Many of us like to cocoon in winter (especially with how cold and snowy this winter has been) and our hair definitely takes the brunt of that. We don’t color, we don’t cut, and we don’t hydrate. We basically let it all hang out. Which would be perfectly understandable if it wasn’t for the constant stream of Zoom meetings we’re all inundated with. (The pressure to feel “Zoom ready” is more palpable than ever!)
But, let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger. And as we age, our bodies need more and more hydration. And our hair does, too; badly. As we think more about self-care while we’re all dealing with Covid, let’s not forget about our hair. A few tips for how to hydrate and treat your hair well at home:
- DIY hair mask. There are so many great DIY masks online with ingredients you probably have on hand like avocados, coconut oil or bananas (aren’t we tired of making banana bread by now?). Treat yourself to a hydrating hair mask and get some me-time in while you do it. Make it a family project!
- Get rid of those split ends. You probably desperately need a trim right now (we can relate). Many salons are now open (and socially distanced with Covid-friendly protocols) so think about a careful trip to your stylist to take care of the messy bits.
- Integrate clean haircare products into your routine. Many “commercial” products can actually dry out your hair and, unfortunately, 90% of products in the US still contain toxins and chemicals that will only make it worse, not better. Educate yourself on what’s in your products and look for brands without sulfates, phthalates or parabens (the known “baddies”). The more you know about what you are putting in and on your body, the better.
- Use a silk pillowcase. This is an easy “hack” to prevent breakage and frizz. You’ll be amazed at how “put together” you wake up. It will save you time, too. The more you can eliminate breakage, the happier your hair will be. Speaking of, trade out the ponytail holder for some Kanzashi hair sticks…
- Don’t wash your hair everyday. Most of us know this by now, but washing your hair regularly also washes away some of your body’s natural oils that protect it. So try to scale back to every other day or even twice a week.
- Take a break from hair color. While we’re not advocating that you have to sacrifice your desire to stay fresh (we get it!), maybe you can use this opportunity to “reset” and give your hair a break. Most hair color products dry out and damage hair and many also contain ingredients that are not good for you, like ammonia, so a few months off can only help your hair get back to its healthy state. And then you can go back to coloring to your heart’s content.
- At the risk of sounding like your mother, don’t forget to drink your water. It’s easier in the summer when we are hot, but don’t forget to get your intake during the winter too. Water energizes and supports hair growth.
We hope these tips will help your hair recover from quarantine — and from winter. At the very least, you’ll end up a bit healthier and your hair will thank you. And you’ll look and feel better about your Zoom meetings. If you have other winter hair tips you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them. Please share.
Lynn Power is the co-founder & CEO of MASAMI, clean premium haircare with a Japanese ocean botanical that’s all about hydration. She spent 30 years in advertising and marketing prior to launching MASAMI in February 2020 and has worked on lots of iconic beauty brands including L’Oréal, Clinique and Nexxus. She now spends just about all of her time thinking about hair, hydration, and clean beauty. You can get in touch at lynn@lovemasami.com
