How to Protect Your Curls This Summer
Sunny days are upon us and the first glimpse of summer is in the air! When these wonderfully warm days are in full swing, the last thing we want to worry about is a bad hair day. It's time to embrace your best hair yet with a protective hair care routine designed to nourish, strengthen, and fortify your curls. Welcome summer with these natural hair care tips for warmer weather!
Block the Sun, Keep the Fun
It is important to prioritize UV protection for your hair, just like you would for your skin! Staying out in the sun all day can cause cellular damage, resulting in breakage, frizz, and hair loss. Give your curls a spritz of sun protectant spray, ideally with an SPF of 50 or higher. You'll want to spray liberally, about 1-2 inches from the ends of your hair, and reapply as needed on especially busy outdoor days.
Work in a little TLC for your hair after a long day in the sun. After all, summer is the perfect time to prioritize self-care! Start with a hydrating hair mask once a week and add a drop or two of shine spray alongside a high-quality, moisturizing conditioner. Prioritize stopping by your stylist every few weeks for a pampering sesh. A few great treatments to include in your summery itinerary are deep conditioning treatments for curls, keratin strengthening treatments, and Olaplex to reset your locks for the season.
Give Your Hair a Break
Your curls deserve a summer holiday. Take a break from your winter hair washing routine and try co-washing over the summer alongside dry shampoo. Skipping a few wash days will revitalize your curls and help retain and seal in moisture. When it's time for a shower, opt for bottled water or filtered water to minimize hair damage. Hard, mineral-dense water is the enemy of your curls. Keep your lovely locks youthful, bouncy, and vibrant by taking extra care of how often they're put under pressure -- including water pressure.
If you're going for a swim, try applying a leave-in conditioner before jumping in to add a layer of protection for your hair against the chemicals or saltwater!
Try to schedule your wash days to align with swimming and other activities. Since your hair is already wet, go ahead and pamper those curls with a full wash day routine. Just remember to let your hair have a mini-vacation too, especially if your curls have been chemically treated recently.
Incorporate Hair Oil Into Your Routine
UV rays, wind, chlorine, sweat -- all of these elements strip away your hair's natural protection and leave your curls vulnerable to hair damage. Replace lost hydration by implementing hair oils in your daily routine. Coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, and rose oil are the perfect summertime companions. Mix these summer hair heroes with a drop or two of your favorite essential oils. We recommend rosemary, lilac, or a pinch of aloe. Spritz, comb through with your fingers to evenly distribute the goodness and head out into the world looking fabulous.
For additional summer hair care tips, try adding a hot oil massage for your scalp into the routine as well. Since healthy hair starts at the root, this will help stimulate hair growth and benefit your curls. Hair oils that penetrate both the scalp and the hair shaft are ideal for maintaining summertime curls.
Accessorize for Healthy Hair
The best way to protect your curls from UV exposure, wind, and humidity is to accessorize! You know that sun hat you've been eyeing? Buy it! That dramatic old Hollywood wrap? Yours now.
Be mindful of activities that put your hair at risk of damage. Being out in the sun all day without proper protection is a bit like forgetting sunscreen and shades. Throw on a hat before you head to the beach. Activities like running and hiking can also cause an excessive sweat build-up to accumulate. You make notice your curls getting oily faster in the summer. This is due to the build-up of sebum from your scalp. You can minimize the bad hair days by tying your hair up before exercising. Opt for loose hairstyles or wraps and headbands to keep your curls fresh.
Protective Styles for the Summer
Looking for ways to prevent hair damage this summer? The answer might just lie in a bold, new summer look.
Protective styles are an essential part of curl care. Summer is the perfect time to rock some faux locks as protective styles allow you to swim, run, and make the most of the long, sunny days. There's no need to pause your style while protecting your natural curls. In fact, protective styles are the perfect opportunity to experiment with different looks and colors. Rock locs one month and turquoise braids the next. Just be sure to take care of your faux locs with a curly hair-approved protective style care routine to make your look last all summer long.
Keep It Simple
Summer is the perfect time to embrace your natural curls. Avoid getting chemical treatments during the summer months. The heat can often accelerate chemical damage and cause a reaction at the molecular levels that intensifies hair damage. Keep your style simple for easy for the summer. If you do decide to go for a new look, try low maintenance and low impact styles like ombre or small highlights. The key is to preserve your hair's natural shape and moisture.
You'll want to keep gentle styling in mind when taking care of your summer curls. A detangling brush is a must after a swim. Use your fingers to undo any stubborn knots and be sure to spray your hair with a hydrating de-tangling mist if starting with dry hair. