Your skin can really take a beating during cold, dry winter weather. So it's no surprise that it's also cruel to your locks as well. When the temperature drops it sucks the moisture out of your strands, making them vulnerable to split ends and breakage. So what's a girl to do? In this post we are revealing the most common winter hair mistakes people make and how to combat them this winter.

1. Not conditioning enough

Hydrating masks and treatments are not just for your skin care regimen, your hair needs them desperately too during the cold months. In fact, you'll need them more during winter.

The solution: Apply hair oils which are typically designed to nourish, hydrate, and replenish hair. They also act as a barrier to protect hair from dry air damage and winter fabrics. We recommend Pure Fiji's multi-tasking Exotic Bath and Body Oil which is made with a blend of cold pressed virgin coconut oil, macadamia, dilo and sikeci oils, and infused with intoxicating tropical fragrances like; guava, mango, orange blossom and pineapple to calming blends like; white ginger lily and island bliss. You're sure to find your favorite.

You can use it as a:

• Hot oil hair treatment -Great for use as a hot oil hair treatment as it is anti-fungal & perfect for fighting dandruff. Apply the Exotic Bath and Body oil to your scalp & roots and massage it in. This step can be added to your nightly beauty routine.
• Blow out -To smooth down fly-aways and keep frizzy hair at bay, use a few drops of Exotic Bath and Body oil on your damp hair before blow-drying.
• Treating dry split ends -Dry, split ends are a thing of the past when you use Exotic Bath and Body oil on your hair. Simply rub a few drops onto the ends of your hair to help hydrate your dry parched strands.

For those with dry, damaged hair; here are a few DIY hair masks designed to make your hair soft, shiny, and smooth:

DIY Coconut Oil & Honey Hair Mask

Ingredients/Supplies

• 1 tbsp Pure Fiji Exotic Bath and Body Oil
• 1 tbsp of raw honey
• 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Towel
• Shower Cap (optional)

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl by stirring with a small spoon.
• Apply mixture to your wet hair in four sections.
• Grab a towel and wrap around your neck to protect your clothes.
• Start sectioning from the bottom and work your way up to the top focusing on the ends of your hair.
• Pin your hair up and let the mask soak in for about 35-40 minutes.
• For longer hair, put your hair in a bun or use a shower cap.
• Rinse your hair in warm water and then follow up with Pure Fiji's shampoo and conditioner.

Benefits

• Honey is an emollient which means it seals moisture in your hair, keeping it conditioned so you reduce breakage, which is often a cause for slower hair growth. It is rich in antioxidants which prevent damage and keeping your scalp & hair healthy. Honey strengthens the hair follicles, curbing hair fall.
• Coconut oil is a natural way to help your hair grow longer, thicker, and faster. The vitamins and essential fatty acids naturally found in coconut oil add luster, shine and softness to the hair, prevents hair breakage and split ends, contributing to hair length.

DIY Coconut Oil & Peppermint Sugar Scalp Mask (helps remove and reduce flakes)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Pure Fiji Exotic Bath and Body Oil
• 4 tsp raw sugar
• 5 drops of peppermint oil
• 2 drops of tea tree oil
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Towel
• Hair color brush
• Shower cap (optional)

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl by stirring with a small spoon.
• Using your fingers or a hair color brush, apply the mixture directly to a two inch section of clean, damp hair in the shower.
• Once evenly applied, gently massage for 1-3 minutes.
• Put your hair up in a clip or use a shower cap and let it sit for the duration of your shower.
• Rinse your hair in warm water and then follow up with Pure Fiji's shampoo and conditioner.

Benefits

• Sugar breaks down to glycolic acid which dissolves dead skin cells
• Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Coconut oil stimulates hair growth getting deep into its follicles. Coconut oil promotes the scalp health fighting against such problems as insect bites, lice and dandruff.
• Peppermint oil helps promote circulation to the scalp
• Tea tree oil is antifungal, antimicrobial, and anti-bacteria

DIY Coconut Oil & Avocado Hair Mask

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of Pure Fiji Exotic Bath and Body Oil
• 1 overripe banana
• 1 ripe avocado

Instructions

• Warm coconut oil over low heat till it is melted.
• Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl by stirring with a small spoon.
• Apply mixture to your wet hair in four sections.
• Grab a towel and wrap around your neck to protect your clothes.
• Start sectioning from the bottom and work your way up to the top focusing on the ends of your hair.
• Pin your hair up and let the mask soak in for about 35-40 minutes.
• For longer hair, put your hair in a bun or use a shower cap.
• Rinse your hair in warm water and then follow up with Pure Fiji's shampoo and conditioner.

