by
Chinwe
Now that the cold weather is officially here, most hair care regimens undergo restructuring for the better. Protective styles become more the norm. Deep conditioning becomes more crucial. Naturals who want to maximize their length retention this season aim for regimens that are robust all around.
With this focus in mind, it is time to bust a few hair care myths related to cold weather.
1. MYTH: Glycerin is, no doubt, our enemy in the winter
This is one myth that is prevalent in the hair care community since glycerin/glycerine is hygroscopic (i.e., water-loving, or attracts water). However, the mistake that some naturals make is inferring that glycerin “dries out the hair in the wintertime by removing water from the strands”. Think about it this way: we wear body lotions, apply facial moisturizers, and use hair conditioners during the wintertime yet these products generally contain glycerin. If this substance is so bad, why use any of these products at all?
The reality is that whether your hair will continue to benefit from glycerin during cold, dry winters depends on how you use it. The substance is simply most effective when applied before or in combination with water and followed up with a sealant (e.g., oil, butter, etc.). On the other hand, applying glycerin after you wet your hair or without a sealant may not do much of anything for you. BGLH blogger Jc talks more about effective techniques and more in the post “How to Use Glycerine Effectively in Winter”.
2. MYTH: Only oils and butters are best for sealing winter hair
The belief that only oils and butters can lock in moisture during the cold season is actually false for some naturals. While grease has been given a bad name in much of the hair care community, it actually works just as well or better for some of us. Why? Well, two major components of grease are petrolatum and/or lanolin, both of which are great barriers to the harsh, drying winds. That being said, check to see if you are one of those naturals who benefits more from grease than oils and/or butter alone for sealing in moisture. Try following up your L.O. or L.O.C. method with Blue Magic or Softee to provide the additional layer of protection. If you would like to read more tips on using hair grease, check out this earlier post: “How Hair Grease Can Help Retain Length in Natural Hair”.
3. MYTH: Coconut oil in your hair leads to frozen strands
Another myth that I hear frequently is that applying coconut oil to your hair during cold seasons is asking for frozen strands. Now, not every head of natural hair likes coconut oil, and those that don’t tend to experience this disdain in the form of stiff, crunchy strands year-round. On the other hand, for those that do generally like to use coconut oil, that won’t necessarily change in the wintertime if you find the right technique. Here are some tips:
– Allow the coconut oil to properly melt into your hair. This includes giving the oil time to penetrate the strands. (Try applying it the night before, rather than the morning of.) This also includes not using more than what is needed. (Too much coconut oil will simply sit on top of the hair.)
– Cut the coconut oil with another oil, like olive, grapeseed or avocado.
– Use an emulsified product containing coconut oil (e.g., Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk, etc.).
Have you heard any of these myths or others?
13 Responses
…you said the opposite in another article. I’m so lost :'(
https://bglh-marketplace.com/2012/09/transitioning-to-cool-cold-weather-hair-care/
As I con my healthy hair journey, I focus on what works for my hair. So far I know not to use glycerin in the summer but I’d like to experiment with it in the winter. I use products with coconut oil and my hair likes it and all oils/butters. I haven’t tried grease yet. Since my hair responds well to oils/butters, I think I can hold off on grease. Thank you for dispelling these myths!
JC’s article is no longer works??? I want to read that article…
i can’t imagine putting blue magic on my skin or hair. but i’ve started experimenting with coconut oil lately. I even wrote about ways to use them in the winter in this blog post
#1 is not a myth for me. My hair hates glycerin in winter — and spring, summer, and fall. I’ve tried using glycerin in my hair various ways, but that stuff turns my hair into a tangled, fairy-knotted desert. Then I have to send lots of olive oil on a rescue mission. (Thank goodness for the power and mercy of olive oil rinses.) So I’ve given up on glycerin.
