“Should I invest in a humidifier for the dry air in my house? I’m afraid my hair might suffer if I don’t.”
Humidifier use during the colder months certainly has its benefits for hair and skin since humidifiers essentially add moisture to the air, helping to prevent and soothe dry hair and skin. Humidifiers are also helpful at easing conditions such as colds, flu, asthma and eczema by keeping nasal passages, airways and skin moisturized.
While humidifiers have their benefits, are they a must have if you have dry air in your home during the winter? Not if you don’t mind a little excess dryness in your hair and skin and plan on making regular weekly deep conditioning (essentially “humidifying” your hair) and protective styling a part of your winter hair regiment to keep the hair from drying out, rapidly.
Some do it yourself options for increasing the moisture in the air in your home are to have water bowls placed around the home which allows for water evaporation into the air. You could also boil water on the stove or run the hot shower with the door open (a really effective option for compact living spaces) or after bathing, leave your tub filled with the warm water. The easiest of them all? Invest in flowers aka “living humidifiers” since plants give off water vapor through a process called transpiration aka plant sweat. This is our favorite option since it’s also the prettiest. Great choices are African Violets which come in red, violet tones, pinks, and white. You can also try Glory of the Snow, Christmas Roses, and of course Poinsettias. We love this idea so much that we recommend you do it year round. The key is to have a few extra large vases around your house placed in clusters or you can keep a large one on your nightstand.
So humidify if you like, but also be sure to increase the moisture levels of your hair and protection of your hair and skin during this time of year.
Cheers to your hair!
