Winter is not kind to my hair. As much as I love the season and all the fun that it brings (snow storms, holidays, the crackling of the fireplace), the dry air wreaks havoc on my locks. My scalp especially suffers during the winter months, leaving me feeling itchy and flaky. Since it’s my busiest season,  I really don’t have the time or energy to spend hours dealing with expensive or extensive treatments. Believe me, I’ve tried them. While they can work, I the simple truth is, if something takes more than a few minutes for me to do, I’ll likely put it on the bottom of my list or forget about it entirely. Since I want my hair to look great during the holidays (and beyond), I use these stress-free winter hair care tips to combat dryness.

Stress-Free Winter Hair Care

Skip the hot hair appliances

When your hair is dry, using hot appliances like straightening irons, blow dryers, and curling irons can just make things worse. Skip them as often as possible and instead play up the hair you have, whether it’s straight or curly. Try to wash your hair at night or hours before you’re leaving the house, then let it air dry. Obviously, if you’re heading out into the frigid air, you’ll want to dry your hair so it doesn’t freeze, but give your locks a break from the heat as often as possible.

Watch the temperature in the shower

I get it, it’s cold outside, your muscles are achy from playing in the snow and all you want to do is relax in a steaming hot shower. I love extremely hot water. My hair (and skin, for that matter) doesn’t. Super hot showers can dry out your hair just as easily as a curling iron or blow dryer. Instead, opt for a warm shower. If you really want the heat, take a bath with your hair up instead.

Banish flakes with Head & Shoulders

What you use in the shower counts as much as the temperature of the water. If you’re dealing with dry scalp and flakes, you can’t beat Head & Shoulders. It’s been the go-to shampoo for flaky hair for as long as I can remember! Did you know that it’s available in all sorts of scents and formulas? I just tried out the Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo. It not only removes up to 94% of dandruff irritants in my hair, it smells completely delightful.

The pyrithione zinc technology is clinically tested to provide up to 100% flake-free, beautiful, shiny hair. Head & Shoulders is pH balanced, so it’s gentle enough to use every time you wash your hair and on all hair types. Yep, even color-treated hair. Don’t worry, it won’t fade your color. Trust me. I dye my hair various shades of burgundy or auburn, colors that are super prone to fading fast, especially if you overwash it. I haven’t noticed any issues with faster fading while using Head & Shoulders.

Brush gently

First, skip the brush entirely after a shower. Instead, use a wide-tooth comb to gently separate your locks. Later, when your hair is dry, you can use a brush but take it easy. I’m always in a rush, so I have a tendency to just speed-brush my hair. Since my hair is so thick, I miss the underneath part and get knots. Then I try to brush through those knots and end up in tears.

Don’t overdo it, either. Remember that old wives tale about how you’re supposed to brush your hair with 100 strokes before bedtime? Yeah, toss that one out the window. Brush just long enough to get all your tangles out, then give it a rest.

Put it up (and cover it!)

The winter elements are hard on hair. Between the glaring sun, the wind and the fuzzy sweaters that snag our long locks, wearing your hair down and uncovered can feel like a recipe for disaster. I’m not saying you have to shove your hair in a ponytail all season long, but if you’re going to be outdoors for a while, consider piling it on your head and covering it with a hat or scarf. I’m not a hat person, so I just cover it with the hood of my coat. Even that is better than leaving it completely exposed to the elements.

All of these stress-free winter hair care tips are so easy that you barely even have to think about doing them. I mean, it doesn’t take any extra time to turn the temperature down in your shower or switch to Head & Shoulders shampoo, right?

Remember, Head & Shoulders comes in all sorts of great scents and formulas. They even have something for your guy: Head & Shoulders Old Spice Pure Sport 2-in-1. I really recommend the Green Apple if you’re looking for something that smells uplifting and energizing. I’m also planning to try out the Head & Shoulders Instant Relief Shampoo next because it has peppermint and tea tree oil in it. I like hair care products that give me an aromatherapy experience in the shower. Check out the full line of Head & Shoulders products on Amazon.

Do you have any favorite stress-free winter hair care tips to keep your hair looking beautiful all season long? Share in the comments!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Head & Shoulders. The opinions and text are all mine.