see what works for you and your curls.
Each of these suggestions is subjective, and some may not apply to your hair type — that’s why we encourage everyone in our community to find their own custom curl routine.
What are some of the ways you take extra care of your curls in the winter? Tell us in the comments below. :)
