Winter Hair Care Routine

I love the idea of winter so much- cosy jumpers, candles, thousands of blankets and all the trappings of the Christmas season give me all the feels. I am less of a fan of the toll the weather takes on my hair and skin.

I think its probably a combination of constant central heating, wind and all the extra heat styling during party season but my hair this time of year is awful. I do not get my hair cut nearly as often as I should, but my split ends are usually fairly under control so it is usually the overall state of my hair that requires special TLC during winter rather than just needing a little more salon maintenance.

My hair type is a girl's worst nightmare, curly/wavy coarse and somehow both dry and greasy simultaneously. I usually manage this badly, and get caught up in cycle of over-frequently washing my hair with shampoo that irritates my scalp and conditioner that I like the smell of, but that does nothing to nourish my hair. I'm getting my act together this winter with my trusty hair care routine, especially in preparation for the fairly drastic colour change i'm hoping to undergo later this month.

I start by using the trusty Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, leaving it on for at least 20 minutes after working it through damp hair section-by-section. If you want to go for an extra-deep conditioning I would recommend giving your hair a little blast of heat with a hairdryer whilst the Elasticizer is working its' magic. The next step is shampoo and conditioner, and right now I am loving the L'Oreal Mythic Oil Souffle d'Or Shampoo followed by Herbal Essences White Grapefruit and Mosa Mint Conditioner.

The hard work really begins out of the shower, I rub a little Bumble and Bumble Bb Repair Blow Dry through the mid-lengths to ends of my hair as this really helps me achieve the sleek blow-dried look without the parched effect regular blow-drying can give. My most regular arm workout comes in the form of a bouncy blow dry: I section my hair off, and using the Lee Stafford Rainbow Shine Hairdryer*, work my way through the layers with a large barrel blow-dry brush to get a bouncy, sleek and light curl.

If I am being really lazy and have no need to face the public outside of the office, I will only rough dry my hair and stick it in a bun. It took me a long time to get to grips with blow drying my own hair, it is long and thick and still takes me ages, but the finished effect is so much better and less damaging, than half drying it with a hairdryer and straightening it for 45 minutes like I have done for most of my adult life. The best way to avoid frizz is to seal the hair cuticle quickly and the Rainbow Shine hair dryer is great for this because it has multiple heat settings and an attachment that allows me to concentrate the airflow straight onto my barrel brush. If you are on the look out for a hairdryer upgrade, definitely add the Lee Stafford Rainbow Shine dryer to your Christmas list. To finish off I use a small dollop of Lee Stafford Ubuntu Oil Treatment on my ends and Aussie Miracle Hairspray Shine + Hold to give me the perfect shine and light hold to my finished style.