The Fall Reset: Building a Hair Routine for Cooler Weather
By Sam Kate McGowan
I love fall. Give me a sweater, a good coffee, and an excuse to make literally anything feel a little cozier and I’m happy. But one thing I’ve learned (both as a stylist and just as a person trying to keep up with her own hair), is that what worked for you all summer probably isn’t exactly what your hair needs going into fall.
Summer is A LOT on our hair. Sun, salt water, chlorine, sweating, dry shampoo, throwing it up because it’s 90 degrees outside...it adds up. Then suddenly the air gets cooler and drier, and we expect our same exact routine to keep working.
So rather than completely overhauling everything, I like to think of fall as a reset. A few intentional changes now can make a huge difference in how your hair and scalp feel through the colder months.
Start at the Scalp
I feel like we spent years talking about our hair and completely forgetting that it grows out of our scalp. Thankfully, we know better now.
After summer, a good scalp refresh is one of my favorite places to start. Between sunscreen, sweat, oil, dry shampoo, styling products, swimming and everything else we’ve had going on, there can be quite a bit of buildup hanging around.
At Verde, we offer scalp-focused treatments that let us take a closer look at what’s happening and customize the experience to your scalp's needs. Sometimes it needs a deeper cleanse and exfoliation. Sometimes it needs hydration and soothing. And sometimes excess oil or buildup is the real issue. The answer isn’t the same for everyone.
At home, OAK Renew Wash is one of my favorite places to start. Think of it almost like double cleansing for your hair. You can use it before your regular shampoo to gently remove styling products, excess oil, hard-water minerals and everyday buildup so the products you use afterward can actually do their job. It’s especially great after a summer of swimming, traveling, living on dry shampoo, or all three.
If you struggle with an oily scalp, Keune Derma Regulate Shampoo is another great option. It’s designed to gently cleanse the scalp and remove excess oil without stripping everything away.
That is truly where having your stylist help you choose matters. More cleansing isn’t always better. We want to figure out what your scalp actually needs and build from there.
Your Color Might Need a Reset, Too
Even if you’re not ready for a big color change, fall is SUCH a good time for a gloss.
After months of sun, swimming (and generally just living your best summer life), color can start looking faded, dull or a little warmer than it did when you left the salon. A gloss is one of my favorite low-commitment ways to bring everything back to life. We can refresh the tone, bring back shine and make your hair feel polished again without necessarily changing your whole look.
And if you are feeling the fall itch, this is the perfect time to play with something a little deeper or richer.
That doesn’t have to mean going dramatically dark. We can add warmth, depth, or richness in a really intentional way—think dimensional brunette, richer caramel, deeper copper, or just a slightly moodier version of the color you already love.
And please tell us if you already know you’ll want to go lighter again in the spring! We can choose tones and techniques with that goal in mind instead of creating something unnecessarily difficult to lift back out later.
Let Your Hair Change With the Season
What worked for your hair all summer might not be what it needs going into fall. It’s a good time to check in on your scalp, refresh your color and switch up a few products as the weather changes.
Not sure where to start? Come see me! We can chat about what you’re noticing, what you want from your hair this season, and go from there.
