How To Take Care Of Your Hair and Scalp In Winter

How Do I Take Care of My Hair in the Winter?

Cold weather can severely affect many facets of the body — our immune systems, body temperatures, hearts, and skin. Nutritionists and doctors advocate adjusting your diet to include winter weather foods to boost metabolism, bolster your immune system, elevate energy levels. 

During the winter months, skincare may include adding eye cream, using skin moisturizers with natural ingredients, or increasing lip balm usage. But what about your hair? How do you take care of your hair in the winter? 

Winter's low temperatures and dryness can negatively affect your hair's look, texture, and health. Age-related scalp dryness and chronic scalp issues like dandruff become noticeably worse in the colder months. Yet, these challenges can all be addressed by taking measures to safeguard your hair and scalp in the winter. 

Tips for Taking Care of Your Hair in the Winter 

Women with thinning hair are especially vulnerable to skin damage and sunburn. Wind and sun damage can lead to inflammation, which can eventually cause telogen effluvium. This condition happens when a sudden shock or change prematurely pushes your hair into the telogen (or resting) phase triggering hair loss. Try these tips to combat wintertime dry scalp issues: 

• Cover-up — Make sure to protect your scalp and hair from the sun, wind, and cold by wearing a hat or scarf. Using them will guard your scalp and tresses from the cold, keeping them healthy. If your hair and scalp become wet, dry them as soon as possible because damp hair against your scalp for too long can prompt it to soften and break down.
• Wear sunscreen on your scalp — As we get older, our hair thins, leaving more of our scalp exposed to the elements. If you choose to forgo a hat or scarf, ensure you protect your skin with a sunscreen made for your scalp. This is especially crucial if you become involved in outdoor activities like sledding, skiing, or snowboarding. Look for one with a broad-spectrum formula and an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30.
• For healthy hair, moisturize your scalp — The outer layer of your scalp is called the stratum corneum and serves as the primary barrier between your body and your environment. Unfortunately, this skin has a low barrier function. This means it is not as adept at maintaining and replenishing hydration compared to the skin found in other places of your body. Using a scalp moisturizer could help; however, you may need to alter your choice of shampoos and other hair care products.
• Give yourself a scalp massage — Giving yourself a scalp massage daily or weekly can help you remove dead skin cells and free up tight skin. Do this with your hands or with Better Not Younger's new Superpower Liquid Comb Massaging Serum Applicator. It can be utilized with or without Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum to improve scalp blood flow and hydration, easing dry skin and allowing hair to grow vibrant and healthy.
• Use less heat — Hairdryers and curling irons can pull moisture from your scalp and hair. If you need to use high-heat styling tools, mist your locks with Better Not Younger's No Remorse Heat Protection & Taming Spray. Apply this lightweight sulfate- and paraben-free formula before styling to safeguard your tresses from heat damage all day long.
• Drink enough fluids — Dehydration is more common as we age, potentially leading to an unwanted trip to the hospital. The amount of fluid our bodies can retain decreases as we get older. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends women drink about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids every day. These recommendations are derived from food, water, and other beverages.
• Use a humidifier — Investing in a humidifier this winter can help infuse moisture into the air, easing dry hair and scalp issues. Remember to regularly change the water and filters according to the instructions. Humidifiers that are not properly maintained can cause infections and other ailments. 

Shampoos and Conditioners That Care for Your Aging Hair 

In addition to a dry scalp, cold air causes the cuticles on your strands to lift, releasing moisture into the air. This can lead to brittle strands and frizzy hair. Icy winter winds also cause your hair to become more easily tangled and snagged. When you attempt to brush and detangle it, the yanking action can cause split-ends or breakage. 

To protect your hair from this cold weather assault, you may need to switch up your shampoo and conditioner regimen. Clarifying and other harsh sulfate shampoos use aggressive surfactants to strip away dirt and oils. Unfortunately, they also strip away your scalp's natural oils and lipids, essential for keeping your skin hydrated, especially during the winter. 

Restore and repair your winter-damaged hair with sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners from Better Not Younger. 

• Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo and Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner restores life to flat, thinning hair, cleaning and conditioning your tresses while preserving your delicate cuticles.
• Second Chance Low Suds Repairing Shampoo for Dry/Damaged Hair and Second Chance Repairing Conditioner for Dry/Damaged Hair will revitalize even the most fragile locks, allowing you to enjoy moisture-rich, healthy-looking hair all winter. 

Each of our shampoos and conditioners gently cleanses your hair using mild surfactants. They are packed with amino acids, proteins, vitamins, and antioxidants to nourish and protect your scalp and hair. 

Butter Masques to Rehydrate Your Locks 

Sometimes winter feels like it goes on forever, especially when you experience staticky, tangled hair and an itchy dry scalp. Using a hair masque from Better Not Younger in place of your conditioner once or twice a week helps reverse winter weather damage. 

Better Not Younger's Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque (for cool blonde, platinum, and gray hair) and Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque penetrate your hair strands to seal in hydration, repair damage, and boost tensile strength and shine. 

This rinse-off treatment is formulated with a unique combination of five plant-based butters that won't weigh your hair down and is safe for keratin-, color-, and chemically treated hair. 

How Do I Fix My Dry Scalp in the Winter? 

A mild-to-moderately dry scalp is one of the many menopausal side-effects aging delivers. This uncomfortable condition is usually aggravated for those of us living in colder, dryer climates where winter weather saps moisture from our scalps and hair. 

