If the winter weather has your hair taking a beating, restore vitality and moisture with these deep conditioning treatments.
By Sheila Mulhern
The Washington area had no shortage of snow, freezing temperatures and wind gusts this winter. These environmental factors can often take a toll on hair which is left dry and damaged.
With dehydrated hair leading to breakage and split ends, it’s time to do some damage control to repair as we approach the warmer weather by using some at-home deep conditioners and styling treatments.
If you don’t have time for an appointment at The Aveda Institute in Chinatown, try their Dry Remedy Moisture Treatment Masque (Natural Health Beauty Award Winner) and Dry Remedy Moisturizing Conditioner (Shape Beauty Award Winner). The conditioner can be used daily with a weekly rotation of the masque.
Both contain certified organic palmarosa, rose geranium and ylang ylang.
Whether or not you color your hair, the dried out results can overlap so products for chemically treated hair also are great to use, even if you are lucky enough to still have your natural hair color. SeaExtend Strengthening Conditioner from Aquage uses sea silk and neptune kelp extracts to aid chemically damaged hair. Other top-performing products to add softness and shine include Phyto’s Ultra Nourishing Mask (with shea butter and cashew oils) and Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream (with soybean, mallow and St. John’s Wort extracts).
If you are looking to support a homegrown company, try Valley Green Naturals Fusion Natural Hair Conditioner made in the Northern Piedmont region of Virginia. Made from jojoba oil, rosemary extract, and rice bran oil, products use pure ingredients derived from nature and are environmentally friendly.
Styling products are equally important when treating dry hair. In cases where deep conditioners may be too heavy, styling creams and oils can be a useful alternative or strong supplement for more damaged hair.
Begin with a pre-shampoo oil treatment every other week like Phytonectar Oil, made with egg yolk oil. This coats the hair with a strong base of proteins, lipids and vitamins.
Follow up by applying a leave-in conditioning spray to damp hair like Repair Me Detangling Mist from Jackie O and Grace Kelly stylist Peter Lamas. Another great option is Sally Hershberger’s Super Keratin Spray, which contains silk extract and protects against thermal styling leaving hair noticeably softer once dry. If a heavier treatment is needed before drying hair, Aquage has a SeaExtend Silkening Oil Treatment made from sweet almond oil and blue sea kale extract.
Finish and protect the look with sculpting creams like Peter Lamas Revitalizing Styling Cream which uses holistic botanicals peach kernel and licorice root extracts to provide a light hold. Once dried, seal in moisture and tame fly-aways with a dab of Sally Hershberger Soft Touch Shaping Cream, a triple blend of cocoa butter, shea butter and macadamia seed oil.
