Winterize Your Hair Regimen With These 4 Tips From Our Fav YouTube Hair Gurus
Whether you are natural or relaxed, maintaining healthy hair should always be your first goal. “Good hair” isn’t inherently long, wavy, or straight – it is instead hair that retains its length, its moisture, its elasticity, its sheen, its smoothness, and healthy ends.
In addition to what we believe are quintessential methods on how to winterize your hair regimen, we spoke to popular YouTube hair and beauty gurus of all different hair textures to get their input on some of the tips and tricks of their winter hair care regimens. Whether you have locs, rock your natural curl, or keep it sleek and chic with a relaxed hair look, look no further, your winter hair routine adaptions are below.
Consider Changing How Often You Make it a Wash Day
“I wash my locs once a month and the amount of times I wash doesn't change throughout the seasons. Wash day is a long process for me and I like to minimize the amount of times I have to do it! My hair has been loving rosemary infused water. My dermatologist found that rosemary leads to the stimulation of follicles and thus promote hair growth.” – Jasmine Rose | @ms.jasminerose, Natural Hair & Beauty Vlogger
The frequency of how often you wash your hair should be cut during winter months. Your strands may crave the extra washes in the summer, but excessively wetting your hair might not be as necessary with less humidity, less sweating, and less direct heat from the sun. Fade out wash n’ go styles to hibernate until spring and summertime. Practice trial and error and address your hair care needs accordingly.
Don’t Be Afraid of Heavier Products
"I use an oil mix that consists of different oils with varying weights including, jojoba, olive, avocado, and Jamaican black castor oil, and I use this on my hair throughout the year after every single wash. It helps to seal the moisture into my hair, and it provides essential nutrients to keep my hair strong, shiny, and healthy. After it sits on my hair in the shower, I'll just give my hair a quick rinse to remove that 'oily' feeling, and what's left over is soft, moisturized hair. This is something that I find benefits my hair throughout the year, so I keep it in my routine regardless of the season. I do, however, like to apply more to my scalp in the colder months, as it can get really dry." - Whitney White | @naptural85, Natural Hair, Beauty, & Life Vlogger
Hair loves heavier products in the winter time, so don’t be afraid to gravitate towards pomades, shea butter, mango butter, butters in general, or even cholesterol products. That goes for oils as well! As beauty guru Megan says, gravitate towards heavier oils like Jamaican black or avocado oil, or even a moisturizer that is oil-based. This not only provides moisture to your strands, but, as moisture sealants, also acts as a layer of protection for your hair from the cold.
Step Up Your DC Game
"During the winter months I deep condition weekly. I also use heavier moisturizers; my favorite being Cantu and Shea Moisture creams. I’ve found that as a natural with my hair type, my hair responds best to water based products.” – Sadora Paris | @sadoraparis, Natural Hair & Beauty Vlogger
Deep conditioning is an important step in any hair regimen but as we emphasize moisture again and again, it becomes increasingly significant to do them in the colder months. Moisture is constantly playing a tug and pull game on your strands with the extreme differences in environments between indoor heat and the outdoor cold so it’s important to have layers on layers on layers of moisture. Deep conditioning is the foundation for that. DIY it with a homemade concoction or use a store-bought one – just be sure to use it with heat for a minimum of half an hour (our favorite is the heat cap). For an added moisture bonus, do a hot oil treatment for 20 minutes.
Protect Yo’ Self
“Protective styles during the winter help with dryness and breakage. Braids, wigs, protective braids under wigs, buns, and sew-ins are styles that help with over manipulation and aid in retaining length during the cooler/dryer months.” – Megan | @ulovemegz, Relaxed Hair & Beauty Vlogger
Protective styles do wonders when it comes to protecting fragile ends and can be just the alternative the weather demands because brittle cold weather can be just as damaging to hair as the excessive summer heat. Wear your hair up in buns, sweater hats (lined in satin), underneath scarves or head wraps, in synthetic braiding weaves, or even underneath sew-ins or wigs. If you’re doing less with your hair and protecting your ends, you’re promoting growth, which is quite the win-win.
