One of the best parts of summer is the long afternoons spent lounging on the beach or in the ocean. But we wish a day at the beach wasn’t so tough on our hair! After a few hours, hair feels crunchy and dry – and don’t even get us started if our strands are dyed. How are you supposed to keep your hair healthy in light of all of this? And dare we ask what all that sun and sand actually does to hair? We’ve got the scoop – check out the list below.
Keep up your moisture routine
Spending too much time outside with your hair exposed can fry your strands. Dry hair can break more easily – and creates the very unflattering frizzy silhouette. To keep your hair silky smooth, add more moisture to your shower routine. Before hopping in the shower, brush your hair to spread the natural oils at your scalp. PopXO suggested creating a soothing hair mask with avocado, almond oil and milk. Once you mix all those ingredients together, smooth it onto your hair from root to tip. Rinse it off right before you step out of the shower. You only need to do this once per week in order to see results!
Seek out products with SPF
You wouldn’t think to put on a skin foundation that doesn’t have SPF in it for summer, right? Your hair deserves the same treatment. You can find conditioners that include SPF that will add an extra layer of protection when you step out onto the beach. That small change can help prevent split ends and breakage. Are you rocking a dye job this summer? If your hair has some color in it, like red or purple, you can slow the fade that comes from washing your hair by mixing a small container of dye with your conditioner. No need to let it sit – simply condition your hair and rinse it out. You’ll be able to keep the vibrant color longer.
Avoid over-shampooing your hair to keep your color bright this summer.Keep the highlights bright
Thank goodness stepping into the ocean can’t turn blonde highlights green. But blondes have to be wary of brassiness during the summer. You can try washing your hair with beer and lemon juice to return your hair to its original beautiful blonde.
There are other tricks you can use to keep your dyed hair looking pristine. When you rinse off at the beach, use cooler water to get rid of the salt – it’ll feel refreshing for your skin and hair! In addition, avoid over-shampooing your hair: Each time you apply shampoo (and hot water), it strips more color from your strands. Can’t give up your warm water shower? Cosmopolitan recommended quickly turning your shower dial to cooler water to close off the hair cuticle, which leads to silkier hair.
Follow these tips and you can keep your tresses silky and healthy all summer long.
