Wavy hair is the hardest hair type to get right in winter, because it sits between straight and curly and it wants a little of both: enough moisture to keep the wave defined, but not so much that the wave is weighed down and goes flat. A winter hair care routine for women with wavy hair is not a curly routine with less product, and it is not a straight routine with more: it is its own thing, built on light layers of moisture — never heavy butters — and a scrunching habit that keeps the wave alive. Get the lightness right, and your waves will be frizz-free all winter.
In this guide to a winter hair care routine for women with wavy hair, you will find 15 steps to frizz-free waves, from the lightweight winter wash routine to scrunching versus brushing — the winter rules — from the wave-refresh spray to protecting waves under hats, and from the products that weigh waves down to the two questions every wavy-haired woman asks in January. Every step here works in winter, every one of them is designed for real wavy hair in real cold weather, and every one of them starts with the same simple truth: light layers of moisture, never heavy butters.
Wavy hair is finer and flatter than curly hair, which is why it is so easy to weigh down: a heavy cream or a thick butter will coat the wave and pull it straight, and the result is hair that is neither wavy nor straight, just flat and a little greasy. Winter makes that worse, because the cold air dries the wave out and the temptation is to pile on more product — which only makes the flatness worse. The routine in this guide uses light products, in thin layers, and it lets the wave do the work — and that is why it works, and why it will carry your waves through the whole winter without a flat day.
The Lightweight Winter Wash Routine
The lightweight winter wash routine is the foundation of the whole routine, because everything that follows depends on how you wash. In winter, wavy hair should be washed two or three times a week — more often than curly hair, because the waves are finer and the scalp shows oil sooner — and the wash should be gentle and light, because a heavy wash will weigh the wave down before you have even started. The routine below is the wash to build your winter on.
A Gentle, Sulphate-Free Wash
A gentle, sulphate-free wash is the first step, and it matters more in winter than it does in summer. Sulphates are the detergents that make shampoo foam, and they strip the natural oils out of wavy hair, which is exactly what winter does too — so using a sulphate shampoo in winter is doubling the damage. Choose a lightweight, sulphate-free shampoo, and wash the scalp gently with your fingertips, letting the shampoo run down the lengths rather than scrubbing them. Rinse with lukewarm water, not hot, because hot water opens the cuticle and lets the moisture escape, and the waves will thank you for it by staying soft instead of going frizzy. If your hair is fine, a volumising shampoo will give the roots a little lift, which is the lift that keeps the wave from going flat.
Condition the Ends, Not the Roots
Condition the ends, not the roots, and that is the rule that will keep your waves from going flat. The roots of wavy hair do not need conditioner — they are close to the scalp, which makes its own oil, and conditioner on the roots will only weigh them down and make the hair look greasy. Work a lightweight conditioner through the mid-lengths and the ends only, leave it on for two or three minutes, and rinse it out with cool water, which seals the cuticle and locks the moisture in. If the ends are very dry, a leave-in conditioner on the ends after washing will help, but keep it away from the roots. The ends are the part of the wave that needs the moisture, and the roots are the part that needs the lift, and conditioning them differently is the difference between waves that fall flat and waves that hold their shape.
Scrunching vs Brushing: The Winter Rules
Scrunching versus brushing is the great divide in wavy hair care, and the winter rules are simple: scrunch when wet, and brush only when wet, never when dry. Scrunching encourages the wave, because it pushes the hair up into its natural pattern, while brushing pulls the wave out, because it drags the hair straight. In winter, when the wave is already struggling against the cold and the hats, the difference between scrunching and brushing is the difference between a wave and a frizz.
Scrunch When Wet
Scrunch when wet, and that is the first rule: after you wash and condition, apply your products to soaking wet hair, and then scrunch the waves up towards the roots with your hands, pressing them up and holding them for a few seconds before you let them go. The scrunching pushes the hair into its wave pattern, and the water helps the products spread evenly, so every wave gets some. Scrunch with a microfibre towel or an old t-shirt — never a terry towel, which will frizz the waves — and scrunch gently, not roughly, because you are encouraging the wave, not crushing it. The scrunch is the most important habit in this whole guide, and it is the one to do every wash day, without exception.
Brush Only When Wet, Never When Dry
Brush only when wet, never when dry, and that is the second rule: if you need to detangle, do it in the shower, while the conditioner is still in the hair, using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers, and never pull a tangle out — work it apart gently. Never brush dry wavy hair, because brushing a dry wave will pull it straight, break the pattern and leave you with frizz, not waves. If the waves need shaping during the day, use your fingers, not a brush, and if they need a refresh, mist them with water and scrunch them again. The brush is a wash-day tool, not a styling tool, and the moment you stop brushing dry waves, the frizz will stop too.
