Rizos Curls Founder Reveals the Best Products to Take Care of Curly Hair in Cold Weather

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If you have curly hairyou know that there are lots of products and specific routines you need to do if you want it to look good. There’s a lot to love about this hair type; it just has very specific needs and will look its best when those are met. Especially in the fall and winter, curly hair can get really dry or frizzy. So it’s good to know what your hair needs, along with the best products for curly hair in cold weather.

Although there’s special care that goes into styling and nourishing curly hair, unfortunately, product options have not always been wide-ranging. That’s why it was so important for Julissa Pradothe founder of Rizos Curlsto make a brand that celebrates curly hair at the same time it delivers quality and clean hair care.

“Growing up, my relationship with my curls was… complicated,” Prado tells Parade. She says that she wouldn’t find women or girls with hair like hers in salon style books growing up, and there “weren’t many options on the shelves” for her hair texture. “I learned the hard way that a lot of products either didn’t perform or were too harsh, so as I got older, I became obsessed with ingredients—not just how something works on day one, but how it supports the hair and scalp over time,” she continues.

That mindset is why she created Rizos Curls to begin with and how she approaches her formulas today. With the creation of her brand, along with the tutorials and community she’s created online, she says that “Little Julissa would have loved the options and education that exist now.” She credits their ability to lock in with their clientele as a major reason why Rizos Curls is as successful as it is today: a multi-million-dollar brand that isn’t just sold on their own website, but at Ulta Beauty too.

To get into Prado’s tricks and tips for taking care of your curly hair, specifically in the colder months, read on! She shares every time head-to winter hair products for curly hair.

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The Best Product for Curly Hair in Cold Weather, According to the Founder of Rizos Curls

All hair types have new needs when the weather gets cold—especially curly hair. But with so many kinds of products out there, it can be hard to know what you should use or what you even need. For Prado, Rizos Curls’s Vitamin C Hair Repair Mask is her “winter ride-or-die.”

“My skin, scalp and hair are very prone to dryness, so when the weather turns cold, I double up on all my moisturizing routines—skin care, scalp-care and hair care,” she tells Parade. “I deep-condition with the mask at least once a week and basically swap conditioner for a mask on wash days in the colder months.”

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A great tip she shares for how to really condition and hydrate your curly hair when it’s cold out is a “deep-conditioning bun.”

“If I’m home, I’ll do a deep-conditioning bun—load it up (with the repair mask), clip it and do things around the house for about an hour, then rinse,” she shares. “The longer you leave it, the better. I have a lot of hair and don’t hold back, so I go through about one full jar per month. My hair just can’t get enough—it drinks up the deep hydration during cold months!”

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8 Other Great Products To Use on Curly Hair in Cold Weather

The best ‘daily fix’ for curly hair in cold weather

In addition to Prado’s go-to, must-have winter haircare product for curly and coily hair, there’s another item she reaches for every day that also helps moisturize her hair.

“Cold weather can strip all that hard-earned moisture from your hair, leaving strands brittle and more prone to split ends and breakage—especially at the ends,” she says. “Our Heat Protection Multivitamin Leave-In is my daily fix—it provides lightweight yet deep hydration, helps soften and ensures my ends are moisturized so they don’t snap.”

She goes through about two bottles a month of this product because she’s “constantly reaching” for it, “especially in the colder months.”

“I can’t live without this! It’s a true cold-weather game-changer for keeping hair healthy all the way to the ends—and I’ll seal everything in with our Nourish Oil,” she adds.

The ‘true cold-weather savior’ product to add to your hair styling routine

She also notes that Rizos Curls’s new Sleek Styling Cream + Taming Wand is not just “a year-round must-have,” but is also “a true cold-weather savior.” The months between October and March, which are when it starts to really cool down temperature-wise, are jam-packed with social events, from holiday parties to family gatherings. She shares that this is the time of year she’s doing updos because of events and the styling cream and taming wand set help achieve a sleek look.

“There’s really nothing this product can’t do: it smoothes flyaways, sculpts edges and effortlessly slicks back buns and ponytails—all without crunch or flakes,” she says. “It’s also formulated with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, so it won’t break you out around the hairline and actually cares for hair and skin while you style.”

It also works really well on all hair types and textures, from curls, coils, waves, to straight.

“Total game-changer,” she says of the product. “I’m really proud of this one, it’s my current obsession!”

