Summertime means longer days, stronger sun rays, higher heat, and more humidity. It also means your carefully styled hair can become dry and brittle, frizzy and unruly, or lifeless and flat, which leads to split ends, breakage, and hair fall.
The intensified UV rays from the powerful summer sun can damage the hair cuticle preventing moisture from reaching the shaft. UV rays also cause the hair’s pigment cells to oxidize and fade hair color.
Exposing hair to chlorinated or salt water can be equally drying and only exasperates the problem.
To protect your tresses during hot summer months, try to use hair products with fewer chemicals and as many natural ingredients as possible. Give hot styling tools (hairdryers, flat irons, and curling wands) a rest as much as possible. If you must use them, try using a cooler setting and always use a protecting spray or leave-in conditioner to give your hair a break from damaging heat, but also air dry your hair whenever possible.
You can also opt for updos, or braid damp hair to create natural beachy waves once it dries. Also wear hats or scarves to cover your hair from the sun while still looking stylish.
To keep hair looking sleek, shiny, and gorgeous—even at the height of summer heat and humidity—we have tips and products you can try.
1. Be Ingredient-Conscious
Look for products with ingredients that are hydrating with UV protection. Find sulfate and alcohol-free formulas as well to combat dry hair and frizzing.
2. Rinse Before Swimming
Washing hair with tap water before swimming in a pool or ocean will minimize chlorine and saltwater damage. Hair pores will absorb the tap water instead of drying and damaging chlorine or salt.
3. Dry Locks with a T-Shirt
The smooth cotton of a t-shirt will absorb less moisture than a terry-cloth towel, leaving hair more hydrated and less prone to frizz (curly girls already know this trick, of course!).
4. Hydrate Hair with a Mask
Use a hydrating hair mask after swimming or to maintain color-treated hair. The Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector is a great option for this.
5. Use Baking Soda to Remove Green Tinting
Swimming in chlorinated pool water can cause hair to turn a greenish tint, especially when it comes to blonde locks. To remove the green, mix half a cup of baking soda with water until it forms a paste. Massage the paste into your hair, rinse, and then shampoo and condition normally.
6. Shampoo Less Frequently
Using less shampoo during the summer months helps combat frizz because shampoo strips hair of essential oils needed to maintain hydration. Try washing with shampoo every third day. Between washings, rinse using only warm water to remove impurities and sweat, then follow by using conditioner alone.
7. Apply Conditioner to Dry Ends
Apply conditioner to the ends of hair to moisturize and prevent split ends. The combination with outdoor summertime heat will help lock moisture in.
8. Use a Protective Veil
Protect hair from harmful UV rays by spritzing it with a protective hair veil. This provides an invisible film that protects hair for 16 hours while minimizing color loss and dryness. Aveda’s Sun Care Protective Hair Veil, for example, conditions hair with organic shea butter, coconut oil, and palm oil and leaves behind a delicate aroma of neroli, ylang ylang, and wildcrafted citrus.
9. Don’t Go Outside with Wet Tresses
Whether blow-drying or air-drying, be sure your hair is completely dry before going outside. Damp hair in the summer heat and humidity encourages frizz.
10. Get a Haircut
Schedule your next haircut or trim at the beginning of the summer season. This will get rid of dead, split dry ends, giving you a fresh start as you head into the warmer summer months. Plus, on average, hair grows 10% faster in warm weather which increases the supply of nutrients needed to produce keratin.
11. Use Your Locks to Tie Back Hair
Separate half-inch to one-inch sections of hair behind your ears and wrap them around the rest of your hair to form a ponytail. Knot and secure it at the base with a bobby pin. Bonus: this won’t leave a crease in your hair when released as a hair tie does.
12. Stop Sweat with a Headband
Try wearing a cute headband in the extreme heat to catch and absorb sweat while keeping sticky tresses out of your eyes.
13. Protect with Powder Sunscreen
Apply powdered sunscreen to your roots, hair parts, and scalp to protect them from the sun. These from Colorscience and Mineral Fusion have a convenient built-in brush for easy, precise application and facial touch-ups.
14. Combat Frizz with Irons, not Hair-Dryers
Curling and straightening irons keep hair frizz-free longer than blow-drying because they smooth the hair cuticle. Use them on a lower heat and move positions frequently, not lingering in one area too long to avoid scorching.
15. Coconut Oil
Use coconut oil once a week as an overnight conditioner to nourish and smooth strands. Run two tablespoons of coconut oil through damp or dry hair, then wrap it up with a towel or shower cap while you sleep, then wash it out the following morning. We love this one from SheaMoisture.
16. Never Use Oils in Sunlight
Never apply oils to the hair before sun exposure as the intense UV rays will heat the oil and cause hair to fry, making it even dryer.
17. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar diluted with water makes a great conditioner that prevents brassy hair after swimming. It also helps balance hair’s pH level, reduces frizz and dryness, and boosts shine. Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a half cup of water in a spray bottle and spritz as needed for frizz control.
18. Peppermint and Tea Tree
Try using a peppermint or tea tree shampoo and conditioner for a refreshing and cooling scalp-tingling sensation.
19. Switch to a Silk Pillowcase
Cotton pillowcases pull and snag hair as you sleep, causing frayed, split ends. Cotton also draws moisture from hair which can dehydrate it, leading to breakage. Silk pillowcases, on the other hand, absorb less moisture to keep hair hydrated, and the smooth surface doesn’t snag like cotton.
20. Tame Fly-Aways with a Kabuki Brush
Lightly spritz a kabuki brush with hairspray to smooth over and tame summer fly-away hair and light frizz.
21. Be Gentle with Wet Locks
Use a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush to effortlessly untangle knots and snags. Wet hair stretches easily, and over-stretching wet strands causes breakage.
22. Use a Round Boar Bristle Brush to Blow-Dry
When blow-drying hair, use a round boar bristle brush for smooth, shiny, frizz-free results. The thick bristles spread moisture by drawing oil from the roots and evenly distributing it to the tips, which seals in hydration and maximizes shine.
23. Try a Caffeine Scalp Scrub
Exfoliate your scalp once a week with an invigorating caffeine scalp scrub. This removes dirt, grease, and product residue that can clog follicles that make hair dull and flat, or worse, hinder growth.
24. Use Dry Shampoo between Washes
Try using dry shampoo on days between hair washing or whenever hair is especially greasy or limp. Dry shampoos don’t cleanse hair and should not be used to replace shampooing with water, but they are great for refreshing hair by absorbing excess oil and combating a sweaty scalp while adding volume.
25. Drink Lots of Water
Drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day helps keep hair hydrated and stimulates growth by promoting blood circulation and nutrition absorption. Hair strands absorb water, which enhances density and gives the appearance of fuller, thicker hair. It also prevents dry, brittle hair and breakage.
You deserve to be your happiest, healthiest self, and your hair does, too. Make sure to treat it well during the summer and all year long.
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
