Summer has arrived and it’s time to get those locks ready to shine through the most social season of the year. Between the sun, saltwater, vacation, missed haircuts, heat, humidity and adventure, our hair can take a beating! Don’t let that stop you from enjoying the sunshine in style, with healthy, glowing locks. These simple tricks will get your hair summer ready and help you maintain the glow all season.
1) Avoid Swimmer’s Hair
If you’re fond of summer pool days, you’ll want to protect your hair from chlorine and other harsh chemicals found in swimming pools. Nobody wants that chlorine green tint to ruin their summer look! Because hair acts like a sponge, it’s a good idea to shower just before hitting the pool, allowing your hair to soak up fresh water so that it absorbs significantly less chlorine. We often recommend that swimmers wear a swim cap to minimize the hair’s exposure to pool water. Some people prefer to apply hair conditioner to their hair before putting on their swim cap as an added level of protection.
2) Apple Cider Vinegar
An apple cider vinegar rinse works wonders after the pool or ocean, limiting chlorine and saltwater damage. We recommend one tablespoon in a liter of water or you can mix a bit of apple cider vinegar into a dollop of shampoo. This clarifies the hair of harsh chemicals or salt, and smooths over the hair cuticle to transform dry, frizzy swimmer’s hair into clean, shiny tresses.
3) Ditch Chemical Color
Chemically intensive hair color can add damage and distress to your tresses during an already trying time of year. We recommend botanically-based hair color to avoid stressing out your strands. NATURCOLOR was designed for chemically sensitive people. Every effort has been made to substitute safe, natural ingredients for the harsh often dangerous chemicals that pervade the hair-care industry. Find your color here to discover a natural hair color solution that will keep your hair vibrant, luscious and beautiful all summer long.
NATURCOLOR can be used to add subtle, but radiant highlights, or to dramatically change your existing hair color. It will not fade as other hair color products do, making these natural dyes perfect for summer hair care.
The “N” (Natural) Series was specially formulated with the strongest pigments to “cover” gray. If your goal is to cover gray, begin with the choice of a color in the “N” series. The other color groups (C, M, R, D) are made with lighter pigments. They will color in a more transparent effect and are also designed to be mixed with the “N” Series when special custom tints or highlights are desired.
4) Protect Your Color!
We love the sunshine, but UV A and B rays can fray and wear out the hair, leaving it lifeless and brittle. Sunlight is drying and often strips color, especially for colored and treated hair. Hats, scarves and/or SPF for your hair can work wonders in protecting it from long term sun damage. There are many great SPF hair and scalp mists, sprays and styling creams that will keep your hair protected from sun and environmental damage.
5) Natural Oils
Some natural oils are great for sun protection as well as moisture under the harsh sun, heat and humidity. Though slightly less effective than a professional SPF product for all day sun protection, the following natural ingredients have between 4 and 8 SPF ratings: shea butter, almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, raspberry seed oil and sunflower seed oil as a natural provider of SPF, while also sealing the hair cuticle to protect and moisturize the hair.
6) Stay Hydrated
The hottest time of the year means it is important to increase our water intake. Your hair will thank you. Especially if this social season has you drinking alcohol, a well known dehydrator. Make sure to drink at least 2-3 liters of water per day to keep your entire body hydrated from head to toe. Dehydration is detrimental to hair health, growth and sheen – so drink up! A good trick to dial in your body’s appropriate water intake is to take your body weight in pounds and drink half or all of that number in daily ounces of water. So, a person that weights 150lb would drink 75 to 150oz of water per day.
7) Conditioning
A good conditioner and weekly deep conditioning masks are crucial during the summer months. Echinacea Herbacreme Conditioner is safe for use on natural or color treated hair and it will not coat the hair with build up. You can leave it in your hair for 3 minutes for regular conditioning or for longer, as needed. Many people will apply this conditioner and wrap their hair with a towel in order to recondition their hair for longer periods of time, from 20 minutes to overnight. Echinacea Herbacreme Conditioner will leave your locks soft, moisturized and glossy.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself this summer! The best thing for beautiful hair is stress free living, and summer is the best time to enjoy fun in the sun. After all, a little bit of the sun’s glow can do the soul and your hair some good in the long run!