All I want for Christmas is…healthy, hydrated hair! Mariah Carey may have your holiday playlist handled, but we’re here to help you handle your upcoming winter travel plans with as minimal hair issues as possible! Winter travel can bring many hair care challenges, including the threat of moisture-annihilating cold weather, dry and stale indoor heating, and other environmental factors that can lead to excessive dryness and damage. Here are some winter hair care travel hacks to ensure your hair remains moisturized and healthy throughout your winter travel plans!

"Fill-er Up" on Hydration!

Use a deep conditioning treatment before your trip to help strengthen your hair's moisture barrier as much as possible. Similar to how a bear fills its belly with food prior to hibernating to ensure there’s enough reserves, we want to make sure that we fill our hair strands with moisture prior to traveling. If we start our journey with the proper moisture levels, we’ll be much better off by the end of it - so be sure that you give your hair a thorough cleansing, followed by a rich and nourishing deep conditioning treatment, like The Melanin Haircare Plumping Deep Conditioner with hyaluronic acid, bamboo, pumpkin, and banana, prior to traveling to increase your chances of continuous hair health along the way. 

@melaninhaircare #MelaninBae @Frami shares real time FRIZZ-FREE results after using The #MelaninHaircare Signature Plumping Deep Conditioner! 👩🏽‍🦱☁️😍 Additional benefits include: 🟠 Moisture retention 🟠 Strengthening properties 🟠 Improved elasticity 🟠 Smoothing & silkening #fypシ #deepconditioner #deepconditioning #blackownedhaircare #plumpingdeepconditioner #melanin #curlyhairproducts #washday #washdayroutine #naturalhair #naturalhaircare #naturalhairtiktok ♬ all up in your mind x lemonade - amorphous

You’ll also want to pack a travel-sized hydrating styling cream, nourishing leave-in conditioner, and moisturizing hair mask to use incase there's a haircare emergency during your vacation. You never know what you may come across on your travels… if you find that your hair has unexpectedly dried out, having a quick fix, like a travel-sized leave-in conditioner or styling cream that will provide instant moisture and allow you the option to reset your hairstyle, will be essential.

The Melanin Haircare Limited Edition Signature Line Travel Kit contains all the travel-minis you need, with sturdy and refillable 3.4oz bottles containing the ultra-hydrating and Award-Winning Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner and Twist-Elongating Style Cream to help you retouch wherever you may find yourself, with ease. This limited edition kit also contains the nourishing and soothing Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend so that if you’re traveling with braids, twists, and/or an exposed scalp, you can re-nourish and calm any dry or itchy patches instantly with ease. All of the 3.4oz products in the kit come with their original toppers, such as handy nozzles and pumps, and a FREE custom, high-quality thick and waterproof canvas travel bag! 

Protect Your Hair from the Elements

Cold temperatures combined with dry winds will instantly suck the moisture out of your hair strands! Make sure you pack a stylish hat, beanie, or head wrap when traveling to help keep your hair protected from any cold temperatures or winds that might arise. When choosing which headgear to accessorize with, we recommend that you consider those that are satin-lined or made with a smooth satin or silk material. Materials like cotton and wool can actually absorb the moisture from your hair, counteracting all of your previous moisturizing efforts, causing friction, static, and potential breakage. Choosing headgear that is made from satin or silk will help you keep the moisture in your hair, and will assist in keeping your cuticles smooth, hydrated, and shiny. 

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When traveling on public transportation, you may want to consider reaching for a satin head covering as well. Public seating on many transportation vehicles tend to be lined with moisture-absorbing, and friction-inducing materials such as cotton and wool, and may also be tainted with the hair fibers and debris from previous passengers. Protect your hair from abrasive, dirty public seat covers by wearing a satin head wrap that is large enough to cover your entire head and hair length. Simply draping a large satin head wrap over your head, like the Award-Winning Melanin Haircare Stretch Satin Head Wraps and Textured Stretch Satin Head Wraps, are an easy and stylish way to protect your hair and have piece of mind when traveling, and napping, on public transportation. 

Melanin Haircare Stretch Satin Head Wraps and Textured Stretch Satin Head Wraps are stylish and varied, made with a smooth, soft and stretchy high-quality satin fabric that holds it's shape through daily wear, and resists from sliding off. They're machine washable for easy care, and extra long to allow for various styling options and scenarios, while keeping hair clean and protected from unnecessary moisture-loss.

Travel With A Humidifier

The moisture levels in the air during the winter tend to be extremely low, causing it to feel stale and dry outside, as well as indoors! With the addition of the heater blasting indoors to help maintain a comfortable level of warmth, you may experience dry hair and scalp. To make sure that the indoor winter environment doesn't suck the moisture out of your hair, scalp, and skin while traveling during the winter, consider bringing a travel-sized humidifier along with you, to help add some comfortable moisture back into the air! This will help you maintain the moisture within your hair and skin, preventing them from drying out and becoming brittle.

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BYOSP: Bring Your OWN Satin Pillowcase!

BYOSP, okay fam! No one said you had to abide by the bedding supplied at your travel destination. We know that cotton pillowcases will suck the moisture out of your beautifully hydrated natural hair... so don't settle for cotton! We always travel with our own satin pillow cases. They're super easy to fold, and they take up almost zero space in your luggage. Grab a satin pillow case or even a large satin head wrap, and cover your hotel's cotton pillow cases with it, to help reduce friction and minimize hair breakage while you sleep. Just don't forget to pack it back up to take back home with you when you leave! 😅

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Natural Hair Protective Styling!

They say the best defense is a greater offense, so opt for a simple protective style like box braids or twists to keep your hair sheltered from the cold, and reduce exposure to harsh weather conditions when traveling! These easy-to-install protective styles are amazing while traveling because they look stylish and chic, and are extremely low maintenance. While traveling, you're wanting to focus on the destination you're in and the people you're with - not so much, how you're styling your hair.  Protective styles like braids and twists allow you the freedom to enjoy your time without having to re-style your hair each day. Just be sure to use quality, nourishing haircare products when installing your protective style, not those that will dry your hair out... especially since you won't be retouching your hair for days and possibly weeks. You want to be sure that the products that you use are beneficial to your hair growth goals, and will keep your hair hydrated and protected longterm.

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We always recommend that when protective styling you remember to care for your scalp as well. It tends to be exposed when your hair is parted in braids and twists, so be sure to keep it hydrated and nourished. The Melanin Haircare Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend is great for this as it's gentle, nourishing, soothing and penetrates deep into the skin and hair, to remain non-oily and moisturized. ✨💦

Hydrate Yourself INSIDE

At the end of the day, hydration is always best received when sourced from the inside rather than the outside, so be sure to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated while traveling and not knowing when you'll encounter another source of available drinking water may prove to be difficult, but try to stay consistent. Carrying a reusable water jug with you will be helpful so that when you do come across a source of refillable water, you can get what you need. Staying hydrated will help to keep your hair, scalp and skin hydrated, but most importantly will help your body to function properly so you don't fall ill while en route.  

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Traveling during the winter doesn't have to destroy your haircare progress or growth goals. Using even just a few of the tips above, coupled with healthy, nourishing haircare products, like the Award-Winning Melanin Haircare Signature Line, will help you keep your hair looking, and feeling, healthy and beautiful throughout your trip. Bon Voyage!

Melanin Haircare Signature Line Travel Products