Though the holiday season is a wonderful time of year packed with parties, gatherings and festivities, all the celebrating can take a toll on us and our hair. All the blow drying, curling, hot ironing, teasing, pinning, spraying, and combing puts hair through the ringer. So as you spread the love around this season, show a little to your tresses, as well, with a little extra attention.

All the heat and handling your hair is experiencing, in addition to the natural dryness that accompanies winter – drier, crisper air outdoors and heated air indoors – calls for adding more moisture and protection to your hair care routine. We see the need readily on our cracked hands and fingernail cuticles, and as a result may apply hand cream several times a day. Hair strands also have a cuticle, and a similar need for extra hydration during stressful times. Here are a few tips for keeping your hair healthy and shiny from party to party.

Shampoo and condition…

with high quality moisturizing products and resist the urge to over-cleanse. Try to shampoo no more than twice a week, and focus your shampooing on the scalp not the ends. Use your conditioner as a cleanser for the ends, especially with long hair, leave the conditioner on longer than you normally do (again, mainly on the ends), and rinse thoroughly. Caretrico’s Moist Sleek Shampoo and Treatment are rich in emollients and nutrients for your locks.

Here’s an extra pro-tip:

Negative-ion water, such as Vine Care Water, is more absorbent than regular water due to its negative charge, which boosts the effectiveness of conditioners and treatments when they’re used together by helping the treatments penetrate deeper. This wonder water also tames frizz and has a volumizing effect on fine hair. For best results, spray Care Water on damp hair prior to applying leave in-conditioners or styling products.

Use a leave-in conditioner

This time of year is when you should be regularly using a leave-in conditioner. Use after washing when hair is still wet and apply thoroughly to midshafts and ends. Caretrico’s After Treatment Enrich Milk will wrap your locks in a soothing cream and put moisture back where you need it.

Moisturize and polish

Whatever tool or process you’re using to style your hair, be sure to apply a moisturizing styling product for protection, such as Arimino Aqua Moisture, a silicone-based hydration and polishing coating. Aqua Moisture is also great as a finishing touch to smooth flyaways and tame frizz.

You want to look your best for every engagement, especially during December. Help your hair look fresh and healthy by giving it extra nourishment during the winter months.

Happy holidays!

Hair Care Products

Seasonal changes require us to make different choices for our hair to balance out environmental effects. It is important to keep in mind that one product usually doesn’t work for all seasons. With shampoos & conditioners, you might need an alternative to compensate for the effects of the environment. A mild shampoo that worked wonders in the summer might need to be replaced with something more moisturizing come fall. A conditioner that has a heavier bond may be too much in the summer, but the perfect choice for fall/winter. Caretrico Moist Bounce Shampoo and Moist Bounce Treatment are perfect winter hair care choices. Summer air is moist, and causes many hair types to get frizzy. In the fall, however, the air is dry. Some hair is at it’s best in the fall, while others need to condition more due to drier air, heating systems in our homes and constant blow drying.

Hair Color

As the golden luster that your skin garnered over the summer fades, you will notice a similar phenomenon transforming the hue of your hair. Fear not, this is completely normal. This is nature’s gentle nudge to encourage us to add more depth to our hair color. Richer hues go better with our winter wardrobe palette. This change can be made all at once, or you could add lowlights to gradually return your hair to its richest tones. When these tones mix with your hair’s natural highlights from the sun, your hair color will gain extra depth and dimension.

There is very little difference between caring for your hair at the beach and when skiing. In each instance, your hair is subjected to similar environmental hazards. For example, windy conditions, the sun, sweat, salt or chlorinated pool/sauna water, even hats—be they large rimmed sun hats or snug & wooly ski attire.

The primary consideration is protection from all of these elements, of which I will describe below:

Salt & Chlorinated Water

Salt water has an osmotic effect on the hair, meaning that it leaches water out of your hair. Chlorinated water can be just as damaging. To protect your hair from associated distress, use Philip Kingsley Swimcap. I originally formulated it for the U.S. synchronized swim team in 1984 and it contains UV protectors, moisturizers and is highly water resistant.

The Sun

Have you noticed that the skin on your face burns just as easily on the beach as when skiing? The same applies to your hair & scalp. The sun on both the slopes and the beach can be exceedingly damaging, causing hair to become brittle and dry and any exposed scalp prone to burn. To help prevent this, use my Swimcap Cream (as described earlier), or wear a hat. To re-hydrate and replenish your hair & scalp, apply an intensive treatment twice a week. I recommend using my Exfoliating Scalp Mask and multi-award winning pre-shampoo conditioner, Elasticizer. They both ensure trouble-free scalps and resilient, manageable, shiny hair.

Wind

Apply weatherproof products that counteract dehydration. For example, Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence. As an added bonus, this will enable you to have protected and flyaway-free hair when going to social events!

Sweat

The sun, physical exertion and hats can all cause a sweaty scalp. This can result in itching, a buildup of bacteria and greasy looking hair. Apply Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner to your scalp to inhibit the spread of bacteria, clear irritation and soak up excess oils. Furthermore, always shampoo your hair at the end of the day to thoroughly cleanse your scalp and hair. Choose the correct shampoo according to your hair type and follow with the correct conditioner, also according to your hair type.  If necessary – and it won’t harm – shampoo your hair in the morning, too.