Dry skin is more widespread in the winter and is often accompanied by tightness and slight itching (excessive itching may be a sign of eczema or dandruff). You may experience dandruff-like flakes, but a dry scalp is not dandruff. 

Winter can also cause once-hydrated locks to become dull, frizzy, and prone to breakage. If left untreated, a dry scalp can even lead to hair loss. How do you fix your dry scalp in the winter?  

How Winter Affects Your Scalp 

Age-related hair loss and seasonal hair shedding can expose more of our scalp's skin to winter's harmful effects. 

Sun exposure and lack of moisture in the air are factors that affect our skin during the cold season. Both can harm our unprotected scalps: 

• Sunburns — Skin exposed to the sun's UVA and UVB rays in the wintertime can burn as quickly as it can in the summertime. UVA rays can penetrate fog and clouds, and UVB rays can damage your scalp skin throughout the year, especially at higher altitudes. Furthermore, snow reflects nearly 80% of the sun's rays, subjecting your scalp to even more UV light exposure. This increases your risk of accelerated aging and certain forms of skin cancer.
• Dry air — Whether we live in a chillier climate or plan to visit one, lower humidity levels drop sharply in the wintertime, causing issues for our unprotected scalps. The water our skin produces to seal and protect itself evaporates into the dry air around us. Our skin becomes parched and more cracked than usual, leaving it itchy and prone to infection. 

Winter weather can also inflame chronic scalp-skin problems, including: 

• Dandruff — Winter itself does not cause dandruff, but how we handle the cold can make existing dandruff look and feel worse. Dandruff-causing microbes flourish under a warm, wooly hat and central heating dries out the hair around you, increasing your dry, flaky scalp.
• Atopic dermatitis (AD) — Also called winter eczema or seasonal dermatitis, individuals with this condition find that cold, dry weather intensifies its severity and increases skin lesions. AD sufferers have a skin barrier dysfunction, allowing them to lose more moisture than usual and remain vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, fungi, and irritants.
• Psoriasis — In the same way that hot sunny weather eases psoriasis symptoms, dry winter weather can cause psoriasis flare-ups. 

Better Not Younger Products That Target Your Scalp 

Hormones and menopause go hand-in-hand, and so do cold weather and dry scalps. Avoiding harsh hair products and stocking up on Better Not Younger's gentle scalp serums, exfoliators, and moisturizing butters is crucial. Better Not Younger addresses the underlying physiology of aging hair issues while simultaneously treating the symptoms. The result is a hydrated, pliable scalp capable of supporting healthy, shiny tresses in any season. 

Stimulate Your Scalp 

Follicles receive nourishment through your bloodstream; therefore, increasing the blood supply will increase hydration and beneficial nutrients to your hair. Drink plenty of water and use Better Not Younger's Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum. Our scalp-centric serum contains galvanizing ingredients like caffeine, ginger, and Centella asiatica to boost circulation. 

Remove Buildup by Exfoliating 

Better Not Younger's New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp Cleanser is the only scalp cleanser available that allows you to physically and chemically exfoliate your scalp and stimulate your follicles. Your body maintains scalp moisture by secreting sebum from sebaceous glands at the base of your follicles. Aging and scalp buildup can slow or prevent sebum production, leading to dryness that is exacerbated by arid weather. 

New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp cleanser removes buildup and unclogs pores, freeing up sebum to hydrate your skin. Our scalp cleanser combines a built-in brush with activated charcoal and gentle, natural exfoliating ingredients. Birch extract, a non-drying astringent and clarifier rich in A, B1, B2, and C vitamins, combines with lactic acid to exfoliate and nourish your entire scalp. 

Steep Your Scalp in Natural Plant Butters 

A healthy, hydrated scalp is essential for ensuring thick, shiny, elastic hair throughout your life. To do this, ensure you are nourishing your skin and its substructures with products designed to address the unique issues we face as we age. 

After spending time in the winter sun and frigid wind, restore your scalp and tresses with Better Not Younger's Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque. Our decadent masque is formulated with vitamin E and five nourishing plant-based butters to hydrate your skin and enhance moisture delivery to your thirsty strands. 

Choose a Shampoo and Conditioner for Scalp Health 

In addition to winter damage, aging causes our scalps to become drier and thinner due to elastin and collagen layers becoming disconnected. Additionally, pores become clogged because dead skin cells do not shed themselves as rapidly. 

To address your evolving hair biology and fix your dry scalp, avoid sulfate shampoos and conditioners. Switch to products designed to gently cleanse and nourish your scalp while leaving natural oils intact, like Better Not Younger's Second Chance Low Suds Repairing Shampoo and Second Chance Repairing Conditioner, both for dry/damaged hair. 

Second Chance shampoo includes scalp-nourishing ingredients like passionflower extract with linoleic acid and omega-6 fatty acids to enrich your scalp and phenol-rich argan oil to bolster follicle health seal in moisture. 

Second Chance conditioner hydrates your dry scalp using meadowfoam seed oil containing 98% essential fatty acids and vitamins C and E. Additionally, this one-of-a-kind solution shores up your skin's barrier functions with ceramide-NG. 

Use Better Not Younger to Take Care of Your Hair in the Winter

When temperatures drop during the winter, humidity decreases along with it. This effectively saps moisture from your skin and dries it out, leaving your scalp flaky, cracked, and susceptible to damage. 

You can do several things to fight wintertime dry scalp, including using Better Not Younger products to hydrate your skin, lock in moisture, and nourish your strands from the inside out. Stop by our Shop page today to view our full line of hair care products.