Since the summer heat has arrived, now is the time to take extra care to keep your summer hair healthy.
Thank you to the lovely Erin from The Fawn Collective for sharing her knowledge.
Tip # 1.. let’s talk chlorinated pools! Chlorine strips your hair of natural oils by breaking down the amino acids, making it dry, brittle and very porous. The most visible sign is green hair - yes you heard me, it also can change the colour of your hair, usually turning blonde or grey hair green! Chlorine doesn’t only cause damage while swimming – it can also lead to a chemical reaction during salon colouring, which can lead to extreme damage.
How to help:
- wear a swim cap
- wet your hair with non-chlorinated water before going swimming as this allows less chlorine to be absorbed
- use leave in conditioner before going swimming.. this can help protect your hair
Tip # 2... Are you that person saying “It’s summer, I am going to let my hair air dry?” If hair health is your optimal goal, we are going to scratch that plan. Why? Using heat protection and blow drying is actually a safer alternative. The reason? Your hair is far more fragile and weaker when wet than dry, so leaving it in that state for a long time opens it to incur more damage! As long as you are using a good heat protector, blow drying is the way to go.
How to Help:
- be gentle while brushing wet hair; use a wet brush!
- towel dry with a microfibre towel or a t-shirt
- Don’t use a hair elastic on wet hair, the tension on the fragile hair can lead to breakage If your hair needs to go up, use a clip or scrunch
Tip # 3...this one is for my extension wearers..be careful of what sunscreen you put on. Some sunscreens contain avobenzone, which is an ingredient that turns your extensions brassy/peachy.
How to Help:
To avoid this, opt for mineral-based sunscreens, as they usually don’t have avobenzone.
Some popular brands of this are Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion and Coola Mineral Body Organic Sunscreen