WINTER HAIR 101

WINTER HAIR 101

The dry air of winter can leave your locks dry, and brittle. I get it, it’s a hair dilemma. Static, frizz, dry… it’s not attractive, and leaves you with the perfect recipe for, a bad hair day. From hair care to hair masques, and a few oils in between, I’m going to share my best tips for gorgeous winter hair.

HYDRATE
• Drink your water! Did you know that a single hair strand is comprised of 25% water? Staying hydrated keeps your hair strong, and promotes growth. Cheers! Not a fan of simple water, try infusing it with Infused Electrolyte drops.

HAIR MASQUE
• You’ve probably experienced the luxurious hydration and relaxation of a facial mask, so let’s treat your luscious locks as well! Saturating your hair and quenching its thirst with a luxe hair masque can help to rebuild your hair strength, deliver deep hydration, restore shine, reduce frizz and help hair to appear healthier. A hair masque goes far beyond the hydration of a standard conditioner which is generally less concentrated than a hair mask treatment. You’ll want to leave your mask on for anywhere from 20 minutes, up to an hour and be sure to properly cleanse hair afterwards.

COCONUT OIL DIY HAIR MASK
from The Chemical Free Home: Face & Body edition
CONDITION
Apply 5 drops each of Rosemary, Geranium, and Lavender essential oils to dry hair.
Immediately apply a generous amount of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (non fractionated) until all hair is saturated. Let site 20-90 minutes. You may want to wrap hair in a warm towel for a complete spa-like effect.
RINSE
Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water and then combine the following:
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Cup Distilled Vinegar
5 drops Lemon essential oil
Pour mixture over hair, and rinse well. Repeat if necessary.
SHAMPOO
Wash hair with Shampoo. Rinse & Repeat until hair lathers.
For dry hair: Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo & Conditioner
For lifeless hair that needs volume: Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner
For hair that needs purifying: Lavender Mint Shampoo & Conditioner
CONDITION
Condition hair as directed.

*Coconut oil penetrates the hair shaft for incredible hydration, and has also been shown to reduce protein loss.
For thin hair, whisk 2 egg whites and add to coconut oil during application.

WASHING HAIR
Over-washing can strip natural oils, and leave your scalp and hair dry. Try to extend the time between washing and opt for every 3 or 4 days. If you need to touch up your hair, use a bit of cornstarch or arrow root powder applied to roots with a blush brush. You can infuse the powder with lavender and rosemary as well for an infused refresh.

THE RIGHT TOOLS
Boar Bristle Brushes are a staple in my beauty tool drawer, for general brushing they help to gently grab the scalps natural oils and evenly distribute through the hair for incredible shine and protection. As a styling brush, they help to soften your strands and leave your hair looking picture perfect. My favorite for general brushing is by Shash, and for styling / finishing my go to is their “classic.”

HEAT
Of course it goes without saying the damage the heat can do to the hair. Try to limit how often you turn to the curling iron, and always be sure to use a thermal protectant spray. Remember, you don’t want to layer your products when using a curling iron, so if you retouch your girls a few days later, there is not need to apply more product. Best practice would be to only use a curling iron or flattening iron on clean hair, with only your thermal protectant applied.
I have fallen in love with the Dyson AirWrap and the technology ensures the right temperature control to help protect hair health. Another option, velcro rollers! Retro, is ALWAYS in style!

THE FINISHING TOUCH
Hair oils can bring incredible hydration to thristy hair and soothe split ends but if used in excess, it can leave your hair looking greasy. My go-to is the Mirah Hair Oil by Young Living. Natural oils like crambe, and camellia in this formulation act as a heat protectant, deliver incredible shine, and nourish hair.

HOW TO USE ON WET HAIR
• apply a few drops to hands and rub through freshly cleansed and towel dryed hair. style as usual
HOW TO USE AS A SPLIT END SERUM
• apply 5-6 drops to hands and and rub hands together to warm oil, scrunch into the bottom of your hair
HOW TO USE AS A FINISHING SERUM
• apply a few drops to hands and rub hands together to warm oil, gently sweep down sides of hair, barely touching the hair and being sure to only catch the fly-aways

There exists an array of essential oils that can be used to infuse your shampoo, conditioners, hair serums and even DIY hair spritz.   Not sure what oils to choose?  Here, this might help!

FOR DRY HAIR:
lavender
sandalwood
ylang ylang
geranium

FOR OILY HAIR / SCALP:
tea tree
rosemary
lemon
cedarwood
eucalyptus

FOR SPLIT ENDS:
Add a few drops of vetiver, sandalwood, or myrrh to hands, rub hands together until oil is warmed and gently press hands into the ends of hair.