6 Ways to Get Your Healthiest Hair This Winter

Photo: Julia Noni / Trunk Archive

As many of us combat winter skin issues, it can be easy to forget amidst the excessive dryness and newfound irritation that our hair needs TLC, too. Much like our limbs, our hair can also turn dry and dull during the frigid months. Thankfully, it is possible to keep our hair happy—from our washing technique to the actual water we use. Tippi Shorter, Aveda’s Global Artistic Director for Textured Hair, offered her tips for maintaining healthy hair this winter.

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Rethink Your Water: If you’ve noticed your hair is lacking shine, bounce and overall vitality, your shower water could be the culprit. Hard water is what you want to avoid at all costs, as it can be damaging to the hair. “Hard water is harsher and will make the hair feel stripped of moisture, while soft water will make it feel like you always have conditioner in your hair,” says Shorter. If you have hard water, she highly recommends using an ultra moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to add back some much-needed hydration to the hair. Her favorites are Aveda’s Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner ($28), which contain a patented deep-moisture complex featuring strand-softening buriti oil. For a drugstore treat, try Clear Intense Hydration Deep Hydrating Treatment Mask ($5).

Filter It: Investing in a filter for your showerhead might just be one of the best things you can do for your hair. Why? It removes chlorine and other harmful impurities, which can cause major damage and dryness. By blocking those contaminants, the overall health and luster of your hair improves. But do your research! Shorter says an alkaline filter canchange the pH balance of your hair, a disturbance that can make the scalp more susceptible to infections—not fun stuff. Instead, she prefers to use a regular one like the T3 Source Showerhead Filter ($130), which removes up to 95% of chlorine from the water.

Tame Your Temps: Really hot showers may seem like a great idea when you feel like a bona fide icicle, but they’re known to exacerbate skin dehydration, and sadly, the same goes for our hair. “Shampoo in warm or lukewarm water to melt or dissolve the product or funk in your hair,” says Shorter. “Then rinse in cool, which will help seal the cuticle and leave hair smooth and shiny.” Don’t worry—you can turn the faucet back to warm for the rest of your shower.

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Stay Consistent: While you may be tempted to switch up how often you wash your hair during the dryer months, Shorter recommends sticking with your regular roster in the shower. “It really depends on how oily your hair gets, but I would suggest the same routine because your scalp gets used to its cleansing schedule,” she said. “I don’t change my routine in the winter other than adding in a masque.”

Technique Matters: It may seem silly, but there is a right and wrong way to cleanse your hair. To get the most out of your wash, be sure to avoid ruffling your hair too much whilst shampooing as it can lead to frizz and breakage. Instead, Shorter suggests smoothing everything in a downward motion and gently massaging the scalp area only.

Post-Shower Prep: Healthy hair may start with your shower, but it certainly doesn’t stop there. To keep your locks looking their best, Shorter recommends adding a non-silicone oil such as Aveda’s Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil ($27) to your ends as well as a prepping product to keep hair soft and hydrated.