Summer Hair? Help is Here!

Nothing feels better than the summer sunshine, a trip to the beach (or pool), and a little R&R with your friends. But not all of this summer goodness is good for your hair.

That same beautiful summer sun can be a harsh enemy to your hair. Same for the summer humidity, chlorine, and salt water.

What’s a girl (or guy) to do?

We’ve got some tips for avoiding summer hair damage, and recovering from it if you’re already seeing signs.

Salt and Chlorine are the Enemy

If you’re planning a little pool time, or a day at the beach, you should be very careful of the chlorine and the salt… especially if your hair is color or chemically treated.

Chlorine and salt suck the natural oils from your hair, leaving it dry, fragile, and damaged. Your hair needs these natural oils to keep it smooth and shiny.

Chlorine can also cause chemical reactions in your hair that change the natural color, weaken each strand of hair, and cause split ends.

…Green Hair?

Chlorine does not, on its own, turn your hair green. But it does oxidize any copper that might be in the water. This oxidized copper is absorbed by your hair, which can cause it to look slightly green. This is especially true for light hair colors.

An Ounce of Prevention…

The easiest way to great summer hair, is to prevent it from being damaged. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Easier said than done, right?

Actually, it’s pretty easy to prevent salt and chlorine damage!

There are a few things you can do before that swim to protect your hair…

Wet your hair first. Your hair soaks up liquid like a sponge, including water with chlorine or salt (think: ocean). If you get your hair wet (with tap water) before you step in the pool or dive into the ocean, it will already be saturated and you can prevent some of the chlorine or salt from being absorbed.
Wear a swim cap. The best way to prevent chlorine or salt water damage is to prevent your hair from getting wet in the first place. A swim cap is a great way to enjoy the pool without subjecting your hair to tons of chlorine. You can even wet your hair before putting on the cap to create a tighter seal.
Use a conditioner before entering the pool. Applying a little conditioner, like the LuxeOrganix Deep Conditioner Hair Mask, before you enter the pool can help prevent some of the chlorine from being absorbed. Using a conditioner with a swim cap can not only help prevent chlorine from being absorbed but can also moisturize your hair while swimming, too!
Use a little oil. Applying an oil, like the Moroccan Argan oil you’ll find in the LuxeOrganix Argan Oil Styling Cream, before dunking your hair in salt or chlorinated water can help. The oil repels water and prevents your hair from absorbing the chlorine. Wearing a swim cap to cover your oiled tresses is also a great way to prevent chlorine from damaging your hair. One note: A little goes a long way… you do not need to have completely greased-up hair! If you’re using our Argan Oil Styling Cream, a pea to a dime-sized amount will take care of it.

Already See Damage?

If you’re already seeing signs of damage (split ends, faded color, dry, brittle hair), don’t panic. Damage from salt and chlorine doesn’t have to be permanent.

There are ways to reduce the appearance of damage and get back your soft hair in no time. Below are a few tricks for your hair repair toolbox.

Rinse your hair immediately. To lessen the damage and get your hair on the road to recovery, rinse your hair immediately after swimming. Don’t let the chlorine or salt stay in your hair any longer than it needs to. If you’re really worried about damage, use a conditioning shampoo to gently clean your hair. We recommend our CoWash Cleansing Conditioner after a day at the beach.
Always comb gently. Wet hair has a tendency to tangle and brushing with a brush is more likely to damage your hair. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle and smooth your wet hair.
You may need some protein! Hair is largely made up of a protein called keratin, and summer sun, chlorine, salt, and wind can damaged it, leaving hair weak, dull, dry, and splitting. Adding a protein to your hair care routine, like our Bond Integrity Protein Hair Treatment, will will help balance your hair’s moisture keeping healthy, soft, and strong.
Clarify your hair. A gentle hair clarifying shampoo can remove any harsh chemicals from your hair, and some are made specifically for chlorine. While you can buy a clarifying shampoo, you can also use an apple cider vinegar rinse to gently remove any unwanted chlorine without any harsh chemicals.

Summer Frizz?

Humidity can cause your hair to frizz, and if you live in a place with humid summer heat, you know all about this.

What you might not know is that you can tame the frizz and have stylish hair without a lot of effort!

You don’t need to be stuck with a ponytail or a hat all summer!

The LuxeOrganix Moroccan Argan Oil Styling Cream can be used for a fresh beachy-look, or soft, defined, bouncy hair… It’s a touchable light-hold Styling Cream that will leave your hair with a beautiful, healthy shine.

Extra bonus: it can help give your hair a little extra protection from chlorine and salt water damage, too. So, no worries if you get thrown into the pool!

Stop the Splits

Split ends can ruin a good hair day.

While the origin of every split end may be the same —weathering and damage to your hair— there are an infinite number of reasons for them.

Some you can fix, and some you can only leave to your hairstylist. Let’s focus on those caused by the summer…

The average woman, and we know you are not average, spends 1.5 years of her life styling her hair with a unique combination of brushing, washing, coloring, blow-drying, flat ironing, or curling.

Even without factoring in the weather, that’s cause for a lot of split ends.

Summer only makes it worse… Sun, salt, chlorine, beach wind… wreak havoc on your ends. You can stop the damage and allow your hair healthier hair growth with a few easy tips:

The only real way to get rid of split ends is to cut them off. Because once a hair is split, there’s nothing that can magically fuse the pieces back together again forever. But if you are super anti-haircut, especially if you’ve been trying to grow your hair out, ask your stylist to try hair dusting—a technique that removes split ends without sacrificing length.
So, you have split ends. Welcome to the club! Until your next visit with your hairstylist, the only thing you can do is conceal them with the right products. If you notice frazzled ends once you’ve finished styling your hair, smooth the frayed cuticle with a tiny dab of LuxeOrganix Styling Cream.
When you’re on the beach, wear a hat or keep your hair pulled back to keep it from getting blown into a pile of knots. Your tresses will appreciate not being tangled up, making them less likely to get broken by the comb out.