Benefits

Avocado, rich in vitamins, fatty acids and minerals, will help to strengthen your hair against breakage. It revitalizes damaged hair and restores natural moisture.

2. Going outside with wet hair

Remember the time your momma told you ""Dear, don't go outside with wet hair. Don't want to catch a cold now do you?"" Well momma wasn't quite right, but there's a good reason why going outside in freezing temperatures with wet hair should be avoided.

Why? When the weather reaches very low temperatures your wet hair can freeze and break.

The solution: wash your hair before bedtime. Protect your hair from heating tools by using a protecting spray. If you have curly hair, apply creams or balms on your strands. Use a smaller amount if you have fine-hair so it doesn't weigh down.

3. Washing with super hot water

Do you ever find yourself rushing for that hot shower after being outside in freezing weather? While that may feel comforting like a spa treatment unfortunately very hot water can dry out your skin, as well as damage your hair and scalp. Whether it's hot or cold, extreme temperatures can suck the moisture from your strands. The results are; dehydration, frizz, dullness and ultimately hair breakage.

What to do instead? Rinsing your hair with warm water helps to maintain hair health without freezing you out of the shower and it won't cause further dryness.

4. Washing your hair too often

The consequences of over washing will result in dryness in your hair and scalp which means a tight, flaky scalp as well as brittle, breaking locks.

You may not realize it but most people use way too much shampoo and that continuous foamy rubbing will not only cause your hair to get knotty but damage your hair as well. In addition, over shampooing can cause your sebaceous glands in your scalp to be oilier than usual. The exact opposite of what you wanted.

The solution: How often you wash your hair depends on your hair type. Those who have tight curls are typically more susceptible to dryness and damage so you want to keep your shampooing every four to five days. If you have straight hair shampoo every two to three days. Of course there are exceptions but washing your hair on a daily basis is not a good thing.

Pure Fiji's Coconut Milk Shampoo and Coconut Creme Conditioner contains hydrolyzed soy protein which has been shown to improve; gloss and texture, increases moisture retention, improve manageability and body. In addition it's sulphate-free!

5. Too much alcohol in your products

Hairsprays, heat protecting sprays, texture sprays and even salt sprays are all laded with alcohol that you can't afford to use too much of in the winter. The worst alcohols include ethanol (or ethyl alcohol), propanol, isopropyl alcohol (or isopropanol), denatured alcohol (or alcohol denat) and benzyl alcohol which can strip moisture from your hair.

The solution: The good news is that there are some alcohols that are known to help with moisture such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl, myristyl, behenyl and lauryl alcohols. Yay!

6. You're wearing the wrong head cover

For fashionistas who regularly wear winter hats like beanies and ear muff bands as a go-to accessory for keeping you warm and cozy in the winter, be careful. Unfortunately if you're wearing them everyday hats can damage your hair. That's because the constant taking on and off of your hat can lead to breakage. Worse, hats can sometimes make your hair look greasier, and they can limit the way your scalp breathes.

The solution: choose cashmere or tight-knit fabrics lined with silk, satin or cashmere so it doesn't snag or tear the strands of your hair. Switching up your part before putting on a hat or beanie helps to prevent your hair from getting too flat and it's also suggested to use leave-in conditioners to help with static control.

7. You're not trimming your hair

If you want to keep your hair looking shiny and strong during the winter trimming your hair should be part of your beauty plan. But, how often exactly? There's no one right answer because it all depends if the ends of your hair are visibly damaged or not.

The right answer: Inspect your hair after a month and every month thereafter to see if those hairs are starting to break or you see split ends. If so, then you'd better call your salon right away.

Summary

It's no secret that winter weather can be super drying on our strands. Be proactive with your beauty routine by being kind to your locks with Pure Fiji's sulphate-free, natural hair care products that promise to hydrate your strands and protect your hair from damage or breakage.