How do you switch up your routine for the cold months to achieve healthy hair? Leave your tips below, sharing is caring!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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If you’re like many other people who are prioritizing wellness these days, then attending a wellness retreat might be something to consider. Wellness retreats are a cool way to get the relaxation you’ve been missing in a space with like-minded people who share a common goal. I descended upon my first wellness retreat, the Mind, Body, + Sol Retreat, a couple of weeks ago at the Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Zoëtry Agua is part of the Inclusive Collection for the World of Hyatt. It is nestled on a secluded part of Uvero Alto beach, which has crystal blue waters. The resort itself is picturesque, with its thatched roofs and lazy rivers that make you feel like you’re in a cute little village.
Mindy, Body, + Sol Retreat was hosted by Koya Webb, holistic health and wellness coach and yoga instructor, and it also featured other wellness practitioners who combined provided the ultimate gift of relaxation and getting back to oneself.
The first night was a Welcome Dinner that featured a five-course meal and an opportunity to meet our companions for the next three days. The food was impeccable and the only downside was that I wasn’t able to finish it all. The next day, however, was the official start of the classes, and I was ready to dive in.
Aura and Chakra Reading
Aura and chakra reading
Photo courtesy
My first class was an aura and chakra reading led by Laura McCann and James Levinson, an Asheville, NC couple. I’ve had chakra readings before, but never like this. There was a computer, a camera, and a scanner, which I placed my hand on for the reading. After two minutes, I received a 15-page report explaining my aura and chakra reading.
It breaks down what the colors of your aura are and what your chakras say. My main colors were green and yellow, which were defined by a variety of things. The top of my aura was green, meaning I have a social mental state and I’m a natural healer. My aura on my left side was yellow meaning my energy flowing is optimistic and light and so on.
After James discussed the findings with me, I then met with Laura, who gave me aromatherapy oils from their ADORAtherapy line that represented each chakra. She further explained the results of my chakra reading and shared how each oil can assist. Chakras are the energy centers in our body, and there is a total of seven: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. All of my chakras were high except for my heart chakra, which I have since been working on. I may follow up about that in another article.
Sound Bath
Sound bath class
Photo courtesy
Next was the sound bath class. It was located in the spa, which was indoor/ outdoor and the perfect setting for this kind of experience. Andrew Francis and Carrie Bailey of Zenden Meditation were the co-pilots in transporting attendees into a place of tranquility. I laid down, closed my eyes, and allowed the sounds around me to bring me into a relaxing state. From the singing bowls to the wind chimes, I was in heaven. I even fell asleep and got some of the best rest I’ve had in a while. It was a beautiful experience. However, remember when I noted it was an indoor/ outdoor venue? I forgot to put on bug spray and woke up pretty itchy. But it didn’t stop me from enjoying the moment.
Tea Party
Art of Tea Ritual Tea Party
Photo courtesy
The last event of the day was the Art of Tea Ritual located in the resort’s tea garden. It was everything you could want in a tea party. Delectable treats such as cookies, cakes, and white chocolate-covered strawberries, which are my fave. And, of course, tea. While I got to sip tea, I also got to make my own tea blend. There were many different teas to choose from, like hibiscus to your regular black tea. I decided to mix rose and mint and I called it RoseMint. I didn’t get to try my tea blend until I got home, and I’ll be honest, it’s probably the best tea I ever had. The tea herbs taste so fresh, and I love how fragrant it smells.
Breathwork
Breathwork Class
Photo Courtesy
The next morning was all about breathwork. If you exercise regularly, then you probably know the importance of breathing. But there’s more to it besides remembering to breathe during your workout. Margaret Townsend is a breathwork facilitator who helps people achieve wellness by consciously changing their breathing patterns. In her class, I learned to change my breathing pattern for energy as well as for relaxation. While I know that breathing is a relaxation tool, I was blown away to learn that it can also energize you. Because it was a different breathing pattern, I was also able to stay present and keep a steady pace.
Yoga
Koya Webb's yoga class
Photo courtesy
The final class of the retreat was evening yoga with Koya Webb, who, as I mentioned earlier, was the host. Her class was held beside the beautiful Uvero Alto beach, which made for a stunning backdrop and the perfect way to end the retreat. It was important for me to get back into my body after not doing yoga for a few weeks, so I was really focused on nailing the moves. However, Koya kept the energy light and fun, evening cracking a few jokes throughout, which made it easy for me to relax and enjoy the moment. She ended the class with a dance break and hugs from our classmates.
The Mind, Body, + Sol Retreat reminded me how important it is to take time to love on myself. Each class was an opportunity to be present and get reacquainted with oneself in the most loving way. Being surrounded by individuals who encouraged my journey was what I needed, and I am so honored to have had this experience.
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