Blue skies, sunshine, and if you’re lucky at least a few of those long, lazy days at the beach listening to the sound of waves crashing. There’s just something about the summer season that makes everyone come alive, relax a little and enjoy life just a tad bit more. But, as many of us know, it is also the season where our hair tends to get dry and brittle and lose its shine and vitality. No need to worry though – sit back, relax and enjoy Vilda’s best tips to keep your hair glossy and healthy under the sun.
The time for natural beach waves
All year round, we try to figure out how to get those soft, textured beach waves in our hair that just look effortlessly sexy. Well, now is the time to actually do it effortlessly. Before you head out to the beach, put your hair in two french braids and make sure to dip your hair in the salty sea water. Make sure the braids have dried to at least 80% before you take them out. Use a bit of styling powder or dry shampoo in your roots if needed and spray a little for hold. Et voilà – beach waves straight from the beach!
Pool protection
Are you staying by the pool this summer? Chlorine water isn’t the best for hair, but you can help limit the damage by dampening your hair before you dive in. Dampen it in the shower or with a spray bottle – the non-chlorine water dampens your hair first and thus your hair doesn’t absorb the chlorine while it’s completely dry. Because of this, your hair won’t get a huge concentration of chlorine and therefore won’t be as damaged by it. This is especially important if you are blonde, as high concentrations of chlorine can turn your blonde locks green. Wash the hair straight after you’ve been swimming as well, to get as much chlorine out of it as possible.
Wash n’ Go
Ditch the hot tools and stop blowdrying, straightening and curling your hair unless it’s for a special occasion. The heat from these tools causes breakage and damages your hair, so give it a break. After you’ve washed it, just comb it through and let it air-dry. If your hair tends to get a bit frizzy or just looks too plain for your taste without some help from hot tools, you can twist your hair while wet, let it dry and you’ll have natural, bouncy curls.
The natural remedy
Is your hair already very dry and brittle? No need to buy expensive hair oil treatments – mash an avocado and mix it with some olive oil or coconut oil and apply it to your dry ends. If it’s very dry, you can put a hot towel around the hair for 5-10 minutes before you wash it out. Your hair will be soft and filled with moisture.
SPF hair protection
By now, you hopefully know how important it is to slather your skin in sunprotection before and during sun exposure, but don’t forget your head. Even though your hair is protecting your scalp, you might need a little extra protection in your part, around the edges and especially if you have fine or thinning hair. It’s best to protect your scalp with a hat, a scarf or a cool turban but if you think that’s too hot then try a leave-in conditioner with SPF – it won’t protect as much as a hat but is better than nothing. Plus, it can help in keeping your hair color from fading – double win!
Ditch the brush
Always comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb when it’s wet. A brush with tight bristles will pull the hair strands and can cause breakage, especially on dry summer hair. So get a good ol’ wide-toothed comb or opt for a Tangle Teezer brush, which is gentle enough to use on wet hair as well.
For more summer beauty tips, read our article on summer beauty do’s and don’ts here and above all, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and have fun this summer.
Photo: Chase Zalewski (Creative Commons license)
