How To Protect Your Hair This Summer

Summer is right around the corner, and we’re ready to welcome back road trips, iced coffees, and beach reads with open arms. More sun = more fun, are we right? Well, unfortunately that’s not always the case for your hair. Too much time in the sun can dry out your ends, leave hair stressed and frizzy, or even give your scalp a sunburn. That’s why it’s important to protect your gorgeous locks, the same way you protect your skin from getting too much sun with sunscreen. Go ahead and RSVP “hard yes” to all the pool parties, backyard BBQs, rooftop get-togethers, and tropical vacays you’re looking forward to...just make a game plan so your hair looks healthy and gorgeous for all the fun summer events you have to come. Below, read our best warm-weather tips & tricks to get your hair and scalp ready for summer fun in the sun…

 

We’ll take any excuse to buy new clothes for a new season. Wide-brimmed straw hats are so chic— and in addition to protecting your face from getting too much sun, they’ll protect your scalp from getting sunburnt. (Of course, you should still keep the SPF handy!) Keep your hair out of the sun all day...and look great doing it. Win-win.

 

Leave-in conditioners, nourishing hair oils, and heat protection sprays are just some of the many products you’ll need in your summer hair care arsenal. You’ll want to keep your locks extra hydrated to tamp down on frizz and keep your hair looking shiny and healthy. We love adding a bit of Tame to our ends as a leave-in conditioning treatment to protect hair from dehydration, control frizz and smooth down any split ends.

 

Protect and pamper your strands for summer with our Color Protecting Shampoo + Conditioner set. Packed with nourishing ingredients, these products will help prevent breakage, moisturize, soften and strengthen your hair for summer. Even better? With UV protection that locks in color and helps prevent fading, they’re basically sunscreen for your hair.

Add color and hydration while you shower with an ultra-nourishing, color depositing mask like Color Therapy. This restorative treatment deposits color where your hair needs it most, meaning, you’ll be able to stretch time between coloring if you use it in place of conditioner a few times a week. Plus, it’s so luxurious and conditioning...the perfect summertime treat for your locks.

 

We’re not saying you should shower less as the weather warms up, but skip the shampoo and conditioner whenever you can. Your hair naturally produces oils that help protect your strands from sun damage (nature’s sunscreen) and breakage, so you don’t want to over-wash if you can help it. Pick up a travel-size dry shampoo for your next trip, and simply rinse your hair with water if your strands are sweaty.

 

Take a break from heat styling this summer—it’s one of the best things you can do for your hair, plus it will help cut down on frizz in a major way. Your blow dryer, flat iron, curling iron, and any other hot tools can all hang out together in a drawer until fall in order to protect your hair from heat damage. In the meantime, rock a slicked back ponytail or beachy waves (see below) for an on-trend summer style, minus the flat iron or straightening iron.

 

That being said, if you absolutely must use hot tools to style your hair this summer, invest in a good heat protectant like a leave-in conditioner, heat protectant cream, heat protection spray or mist, or frizz-fighting hair oil. Many of these products not only protect against heat, but also speed up drying time, so you’ll be out the door to your next pool party even faster.

 

There’s nothing like diving into the pool on a hot summer day...but you probably know what this means for your hair (particularly if you’re a blonde). Chlorine is notorious for drying out your ends, and can even make your hair greenish. Protect your hair from chlorine by applying a dime-sized amount of Color Protecting Conditioner to your mid-lengths and ends, then pull back in a bun or a braid before you go for a swim. Not only will the conditioner help protect your hair from chlorine’s harsh effects, it will protect your hair from UV rays.

 

This is just solid advice all around, for hair and skin. Apply sunscreen throughout the day to your face, arms, legs, back...any part of your body that’s being exposed to the sun. And that includes your hair. We already mentioned using our Color Protecting Shampoo + Conditioner to help lock in color and protect your strands from UV rays. But if you’re looking for a little summer DIY project, you can also make your own sunscreen spray for your hair:

 

You’ll need: 

 

 

Zinc oxide powder - use accordingly:

 

•For SPF 2-5: Use 5% zinc oxide


•For SPF 6-11: Use 10% zinc oxide


•For SPF 12-19: Use 15% zinc oxide


•For SPF >20: Use 20% zinc oxide


Mix all ingredients together and pour into a spray bottle or glass jar. This recipe makes a little over 2 ounces of summer hair protection product, so make sure your spray bottle is sized accordingly.

 

Nothing says summer more than effortless beachy waves. Luckily, heat-free styles like flowy, beachy waves couldn’t be easier to achieve at home. Use a salt spray to get a flowy beach wave, or try our curl-defining cream for soft, frizz-free, flexible curls (that won’t weigh your hair down). We also love this easy way to get beachy waves overnight:

 

 

1) Start by washing your hair. Wait until your hair is about 70% dry before styling.

 

2) Braid your hair into four different sections and fasten with a small hair tie. 

 

3) Sleep on a silk (or satin) pillowcase...then voila, wake up with gorgeous waves. Add just a bit of hair oil or Tame to your ends if your hair looks too frizzy, and to keep your waves defined. You can also spray on some texturizing spray to keep your beachy waves looking textured and piecey. And you’re set—gorgeous, summer-party and sun-protected ready.

 

What hairstyles are you ready to rock this summer? Any tried-and-true summer hair tips for us? We want to hear from you in the comments.