Ways You Can Heal Your Summer Hair
We all love letting our hair grow during the summer and watching it get natural highlights, but the downturn is when summer ends and the time to trim it approaches. During those hot summer months, your hair can get damaged to where it’s beyond salvation. However, there are ways to avoid this. There are ways in which you can still enjoy summer hairstyles, but make your hair stay protected from the elements. Keep reading to find out.
Moisturize It As Much As You Can
We often forget that heat dehydrates your hair. Usually, we attribute mass dehydration to winter because of the lack of moisture in the air, but heat during the summer months also creates this effect. The reality is that it’s not just the heat that dehydrates our hair in the summer, but the outdoor activities we engage in. Going for a swim, whether it’s in a pool or the ocean, will damage your hair greatly. The sea salt and chlorine are both responsible for making our hair dehydrated and brittle.
In the same frame, when we spend more time outdoors, exposed to the sun, we create another opportunity to cause brittle, damaged hair. If you experience parts of your hair changing color during the summer, it’s a direct sign to the most damaged parts of your hair. One great way to make your hair stronger and more resilient is by moisturizing it more than usual. If you already apply a moisturizing mask and conditioner every time you wash it, you’re halfway there! Consider changing your shampoo to a moisturizing one and when you are drying your hair afterward, apply a moisturizing leave-in conditioner as well. However, be wary of the ingredients in the products you use, certain chemicals found in shampoos and conditioners can take away your hair’s natural oil production.
Looking for a moisturizer to rehabilitate dried tresses? Try Rehab Balm! This multi-tasking powerhouse conditioner prevents tangles and replenishes your hair's moisture from the inside out. Unlike many leave-in conditioners, Rehab Balm lacks fillers, so it’s only filled with necessary ingredients that ensure hair rehabilitation. Rehab Balm can be heavy on thinner hair types, so if you’re looking for a lighter moisturizer, we recommend our Muku Milk! Muku Milk is our lightweight conditioner that detangles and is packed with B vitamins, iron, and Vitamin C.
Use Protective Hairstyles
If the sun and other elements of nature affect your hair negatively during the summer, the best thing you can do to give it a rest is to use protective hairstyles. You can braid your hair into a braid crown, double French braids, or simply do a cute low bun. This way, you will be reducing the amount of hair that is exposed to the elements; reducing friction as well.
If you choose to go for a swim, try braiding your hair first. This will prevent it from becoming tangled, a daunting task you want to avoid after getting out of the water. In addition to the annoyance of detangling your hair, detangling causes severe breakage that will leave you with flyaways and split ends. (A no-go in the hair department.) However, all this can be easily avoided if you swim with your hair in a protective style. Besides, what’s there to lose when you have the opportunity to look quite fashionable when indulging in water sports. ;)
Avoid Using Heat On Your Hair
Heating tools are a daily instrument in the arsenal of the hair tamer, and while it’s great to get that oh-so-perfect hairstyle, your hair may be crying in the process. Some may protest that they use a heat protectant, but unfortunately, that’s not enough if you want to save your hair from the damage caused by summer climate. With a lack of moisture, your hair is left in a fragile state, so styling it with heat tools will only reduce its chances in resisting the elements.
It’s recommended to stop using heat tools altogether during the summer, but, understandably, it’s difficult to give up an easy method of taming that mane. However, you can always look up ways to style your hair the same way but without heat tools. Older, heatless methods such as overnight hair rollers can get you the same results. Looking for that natural beach wave? Overnight braids in the styles listed in our last tip can provide the same results as a flat iron. While these methods can take longer to produce a result because they rely on air drying, when done overnight, there’s no need to wait; you can honestly say, “I woke up like this!” On another hand, if you choose heatless methods during the day, your hair will dry faster due to the warm summer weather.
You can also embrace your natural hair during the summer months and create new hairstyles that favor your natural texture.
Use Conditioner Before Going for a Swim
If you’re unfamiliar with this technique, it might sound strange at first. However, think about it this way: your hair suffers damage when it goes freely into the water or when it’s floating freely in the wind under the hot sun, so if you choose to protect it with conditioner as a preventative measure, your hair is less likely to suffer the consequences. What you can do to minimize this is to apply a protective layer over it. If you plan on going swimming, you can apply Rehab Balm to your hair before you leave the house. Rehab Balm is known for its ability to lock in moisture and prevent other elements from sinking in the shafts of your hair, so using conditioner before an activity serves as a preventative, while using it after serves as a restorative.
If you don’t feel like having a product weighing down your hair every time you feel like swimming, there’s another alternative. You can take a bottle of mineral water with you and drench your hair with it before going into the water. Your hair will absorb the mineral water first, not leaving much room for chlorine or salt water.
Use Oils to Combat Frizz
We know what you’re probably thinking, “Oily hair? Gross!” but trust us on this one. Oils can be your best friend if you wish to save your damaged hair. However, the choice of your respective hair oil can be tricky. You need to choose an oil that can easily penetrate your hair and not merely sit on it. Argan oil is one of the best oils for use on hair, and you don’t have to apply much of it. There’s always the option of going with a hair serum that is specific for treating damaged hair. Regardless of what you end up choosing, you don’t need to apply much of it to see results, as long as you apply it regularly.
Avid Surf Soap customers will often use Rehab Balm, Muku Milk, and Better Butter to combat frizz and add a little extra shine to their hair. Better Butter is our healing balm that can be used just about anywhere. Our Coral Glow is also as much of a hair must-have as it is a necessity to your skincare routine. Coral Glow is our solid face oil that does wonders in restoring your skin’s natural sebum production. With clean ingredients that delve deep into your hair and skin cells, Surf Soap products can be used for any beauty care need, harmless to your body and our oceans.
Use a Hat and Products with SPF
Yes, using a protective hairstyle can go a long way, but why not pair it with a hat to make sure that your hair is fully protected when you go on a hike, or to the beach, for example, and spend all day under the sun? Not only will it help you shield your face and neck from the sun, thus protecting the sensitive skin on your body, but will also preserve the condition of your hair.
Using a hat is always a great choice for sunny days, but so is sunscreen. You may already apply sunscreen on your skin to protect it from the sun, but what about your hair? Did you know that there are specialized sunscreens solely for your hair? There are exclusively hair products with SPF that will protect your hair from the harmful effects of the sun, but be wary of whether these sunscreens have the potential to damage the ocean in the process. Looking for hair protection products formulated without harmful chemicals? Check out Surf Soap, Muku Milk, our weightless conditioner, and Rehab Balm our leave-in conditioner, will leave your hair so moisturized there won’t be a need for SPF.
We hope these tips will help you with those summer hair worries! Stay tuned for more mane tips.