Okay. So it’s important to start off by saying that we can go on and on about why we love winter. Honestly. We can even go so far as to say that winter is better than summer (but then again, we live in LA where it’s 75 degrees year round). But we’re not here to talk about why we love winter. We’re here to talk about what winter means for your hair. We’re talking dryness from indoor heaters and brisk winds, split ends and breakage from lack of moisture, and the most common winter culprit: hat hair and the Medusa-style static that comes with it. So without further ado, we introduce to you our five straight-forward tips for winter hair care. Listen up and bundle up.

RULE #1: CO-WASH YOUR HAIR.

“Co-washing” became a popular buzzword in the beauty world just a few years back, but that doesn’t mean this trending method isn’t effective. Typically, co-washing your hair simply means washing with conditioner instead of shampoo. The idea is that constantly shampooing your hair can actually strip your hair of vital oils that are needed to keep your hair moisturized and hydrated. By occasionally replacing your shampoo with conditioner, you are still able to cleanse away unwanted greasiness while maintaining the essential moisture your hair needs. Still skeptical? Meet the co-wash craze in the middle by using a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, so you still get the clarifying benefits of a cleanser while conditioning in one step.

RULE #2: CONDITION WITH A COMB.

You hop into the shower on a cold winter morning. After washing your hair, you squeeze a glob of conditioner into your palm, rub your hands together, and slick it through the front of your hair. Five seconds later, you lean your head back into the water and rinse it all out. Sound like you? This is how not to condition your hair. The first thing you should do, is part your hair down the middle. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just split your hair with your hands. Then, apply conditioner to your hair, one side at a time. Now here’s the kicker—and the most critical part to successful conditioning: comb your hair. That’s right, before rinsing, run a wide-toothed comb through your hair to make sure that the conditioner evenly saturates your hair from mid-lengths to tips. Then wait at least two minutes before rinsing it all out.

A comb makes sure that the conditioner isn’t all sitting in one spot—which is typically the very front of your hair. That way, you're not neglecting the center, sides, and back of your hair, which arguably need the most conditioning since these parts of your hair are what you sleep on (can someone say, pillow hair?). A brush also works, but be careful to not be too rough when brushing wet hair. Just because it’s wet, doesn’t mean it's invincible.

RULE #3: OPT FOR A DEEPER COLOR.

You might be thinking, “Wait, your hair color matters in winter?” The answer is yes and no—it all depends on your hair. Say for example, you’re naturally brunette but you dye your hair medium blonde. Blonde requires a lot of upkeep and often means applying a lightening agent to your newly grown-in roots every 3-6 weeks. Now you might be thinking “So, what’s wrong with that?” There’s nothing wrong, however, constantly lightening fresh roots can be risky because oftentimes while coloring, you may overlap a bit of lightener onto your previously-colored hair. Doing so can cause breakage, and overtime, you may notice the top of your hair is healthy and strong while your ends look brittle and worn-out. Couple that with cold weather, harsh indoor heaters, and dry winter conditions, and you’re a hop, skip, and jump away from googling “HOW TO FIX BROKEN HAIR” in a late-night panic.

Darkening your color choice during colder seasons can prevent such rare meltdowns, even if it’s just a quarter to a half shade darker. The best way to do this is to use a demi-permanent hair color, which rinses out after about 28 washes. That way if you darken up in November, by March you’ll brighten right back up again. Want to go for a more permanent color switch? Go with a Custom Ends Refresher, which is specifically designed to deposit custom hair color on your mid-lengths and ends. It’s long-lasting, easy, and best of all, made just for you.

RULE #4: GIVE YOUR HAIR A BREAK.

Honestly, sometimes the best medicine is to just let your hair be. That means lay off the straightener and hot tools, wash less, and cut back on over-coloring. It might not be obvious, but on a chemical level your hair is going through a whole lot when all of these daily factors are constantly changing the shape, moisture-level, and shade of your hair follicles. Let loose and go natural for a while, and pick back up in the spring. And just like how your lips and skin gets dry in the winter—so does your hair, so protect it like you would with sunscreen and chapstick. We recommend an everyday moisturizing styler, and when in need, a good hat. Desperate for a color boost? A Toning Mask is a great option. It enhances color and counteracts unwanted tones all in one step, and acts as a deep conditioner to boot. This way you can get your color and conditioning fix, while still letting your hair hibernate for the winter.

RULE # 5 USE DRY SHAMPOO.

If you haven’t put it together by now, we really want you to cut back on washing with shampoo during winter. There’s just so many ways around it. Aside from co-washing, we love a reliable dry shampoo. A dry shampoo spray refreshes hair and absorbs excess oil and doesn’t need to be rinsed out. It’s essentially an invisible mist that’s buildable without causing buildup, and nixes odors for a revitalized finish. Plus, it gives you a soft, satin sheen that looks effortless (because it is). Substitute dry shampoo every other wash, and see how you feel. (We may be going out on a limb here, but we’re 100% sure you’ll love it.)

And there you have it: five rules to keep your hair gorgeous, vibrant, and safe from winter breakage. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to keep getting more hair-care tips and share this article far and wide with your friends. Together, we can make beautiful winter hair possible for everyone.