Thank you Dove for sponsoring this post. Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner works to repair hair and stop 90% of damage before it happens!
As much as I love summer (who doesn’t!) it always feels like the time of year that my hair struggles the most (#strugglebus). Between humidity (thanks, but no thanks for the frizz), heat and sun, chlorine from swimming in pools, and salt water from jumping in the ocean (even if it’s going under for one second, let’s be real), at the end of summer I usually find myself with a straw like mane that’s in need of some serious love. Luckily, this summer I’ve been thinking ahead of the game so that I’m not in need of an entire spa day at the end of August. Today I’m sharing some of my tried and true summer hair tips so that you can beat the chlorine, sun, and salt this summer! Continue reading below for my hair tips.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HAIR FROM SUN, SALT, + CHLORINE THIS SUMMER
PREVENT DAMAGE BEFORE IT HAPPENS
Okay, seems like a no brainer right? Except when it comes down to it, most people don’t start thinking about preventing damage until it’s already happened and is visible to us. So how do you prevent damage before it happens? For me, the biggest thing is the shampoo and conditioner that I use. I love using Dove’s Intensive Repair Shampoo and their Intensive Repair Conditioner to prevent 90% of damage before it happens. Dove has been a staple in my shower, vanity, and bathroom since I was a child and for good reason – the products are affordable, top quality, and they WORK. I used this shampoo and conditioner before going to Key West (if you missed it, you can read about Key West here) and it made all of the difference when I came home.
WIDE TOOTH COMB
I can’t stress this one enough. When your hair is wet, it’s extremely weak and vulnerable to damage. If you want to seriously help your hair, opt for a comb instead of a brush. A brush can actually wear away the hair’s cuticle, which is the protective covering of your hair. When the cuticle continues to become damaged, the inner cortex (getting real deep here) becomes damaged. Long story short, once the inner cortex becomes seriously damaged, it leads to the hair breaking off or what we know as dreaded split ends. Things no one wants!
So, why is a comb better? A comb can’t easily slide through the hair like a brush can, meaning you are forced to slow down when going through the hair. As tempting as it is to start at the top of your head and power through your tangles, I recommend starting at the very bottom of your hair, getting through all of the tangles, and then working your way up about an inch at a time.
LEAVE IN CONDITIONER
This is a follow up to the last one but something I often forget. Why struggle to get through the tangles in your hair when leave in conditioner exists? If you have extremely thick hair like I do, then you’ve probably justified combing or brushing your hair as an arm work out (totally acceptable by the way). After having your shower, focus on spritzing your ends and then work up as needed. You don’t need anything too expensive since you’re only using a few spritzes of it. I like to keep mine in the shower rather than in my cabinets so that I won’t forget to use it (out of sight, out of mind).
WEEKLY HAIR MASKS
Again, a must. This is one of the best ways to repair your hair. If your hair is feeling more damaged than usual, I recommend doing a hair mask at least twice a week. I like doing one on the weekend and then one mid-week. If your schedule is crazy like most of ours are, you can put it on your hair, cover your hair in a shower cap or a towel, and then sit and watch tv, answer emails, eat your breakfast, or whatever it is you choose to do for 10-15 minutes. Also, while store bought hair masks can be great and fuss free, you can actually make them from ingredients in your own kitchen. If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen the hair mask I posted to my Insta-stories a couple weeks ago. Here’s one of my favorites that I do at home:
Hair Mask:
1/2 of an avocado (perfect for if you have avocados going bad)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 Tablespoon or so of honey
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Mash together and apply to wet or dry hair for 10-15 minutes. Follow by rinsing and shampooing and conditioning hair as normal.
RINSE HAIR AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN AFTER SWIMMING IN A POOL
No surprise, chlorine is pretty horrible for your hair. The best way to get rid of chlorine’s damaging effects? Rinse it out immediately (or as soon as you can) after swimming in a pool. A lot of places I’ve seen have outdoor showers adjacent to the pool/beach. Do your hair a favor and rinse it upon getting out. To further prevent chlorine damage, rinse your hair before getting in the pool as well. Seems weird, but your hair can only soak in so much water, right? By soaking it in fresh water before getting in the pool, you’re reducing the amount of chlorinated water that your hair can soak up since it’s already saturated with the fresh water.
KEEP HAIR IN A LOOSE BRAID AT THE BEACH
So I can’t scientifically prove this, but for me, it works. I love keeping my hair down at the beach. The salt water combined with the salt in the air with the ocean breeze gives you beach hair that you just can’t seem to be duplicated with any other product, anywhere else. The problem with keeping your hair down – if it’s windy or the wind picks up, your hair is everywhere and becomes insanely tangled. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home from the beach only to find a rat’s nest at the bottom of my head (not a good time). Lately, I’ve been putting my hair in a loose braid (and even swimming with it like that) because it keeps the hair in place but not so tight that it hurts or is becoming damaged further.
LITTLE TO NO HEAT
Again, probably a no brainer, but if you’re actually serious about reducing damage to your hair, you HAVE to stop blow drying it in the summer. I let my hair air dry about 90% of the time in the summer. Of course, no one wants to go to work with wet hair. I find that showering at night, combing out my hair, and then putting just a little bit of hair oil on my ends before going to bed is a great solution to going to work with sopping wet hair. By morning my hair is almost completely dry. Simply brush it out, maybe add a little bit more hair oil (if needed) and then you’re good to go.
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Have you used any of these tips consistently? Have a hair tip I need to know about? Comment below!
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
