How to Protect Your Hair This Summer

‘Tis the season of letting go of sleek ponytails and embracing loose, natural beach locks. While summertime is great, the sun, surf, and turf can bring down your hot girl summer hair. Before your strands succumb to the summertime elements, it’s time to put your hair in check.

We’ve rounded up summer hair repair and styling tips to keep your strands in tip top condition to pass the summer vibe check. Think of it as turning back summer wind, water, and sun damage – a trifecta for happy hair!

Summertime is fun in the sun time! But there are some little summer maladies working together to bring down your best summer hair, and they also happen to be the things we love the most about the sizzling season: sun, water, and wind.

Fun in the sun is one thing, but with those rays comes exposure that is as bad for your skin as it is for your hair! UV rays can sap hair of moisture and leave you with straw-like strands: dry, brittle and prone to breakage. Not to mention scalp sunburns that trigger itching, dry, flaky skin - and a painful reminder!

And with the sunny, warm temps come another summer calamity - humidity! While it’s been said that humidity can lock in essential moisture for youthful-looking skin, it can drive your hair every which way but smooth. When hair is dry or damaged, humidity fuels those annoying frizz halos!

If it’s not frizzy locks, saltwater and chlorine will take their wrath on our hair. With those refreshing pool or ocean dips come chemicals and salt that zap the natural oils from your hair, leaving locks parched and brittle. And while the wind-swept look may look like a chic fashion statement, the wind can create tiny knots which can lead to breakage and split ends.

Summertime is all about spending care-free days outdoors enjoying the toasty weather. Between the sun, sea and sand, our strands can take a hot dose of the summertime blues. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be the season of bad hair days.

That’s why adopting a healthy summer hair care routine is so important! Here's how to keep your hair from fizzling out this summer:

#1: Use a UV protectant
The sun has a pesky habit of changing our hair color (hello highlights or bleached out locks), which can actually cause damage. Protect your strands by applying a UV hair care treatment or serum daily. These products create a barrier that protects your hair from sun damage or becoming brassy, and can help prevent color-treated hair from fading.

#2: Use a scalp sunscreen
The scalp is usually the last place you think about protecting, but a bad sunburn can quickly become a painful reminder. Apply a liquid or powder sunscreen on your hair part to protect your scalp from UV rays - plus it keeps strands healthy and moisturized!

#3: Fight frizz
Hair tends to get frizzier during the summer due to high humidity, while the hair itself is drier and more damaged. Use a hair serum to tame the frizz and minimize breakage. Often UV protectants are a two-for-one deal: smooths strands and fights frizz.

#4: Tackle chlorine buildup
Ever wondered why blonde hair turns green after too much time in the pool? Swimming in chlorinated water can create a green film that can be drying to your hair. Avoid shampooing your hair the day-of pool day. You’ll be stripping it of essential, natural hair oils that will be protecting you while you’re crushing it on the diving board.

#5: Wash hair after swimming
Chlorinated pool water or too much salt water can also zap the natural oils from your hair, weakening each hair strand and further irritating the scalp. Once the swim laps are done, take a post-pool rinse as soon as you can and wash hair with a natural shampoo.

#6. Cover Your Hair
This is more than just a little extra flair to your summer beach boho look. That adorable wide brimmed hat or scarf or even an umbrella will also keep your scalp and ears from getting scorched and your hair out of direct UV rays.

PRO TIP: Some hat brands will even provide a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating to tell you just how much sun protection you’ll get while you wear it!

#7. Keep hair trimmed
Summer tends to be when all of your hair’s split ends begin to rear their ugly head. It’s a good idea to get your hair regularly trimmed to avoid split ends. Brittle hair won't stand up to sun and heat as well as healthy hair.

#8. Cool it on the hot tools
Your hair is already getting enough heat from the sun! Limit use of hot hair tools to 1-2 times per week and 3-4 times per week for blow drying (if that). To extend your style without reheating, sleep with hair wrapped or clipped up.

Fortunately, there are several tricks and products you can use to beat the heat damage on your hair this season. Let’s check out some of our favorite summer hair care products and treatments to keep your style from fizzling out this summer.

Reverie
Milk Anti-Frizz Leave-In Nourishing Treatment

A weightless, multi-functional leave-in serum formulated to do everything; from detangle, soften, strengthen; protect from color fading, heat, environmental pollution; repair surface damage, define and moisturize. What more could you ask for?

This multi-functional treatment is also infused with 16 nourishing ingredients extracted from coconuts, olives, almonds, and other natural sources, that work together to help tame frizz and leaves hair soft and weightless.

Innersense Organic Beauty
Innersense Hydrating Hair Mask

A hair mask will help you avoid bone dry, brittle hair after swimming. If you’re worried that your hair is looking dull or dry, give it the extra healing treatment it needs! This deeply hydrating hair mask was perfectly formulated to repair, moisturize, and strengthen dry summer hair.

You’re left feeling free to relax poolside while super rich flax seed, monoi, and tamanu oils, shea and coconut butters work behind-the-scenes to hydrate your hair back to its strong, healthy self.

Rahua
Hydration Detangler + UV Barrier

Plant powers, rich fatty acids, and powerful antioxidants are at the center of this nourishing leave-in detangler. This moisturizing formula softens hair, smooths frizz and prevents breakage and damage while smoothing all hair types.

The plant-power of Morete (Buriti) oil helps provide a UV defense barrier, providing color-treated hair with photoprotection. You’re left savoring the tropical aroma of fresh passion fruit and mango—not to mention your sleek strands.

As the dog days of summer get hotter and the conditions get sweatier, you can avoid the summertime blues by prepping your hair and scalp, and replenishing hair every chance you get. Think of it as treating your tresses like your skin this summer while keeping the hot girl hairstyles you love!