15 Steps to Frizz-Free Waves
Here are the 15 steps, grouped so you can follow them in order. Each group is a stage of the routine — wash, layer, dry, protect, refresh — and together they are the complete winter routine for wavy hair. Follow them in order, and your waves will be frizz-free from wash day to day three.
Steps 1 to 3: Wash Lightly, Condition the Ends, Detangle Wet
Step one is to wash lightly, with a sulphate-free shampoo and lukewarm water, massaging the scalp with your fingertips and letting the shampoo run down the lengths. Step two is to condition the ends, not the roots, with a lightweight conditioner left on for two or three minutes and rinsed out with cool water. Step three is to detangle wet, never dry: while the conditioner is still in the hair, work through the tangles with a wide-tooth comb or your fingers, starting at the ends and working up to the roots, and never pull a tangle out — work it apart gently, because a pulled wave will frizz. These three steps are the wash-day foundation, and they are the reason the waves will be light enough to hold their shape.
Steps 4 to 6: Leave-In, Mousse, Gel — Light Layers Only
Step four is the leave-in, applied to soaking wet hair in a thin layer, raked through the ends so every wave gets some. Step five is the mousse, scrunched through the lengths, which will give the waves their lift and their definition without weighing them down — a mousse is lighter than a cream, and for wavy hair that lightness is the point. Step six is the gel, scrunched over the top in a thin layer, which will form a light cast around the waves and lock the moisture inside. The order is the point — leave-in, mousse, gel, lightest to heaviest — and the amount is the skill: a small amount of each, in thin layers, and no more. Too much product will weigh the waves down, and too little will not hold them, so start with less and add more if the waves need it.
Steps 7 to 9: Scrunch, Diffuse on Low, Scrunch Out the Cast
Step seven is to scrunch, with a microfibre towel or an old t-shirt, pressing the waves up towards the roots to encourage the pattern and remove the excess water. Step eight is to diffuse on low — low heat and low speed — holding the diffuser at the roots and moving it in slow circles, which will dry the waves without blowing them apart. Step nine is to scrunch out the cast: once the hair is completely dry, scrunch the gel cast out with your hands, or with a drop of light oil on your palms, and the waves underneath will be soft, defined and touchable. Never scrunch the cast out while the hair is still damp, because the waves will frizz — wait until they are fully dry, and the cast will break away cleanly.
Steps 10 to 12: Pineapple Loosely, Satin Pillowcase, Morning Scrunch
Step ten is to pineapple loosely at night: gather the waves into a loose, high ponytail on top of the head and secure it with a satin scrunchie, which will keep the waves from being crushed while you sleep and preserve the shape for the next day. Keep the pineapple loose — a tight one will leave a dent and break the wave — and if your hair is short, a loose satin bonnet will do the same job. Step eleven is to sleep on a satin pillowcase, which will stop the cotton from pulling the moisture out of the waves overnight and stop the friction that causes frizz. Step twelve is the morning scrunch: in the morning, take the pineapple down, mist the waves lightly with water if they need it, and scrunch them gently with your hands, and let them fall into place — do not brush them, do not comb them, just scrunch and go. These three steps are the overnight routine, and they are the reason the waves will still look good on day two and day three.
Steps 13 to 15: Refresh With Spray, Seal the Ends, Protect Before You Go Out
Step thirteen is to refresh with spray: on day two or day three, mist the waves with a wave-refresh spray — or with a mix of water and a little leave-in — and scrunch them gently, which will reactivate the products that are already in the hair and bring the wave pattern back without a re-wash. Step fourteen is to seal the ends: after the refresh, smooth a drop of light oil over the ends only, which will seal the moisture in and add the shine that makes the waves look healthy, without weighing them down. Step fifteen is to protect before you go out: before you leave the house, tuck the waves into a satin-lined hat or wrap them in a satin scarf, which will keep the cold air and the wind from pulling the moisture out and the hat from crushing the shape. These three steps are the daily maintenance, and they are the reason the routine lasts all week — refresh, seal, protect, and the waves will stay frizz-free until the next wash day.
The Wave-Refresh Spray
The wave-refresh spray is the product that makes the whole routine work between wash days, because wavy hair should not be washed every day, and the spray is what carries it from wash day to the next wash day. A good refresh spray is mostly water, with a little leave-in conditioner and a drop of oil, and it reactivates the products that are already in the hair, so the wave pattern comes back without a re-wash. Mist it lightly over the waves — do not soak them — and scrunch them gently, and the waves will spring back into shape in a minute. Keep a bottle by the door, and use it every morning, and the waves will look just as good on day three as they did on wash day.