Products to take care of your scalp during the winter

Even though your ends can get super dry during colder weather, you don’t want to forget yours scalpeither. And that’s what Prado uses the Apple Cider Vinegar Scalp & Hair Rinse for. She says “everyone needs” to have this product in their arsenal.

“I’ve turned everyone I know onto this product,” she states.

Why is it so important to take care of your scalp in the bitter cold months? Just like the rest of your hair, your scalp can get very dry, which leads to itching. And as Prado says, “healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.”

“Cold weather can throw your scalp out of balance, leaving it dry and itchy or even more oily,” she explains. “I do a gentle pre-shampoo ACV rinse about once a month to rebalance pH, lift light buildup and keep my scalp happy.”

She calls this the “perfect reset.” Here’s how she does it, step by step:

“I section my hair, apply the rinse directly to the scalp, massage, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then rinse and follow with my wash routine,” she tells Parade. This includes:

“I love our Apple Cider Vinegar Scalp & Hair Rinse because the packaging makes application super easy,” she explains. “With this simple step, I promise you’ll notice cleaner roots, a calmer scalp and curls that take in moisture and definition more easily—even during the colder months.”

For definition and hold during cold weather, this Curl Custard is *it*

To keep your curls looking great, with their shape holding throughout any fall or winter event you have planned, Prado recommends Rizos Curls’s Curl Custard.

“Our Curl Custard is my go-to when I need definition that actually lasts through cold weather,” she shares. “It locks in moisture, reduces frizz and gives a medium, flexible hold so curls stay shiny, defined and bouncy—never stiff or crunchy.”

The reason this custard is so good at what it does—with “incredible slip for shaping and detailing—is thanks to a formula that has mango butter, aloe vera and lychee extract, which keeps “hair hydrated and smooth while you style.”

“It’s a must-have in my routine, especially during the colder months,” she shares.

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Rizos Curls Founder’s Top Hair Styling Tips in the Fall and Winter

Whether you use Rizos Curls products or not, there are some great tips and tricks to styling your hair and keeping it hydrated in the dryer, colder months of the year. Prado points out how cold weather can be harsh and “strip moisture from curls,” which, of course, increases frizz. This is where she notes that hold products are your best friends, or as she calls them, “your frizz insurance!”

“I think hold gets a bad rep, but it’s not just the product, it’s all about how you use it,” she shares. “I use hold strategically: I’ll start with a light application and glaze a thin layer of our Strong Hold Gel over the outer canopy only. That creates a protective barrier that locks in shape, volume and definition without coating every strand.”

She notes that people debate about curl castswhich is when your styling product hardens as it dries, which ultimately is what defines and firms the curls. While some people want to avoid casts altogether (which is understandable because of the undesirable “crunchy” feel), Prado shares that it’s not about avoiding them, but rather “breaking them at the right time and in the right place.” She says that this “starts with the right application technique.”

“On day one, I’ll fluff my roots from the inside for volume but leave the outer cast intact so the style lasts,” she shares. “I break the cast later, often around day three, to keep definition without the stiff feeling. Pair that smart hold technique with a deep hydration routine, and your curls stay juicy and frizz-resilient all winter long.”

Another styling tip she shares with Parade is about getting volume at the root, so that your curls aren’t falling flat on your head.

“My simplest, most effective tip is this: Don’t part your hair until you’re completely done styling and drying,” she says. “A lot of people create their part while hair is wet, which gets weighed down on both sides and leaves the root flat.”

To do this, she explains (step by step) to first apply product and style “with no hard part, keeping everything pushed back together.”

“After unwrapping the Microfiber Towel + Wrap, just scrunch and glaze product on the outer layer,” she explains, next. “Then diffuse or air-dry to about 95%-100% dry. After it’s dry, I carve my part, then shake and fluff the roots from the inside layer.”

She shares that you’ll “be amazed by the instant lift” you’ll achieve from this technique. Plus, since you didn’t “set a part while wet,” it gives you more flexibility in where you part it and style it from wash day onward, which is a plus.

So now that you know which products to use for all your cold-weather curly hair woes, you can go forward with the best hair you’ll have all year.

Up Next:

Related: The 16 Best Curly Hair Products, According to Celebrity Stylists

Source:

• Julissa Pradofounder of Rizos Curls

This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Life section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.