The only exceptions are SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Curling Souffle, which both contain vegetable glycerin. Some kind of witchcraft keeps those 2 products from killing my coils. Granted, I only use the Curling Souffle when I’m wearing my hair up in a high bun, top knot, or some other kind of up-do where I need to make sure swept-up coils won’t tumble down. I never use it (or any other gel) for my wash & gos. As for the Smoothie, well… it used to be one of my staple products, and I still love it, but last month I found something that works even better for my hair. So I don’t use the Smoothie much these days.
#2 is something I haven’t heard much. I know women (and men) who seal with grease or just straight lanolin, so… yeah.
I used to seal with a mixture of jojoba oil and SheaMoisture’s Smoothie or Style Milk. But now I just use As I Am’s Moisture Milk as a sealant. Some folks think I’m crazy because “that’s a moisturizer, not a sealant, your hair’s gonna be sooooo dry!” But this stuff’s loaded with oils and lanolin, plus shea butter. It doesn’t weigh my hair down, and keeps it happy in cold windy Chicago weather. This product has replaced the Smoothie as one of my staples.
#3, now this one I have heard a lot. I usually assume anyone who says “coconut oil hardens/freezes your hair in the winter” probably has hair that simply doesn’t like coconut oil, period. And that’s fine — hey, my hair generally doesn’t like glycerin, so to each their own.
I don’t use coconut oil on its own, but most products in my current routine contain it, and they’ve never made my hair hard and crunchy in the winter. Not even when I’m wearing a wash & go, which I do often.
Oh and here’s another myth I’ve heard a lot:
“You MUST protective style in the winter.” My coils disagree, because they get babied in the winter.
My winter routine involves regular olive oil rinses, more frequent deep conditioning, and extra sealant on my ends. Normally I can get a good 5 days out of my wash & gos, regardless of season. In the winter, sometimes I need to wet my hair down on day 3, reapply my leave-in, and reseal. That’s a lot quicker than starting all over with shampoo or cleansing conditioner, plus oil rinse, plus conditioner (or deep conditioner), then leave-in and seal.
Sure, I might wear my hair up in a bun or some other updo that hides my ends from time to time. But I don’t reserve those styles for winter, and I don’t wear them often. I’m still primarily a wash & go girl.
Really, as long as I keep everything moisturized and sealed, and drape a large silk scarf over/around my head (or use the hood on my coat) on exceptionally cold/windy days, my “unprotected” coils and ends survive the winter just as well as the rest of my body.
I like products with glycerin. I’m starting to look for it more often. I never liked grease and never will. Not a huge fan of coconut oil either. Well as a sealant because it solidifies and melts so quickly. I don’t trust it by itself or diluted in any weather. I do like it for detangling though.
i think another myth is that the only way your hair will make it thru the winter is if it’s in a protective style and wash n goes are a no go…ehhh
I sure have been using Blue Magic’s coconut oil hair conditioner since the weather changed, unapologetically. Oil just wasn’t cutting it anymore. My hair is shinier and moisture retention is up in my hair. Best decision I’ve made this fall/ winter. I’m in Michigan where it already feels like January.
Alright. I may have to go old school and start using grease again this winter. (Hair) grease never hurt anybody. If I don’t like it then I only spent $1 to $4 on it.
I have also switched back to hair grease and I am so happy I did. I used natural oils for four years and I’ve found they do not work for my hair. My hair always looked dry and dull. Now that I’m using hair grease, my hair looks moisturized and feels so soft.
Same here ! Went back to grease December 2013 because of severe weather…multiple snowstorms & cold dry air; worst winter in decades. I hadn’t used grease in decades & had been using Qhemet & Carol’s Daughter when I went natural & they worked wonderfully. HOWEVER ! I got awful breakage & dryness in December 2013 & decided to get some Blue Magic & Dax. I would use the Qhenet & CD creams & butters & seal over them with grease.That saved my hair. I did the same thing this fall & winter.
From experience, using unmixed coconut oil on my hair in the winter does make my hair stiffen up when I’m outside, but it softens when I’m indoors. That’s because the freezing temperature of coconut oil is so high. It’s fine in my shea butter mix as long as it isn’t the main ingredient.