The DIY Refresh Spray
The DIY refresh spray is the cheapest and the best version: fill a spray bottle three-quarters full with water, add a tablespoon of leave-in conditioner and a few drops of light oil, shake it well, and mist it over the waves. The water reactivates the products, the leave-in adds the moisture, and the oil seals it in — and the whole bottle costs almost nothing. Make a fresh bottle every week, because the mixture does not keep, and shake it before every use, because the oil and the water will separate. A DIY refresh spray is the one product every wavy-haired woman should have, because it is the product that turns a flat second-day wave into a fresh one in thirty seconds.
By day three, the refresh spray will need a little more help, and that is normal: the products have mostly worn off by then, and the waves will need a little more water and a little more leave-in to come back to life. Mist the waves a little more generously on day three, add a small amount of mousse to the flattest sections, and scrunch the waves up again — and if a whole section has gone straight, wet it properly, re-apply a little leave-in and gel, and let it dry again. When the refresh stops working and the waves will not come back no matter how much spray you mist on them, that is the sign to wash again: the routine is a cycle, not a straight line, and the wash day is the start of it, not the end. A good winter routine will give you three good days from one wash, and the third day is the day to start again.
Protecting Waves Under Hats
Protecting waves under hats is the winter skill that will save your shape, because a hat will flatten a wave faster than anything else — and there is no way around it, only a way back. The best hat for wavy hair is a loose beanie, worn back on the head, which leaves the waves alone, and the worst is a tight beanie pulled low, which crushes them flat. Before you put the hat on, gather the waves loosely at the nape or into a low, loose bun, so the hat sits over the gathered hair rather than crushing it, and when you take the hat off, shake the waves out gently, mist them with the refresh spray, and scrunch them back into shape. The trick is to build the wave with a little extra volume at the roots in the first place, so the hat has something to crush and there is still a wave left when it comes off.
The Satin Lining Trick
The satin lining trick is the simplest way to make any hat safe for waves: sew or stick a piece of satin fabric inside the hat, so the satin sits between the wool and your waves, and the wool never touches the hair. The satin is smooth, so the waves slide instead of catching, and it stops the wool from pulling the moisture out of the hair, which is the damage that makes waves go frizzy. If you do not want to sew, a satin scarf worn under the hat will do the same job — wrap it loosely around the head, put the hat on over it, and the waves will be protected. A satin-lined hat is the best hat for wavy hair, and it is the one to buy if you wear hats every day in winter.
A low, loose bun is the other way to protect waves under a hat, and it is the one for the days when you do not want to wear a scarf: twist the waves into a soft, low bun at the nape, secure it with a satin scrunchie, and let the hat sit over the bun. The bun keeps the waves together and stops the wind from tangling them, and when you take the hat off, the bun comes down to reveal waves that are still soft and defined — a little looser than they were, but still wavy, which is exactly how a wave should look after a hat. A scarf wrap is the third option: wrap a satin scarf loosely around the head like a turban, tuck the waves up into it, and put the hat on over the top. The scarf protects the waves from the wool, the hat protects them from the cold, and the two together will keep the wave safe all day.
Products That Weigh Waves Down (Avoid List)
The products that weigh waves down are the ones to avoid, and the list is short: heavy butters, thick creams, heavy oils and anything labelled extra hold or maximum hold. Heavy butters — shea, cocoa and the thick hair butters sold for curly hair — will coat the wave and pull it straight, because they are too heavy for fine wavy hair. Thick creams will do the same, and heavy oils will make the hair look greasy rather than shiny. Extra-hold gels and hairsprays will make the wave crunchy, and the crunch will break the wave apart when you touch it. What to use instead: a lightweight leave-in, a mousse instead of a cream, a light gel instead of a heavy one, and a light oil — argan or jojoba — in a single drop, on the ends only. The rule is simple: if a product feels heavy in your hand, it will feel heavy in your hair, and a wavy routine should feel like nothing at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you start the routine, here are the two questions every wavy-haired woman asks in winter.
How often should I wash wavy hair in winter?
Two or three times a week is right for most wavy hair in winter, because the waves are finer than curls and the scalp shows oil sooner. Wash with a lightweight, sulphate-free shampoo, condition the ends only, and refresh the waves with a wave-refresh spray between washes instead of re-washing. If your scalp gets oily, a little dry shampoo at the roots will carry you to the next wash day.
Can I brush my wavy hair?
Brush it only when it is wet and full of conditioner, using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers, and never brush it dry. Brushing a dry wave will pull it straight, break the pattern and leave you with frizz, not waves. Style with your fingers and a diffuser, refresh with a spray and a scrunch, and let the brush stay in the shower where it belongs.
Love a good winter hair-care routine? You will also love our winter routine for dry, damaged hair — read our winter hair care routine for dry damaged hair for the moisture steps that keep every hair type soft.
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