Friday, November 12, 2010

Winterize Your Washes!

With winter weather practically around the corner, how does one minimize the dryness that can come with washing?  Here are a few tips:

1. Wash less often
Rather than washing 2x a week, try washing 1x a week.  Rather than washing weekly, try washing biweekly.  Opt for a dry shampoo in between washes.

2. Add oils to your shampoo
Some have minimized the drying effects of shampoo by adding a little oil.  Recommended oils: olive, jojoba, grapeseed, safflower, or castor oil.

3. Pre-poo with oils and/or conditioner
Before washing your hair, pre-poo (i.e., pretreat) with a concoction of oils and/or your favorite conditioner.  Allow the mix to sit on your hair for at least 20 minutes.  Then proceed to wash as usual.  Recommended oils: olive, coconut, castor, or soybean oil.

4. Focus on the roots and scalp rather than the strands
While cleansing the hair, apply shampoo to your roots only.  Massage your roots and scalp then rinse.  Allow the water (mixed with shampoo) to run through your strands.

5. And, of course, follow up with a good conditioner
A "good" conditioner is one that helps to retain the moisture in your hair.  (Optional: a "good" conditioner will also strengthen the hair.)

6. Speaking of winter - Dry hair completely before ...
Going outside.  Freezing cold weather + wet hair = not a good outcome.  Let your hair dry completely before opening the door.

Other tips: dilute your shampoo, perform your final rinse with cold water, use a shampoo created for dry hair