Certain Haircare for an Uncertain Summer
Who knows what this summer holds in store for each of us. As we look to regain some semblance of ‘normalcy’, my only hope is that it’s full of sunny days, saltwater breezes and boozy cocktails (6 feet from anyone else).
What I can be certain of, is summer with all its high hopes also comes with a plethora of hair challenges. At the forefront of these challenges is damage. Damage from Sun, Saltwater and Chlorine to be more specific.
See a few tips below on how to curtail the damage for year round healthy hair.
Sun
We consider (or at least we should) the damage that the sun’s rays can have on our skin when we’re hitting the beach or the pool, but we don’t consider how to best prep our hair. In fact, the sun can either be a friend or a foe depending on your hair colors. Here’s the split:
Blondes- if you have a natural blonde base - meaning no artificial root color at all - you know from experience that the sun can be your friend in the summer months. Feel free to let the rays lighten your natural color, this will actually make any highlights you do have look and feel more natural… not to mention extend the time between color appointments. For a little extra boost squeeze a little lemon juice on your ends to really brighten them up. However don’t get over excited, lemon juice at the root will expose brassy and unwanted tones.
Brunettes- those of you who are lightening your base or covering gray, the sun is not your friend. I repeat… not your friend. Over exposure to sun rays will open the hair cuticle and slowly strip out your color resulting in reddish, orange or. brassy tones where your color was applied. So what to do? The easiest tactic is to wear a hat! Not only are there so many chic choices, but the coverage will protect your hair, plus the added bonus of sparing your face from those harmful rays.
Hats are not for everyone though, I get it. For these people, I suggest investing in hair sunscreen (yes it exists!). Aveda Protective Hair Veil provides an invisible film to protect hair from UV rays up to 16 hours. It minimizes loss of color damage & dryness. Alternatively, if you are in a pinch just mix a little sunscreen with water and mist it over your hair. This will also protect your scalp from any sun damage!
Saltwater
Saltwater is actually packed with healthy skin and hair friendly minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. It absorbs the toxins in the body and on the skin, and is one of my favorites aspects of summertime swims. While saltwater is not bad for your hair or your color treatments, overexposure can be very drying. For those of us who color our hair we are already putting some serious dehydration pressure on the hair strand over time. So if you plan on frequent ocean dips or just converted to a salt water pool, I do recommend applying a moisturizing creme before and after so you don't lose your shine! I love Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream, it is a leave in treatment with added UV protection.
Chlorine
In a perfect world I would say always avoid chlorine, but let’s be honest. The kids want you in, you want in… you’re getting in. No matter what chlorine is bad for the hair, it’s drying, its stripping and it can seriously alter your color treatment. To minimize the damage, I have a few tricks.
ALWAYS wet your hair with fresh water before submerging your hair in chlorine - if possible apply conditioner, to act as a barrier
RINSE AGAIN with fresh water once your get out of the pool - shampoo the chlorine out as soon as possible!
It is really important to not let chlorine dry in the hair. I usually have Malibu Swimmers Remedy on hand just in case my hair color turns muddy or green. If you do a Malibu treatment, wait until you will not be going into the pool again, this can dry your hair and make it more susceptible to damage and discoloration from chlorine.
