How to Fix Dry Hair this Winter + Best Products for Dry or Humid Cold Weather

Have your curls been feeling dry and brittle, and looking frizzy lately? This is likely due to the change in seasons. If you’re like me and live in the northern hemisphere, it’s starting to get really cold and the air is so dry, especially when we’re inside all day with the drying heat blasting. Then there’s the occasional rainy cold day which also complicates things.

In this video, I show you how you can fix your dry hair this winter and some product suggestions for both dry and humid conditions, including drugstore options.

1. Pre-Treat

The first step is to pre-treat the hair with an oil, conditioner or primer. I prefer to use a little hair serum to detangle dry to prevent breakage. This is the Curlsmith Fragrance-Free Shine Oil, but you can use any oil, just make sure it contains coconut oil in the ingredients. Don’t use too much, just enough to where you see some shine on your hair. Let us soak in for at least 5 minutes.

2. Shampoo

The next step is to shampoo. There are two routes you can go with shampoo. If you currently have buildup from products, oils, or hard water, this can prevent your products from absorbing resulting in drier hair. These are some of my favorite clarifying shampoos that are not too stripping.

However since my hair does not need clarifying today, I just used a regular gentle shampoo from AG. Anything that creates a lather and is not too drying for your curls will work. Ensure you’re thoroughly cleansing your scalp and getting underneath as well.

3. Conditioner

After shampoo, you can either use a conditioner or a deep conditioner, but do not skip this step! Conditioning products are essential for curly hair especially when dealing with dry air.  Usually, if I clarify, I will always follow up with a deep conditioner for extra moisture. On regular shampoo days, I will use a regular conditioner. I recommend any of the conditioners that go with the shampoos I mentioned.

You can also use a deep conditioner on regular shampoo days. I used the Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment which is extra thick and moisturizing. I’ve been testing this out for a bit and enjoying it. It’s on the heavy side so a little goes a long way. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly. 

For more lightweight options, here are more deep conditioners I love:

4. Curl Cream

The next step is to apply styling products. I usually go with a curl cream and a gel to keep things simple. This provides moisture with the cream, and hold with the gel.

On wet hair, I applied the Boucleme Curl Cream. This contains conditioning and penetrating ingredients including coconut oil Cetearyl Alcohol, and glycerin. It’s very lightweight and comes in fragrance-free as well if that is something you prefer. I recommend brushing it through to ensure it’s applied thoroughly. Using a nourishing curl cream can help prevent your hair from drying out.

5. Gel

I usually go with a strong hold gel when it’s humid, but in the winter I can get away with more light or medium hold gels. I used the Boucleme Super Hold Styler which gives me medium hold. It’s also highly moisturizing, so if you’re someone who just wants to use one styling product you could just use this.

It contains chia seed extract to smooth the hair’s cuticle and linseed extract to condition and add shine. When my hair is dry it always looks so dull, so using a gel that contains oils helps. This also contains small proteins, which will help condition and encourage moisture retention. 

Gel is the most important step in your routine because this will provide definition, hold, and longevity. In the winter months, you want a gel that creates a protective film on the hair, is flexible, and moisturizing.

These are the 3 types of ingredients you will want to look for in your gel in the winter months:

• Film-forming humectants for moisture retention such as aloe, flaxseed (linseed), slippery elm
• Oils to seal in moisture (optional)
• Proteins for moisture retention (optional)

Here are a few of my other favorite styler combos for the winter months. These are focused on moisture and flexibility.

For dry climates:

For humid climates:

6. Style

When it comes to styling, I prefer to brush style so I don’t end up with stringy curls. However lately I’ve been noticing more volume when I don’t section or brush style my entire head. So instead, I’ve been just trying to brush style the problem areas like my face framing pieces. 

Styling by using a brush or finger coiling can help your curls last longer and prevent stringiness and frizz.

7. Diffuse

If you’re still struggling with frizz, watch my video on How to Tame Dry Frizz & Moisturize Curls this Winter.