Summertime Hair Care: How to Maintain Your Color Through the Sunny Season

Summer is here, which means that the majority of your time is spent with your toes in the water and your shoulders in the sun. Just because the sun is shining doesn’t mean that all of your cares in the world should be forgotten about… don’t leave your precious hair hanging!

Chlorine in those swimming pools, salt in the ocean water and the sunlight constantly beating down on your locks means they need extra love and care this time of year. Here are a few steps to take to ensure that your hair color continues to shine through the summer.

Step 1: Rinse Your Hair Before Swimming

Sun, salt and pool chemical exposure can leave your very dry and brittle, and strip your hair of its color. Your hair needs a barrier between the chemicals, salt and the sun.

To ensure that your hair is protected, rinse your hair before you swim. Then, apply a leave-in conditioner or a hair-styling cream and leave it in while you are swimming. You could also use an oil with added SPF in it. Make sure that you do not apply straight oil directly to your hair, as oils will oxidize with sun exposure and burn your scalp.

Step 2: Use Color-Care Hair Products

If you have newly-colored hair, then it is even more vulnerable to the havoc that the sun, salt and pool chemicals can wreak on your hair. Your hair color can fade, and your strands can become extremely dry.

To prevent this damage, aim to use hair products that are specifically designed for color-treated hair. L’Oreal Professionnel’s Vitamino Color A-OX shampoo ensures that your color radiates throughout the season. Infused with antioxidants such as vitamin E, it works to protect your hair from the oxidation from the sun, as well as protecting your hair with UV filters.

Step 3: Make Dry Shampoo Your Best Friend

The best way to buy time between washes is using dry shampoo. Washing too often can cause your hair color to fade quicker, as well as strip it of the natural protective oils it produces on its own. On the days you don’t wash, use L’Oreal Professionnel Fresh Dust dry shampoo to keep your hair full and fresh looking!

Step 4: Use a Hair Conditioner With Vitamins, and Don’t Forget to Deep Condition!

Using a conditioner infused with vitamins will give your hair the extra barrier of protection that it needs from the sun, salt and chemicals. This is especially important if you have colored hair.

After your day at the water, rinse your hair and shampoo like normal. Then, use L’Oreal Professionnel’s Vitamino Color A-OX conditioner. With it’s vitamin E and vitamin B5 formula, it will restore your hair’s vibrance that was stripped by the water and sunlight. Additionally, it will act as a sunscreen for your hair by preventing further damage.

To deep condition, start by separating your hair into four sections. Apply the vitamino conditioner to all sections of your hair and tuck it all into a shower cap. Let it sit for about 15 minutes while you do the rest of your shower routine. The steam from the shower will make the conditioner soak into your hair. Rinse with lukewarm water. Deep conditioning your hair will fortify it and restore the moisture that the elements took away.

Step 5: Add Oil to Your Routine

Another way to add moisture to your vulnerable locks, oil in your hair care routine ensures that you have ultimate buoyancy and protection. Try using Huile Radiance Mythic Oil to add extra shine and silkiness into your hair. By combining argan and cranberry oil, this product is deeply nourishing and makes your color shine.

It also works to protect your hair from the heat and prevent frizz caused by summertime humidity. Cranberry oil also provides protective antioxidants to your hair to prevent sun damage.

Step 6: Avoid Using Too Many Styling Tools

With your hair already being exposed to the strong summer sun, using extra heat on it can lead to more damage and dryness. Try minimizing the amount that you straighten, curl or blow-dry your hair. Let your natural hair flow!

If you do use heat products, make sure that you are spraying your hair with heat protectant before applying heat to your hair. This will provide a protective barrier and keep your hair safe from breakage.

Step 7: Remove Chlorine and Other Build-Up

Washing your hair like normal does not always remove the salt and chemicals from the water. To ensure that these do not build up in your hair, use the Malibu C Swimmers Wellness treatment. It has ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which will remove the damaging chemicals that the water leaves behind, giving you soft and healthy-looking hair.

This treatment also boasts rice and flax proteins, which will smooth your hair cuticle and protect your hair from pollutants. You can get this treatment in the salon, or it can be purchased for use at home.

Step 8: Baking Soda Method for Hair Purification

Baking soda provides a natural remedy that will safely remove chemical build up from your hair. To use this method, mix one tablespoon of baking soda and one cup of water. Apply it directly to your hair. Don’t be concerned if your hair feels slimy, that means that the baking soda is working. Rinse your hair and then follow that up with your normal hair routine.

Incorporating all of these steps into your summer hair routine will ensure that your hair stays bouncy and vibrant through the summer season. Proper hair care means that you can spend less time worrying about your hair and more time enjoying your time relaxing. Now get outside, you’re burning precious summer daylight!