Crown & Glory: 10 Essential Tips to Protect Your Afro This Winter
Keep your coils lush, moisturised & break-proof through Gauteng’s crisp, bone-dry season.
Protect Your Afro This Winter: “My hair just snapped like dry twigs.” Cold winds, indoor heaters and low humidity rob Afro strands of the very moisture they crave. But with a few strategic tweaks, you can glide into spring with every curl intact and gleaming. Below are ten science-backed, style-approved moves to keep your crown thriving.
How to Protect Your Afro This Winter
1️⃣ Know Your Porosity—Then Customise
Before you buy another jar of butter, float a freshly washed strand in a glass of water. If it sinks, you’re high-porosity (soak it fast; seal it faster). If it floats, you’re low-porosity (think light, penetrating hydrators). Let porosity dictate product weight and wash frequency.
2️⃣ Deep-Cleanse & Deep-Condition Weekly
Swap stripping sulphate shampoos for moisturising cleansers, then drench strands in a protein-rich mask every seven days. Steam or a plastic cap turbo-charges absorption and bounce.
3️⃣ Layer Like a Pro (The L.O.C./L.C.O. Method)
On damp hair, apply Liquid leave-in, Oil, then Cream (or reverse oil/cream if hair is fine). The triple layer locks hydration in—even during icy Joburg mornings.
4️⃣ Seal with African Butters & Oils
Finish every wash day with shea butter, avocado or jojoba oil. They act as anti-humectants, barricading strands against dry air and static.
5️⃣ Protective Styles—But Don’t Ghost Your Hair
Braids, twists and cornrows slash manipulation and breakage. Still, spritz roots with a light moisturiser every couple of days and redo edges bi-weekly to avoid desert-dry build-up.
READ: Top 15 Protective Hairstyles to Try in 2025
6️⃣ Respect the Heat (or Just… Don’t)
If you must straighten, dial tools below 180 °C and always slather on heat protectant first—your ends will thank you come spring.
7️⃣ Satin-Line Everything
Knitted beanies and woollen scarves are friction factories. Slip on a satin bonnet or silk-lined beanie before you bundle up, and watch breakage rates plummet.
8️⃣ Feed Your Scalp—Castor Oil & Peppermint FTW
Massage Jamaican Black Castor Oil mixed with a few drops of peppermint oil into your scalp twice a week to boost circulation, soothe dryness and encourage growth.
9️⃣ Night-Time TLC—Humidify & Glide
Run a bedroom humidifier, sleep on satin pillowcases, or wrap up in a silk scarf. Less friction + more ambient moisture = fewer morning fairy knots.
🔟 Hydrate & Nourish from the Inside
Water, omega-rich foods and leafy greens keep follicles robust. Your hair is 90 % protein and 100 % reflection of yesterday’s lunch—feed it well.
Protect Your Afro: Winter-Proof Routine at a Glance
- Weekly: Moisturising cleanse → Deep condition (steam) → LOC/LCO → Seal.
- Daily/Every Other Day: Light mist + oil on roots & ends.
- Bi-Weekly: Refresh protective style edges.
- Always: Satin accessories, low heat, internal hydration.
Also read: How to Transition from Relaxed to Natural Hair Gracefully