Summer Hair Care
If sunshine and summer vacation don’t go hand in hand with swimming, I don’t know what does.
I am lucky enough to live a hop, skip and a jump from gorgeous beaches, but we love a good day by the pool as well. Girl, I love a sunny day, good book, and camping out by water so I can swim. Heck, I’ve basically raised my babies by the water. It’s just our way of life.
Seeking out a way to beat the summer heat is natural. It’s great! I know our hair does not always agree with our swimming choices though. I’m here to give you a few quick tips to keep your hair and scalp happy, because- I’ve got you.
Chlorine Queen
The big downside to chlorine pools is the chemical buildup on our hair. A great swim cap is always a good idea if you are a regular, daily swimmer. If you are the occasional pool-goer, or a cap just doesn’t go with your cute new suit, here are some other tricks.
Most public pools require you to shower before entering. Public or a pool in your own backyard, make sure you get your hair wet, with non chlorinated water. It really is a must to protect your hair. I also highly recommend putting in a leave in conditioner to add an extra barrier to those pesky chemicals.
If you suspect you have pool chemical build up, a good clarifying treatment, like Malibu, can help. If you know you are regularly swimming and want to be proactive, L’Anza Clarifying Shampoo is perfect to combat chemical build up and bonus-it’s color safe. (Phew!)
Lastly, chemicals, clarifying, and sun exposure are all contributors to dry hair. I can not stress the importance of a professional quality shampoo, conditioner and weekly hair mask. GlossME is my absolute favorite. The GlossME line will leave the hair packed full of moisture, and give you all the shine and softness for those steamy summer nights.
Salt Water Superstar
If you’re more into the sand beneath your feet, sound of waves crashing vibe, well, I’m with you. The beach is one of my happy places. Let me tell you, salt water has some magical powers. Not only is it a great overall exfoliate, it can help clear up minor skin breakouts, help heal cuts faster, and in my extremely biased opinion, feed your soul.
That’s dramatic, I know. But you guys, salt water is SO GOOD for your scalp. It gets blood flowing to your hair follicles. If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, y’all know how much I love to advocate for our poor, underappreciated hair follicles.
There is a reason people are always looking to recreate that gorgeous beachy mane. In fact, while bouncing some of my ideas in preparation for writing this, a fellow stylist said she bottled the ocean water, while on vacation, to use as her very on sea salt hair spray. Um, hello genius! If you aren’t that close to the ocean, here’s my favorite bottled beach spray to try.
On the downside, if you have naturally dry, brittle hair, or it is that way from overprocessing, the salt water can dry it out even more. I will again scream from behind my laptop, get yourself some GlossME shampoo, conditioner and hair mask. If you are on a budget, spring for the GlossME mask, use it once a week, or after a long day of sun and fun.
Bronze Goddess
Whether you are soaking up the sun, sipping on a cocktail while floating on some ig worthy float (if you are doing this, please tag me @stylebynic so I can have pool float envy), or you are building sandcastles on the beach before jumping over waves and body surfing (invite me next time, puh-lease) sun protection is mandatory. Period. We are (please don’t make me lecture you about the importance of sunscreen) all aware of protecting our skin, but remember! Our scalp is part of our skin. Do not forget to include your scalp in your sunscreen routine. (And speaking of parts that often get forgotten-get the tops of your ears, girl.)
Our hair needs protecting too. If you finally got in to see your stylist after a quarantine long break, protect your investment, for the love of god! Sun, pool chemicals, even my beloved salt water will fade your precious color. I recommend FabME as a great leave in conditioner, hair sunscreen, detangler, healer, and general bff to every hair type. Note- FabME is a hair lotion that comes in a spray form. rub it in as you would a lotion, to distribute it evenly.
Now get out there and soak up every beautiful summer moment. Enjoy the sweaty heat from the sun, the crisp and cute summer cocktails, mermaid moments while swimming, and nights outside with stars above your head.
As always, if I missed anything, or you have topic specific questions, comment blow. I am here to help.
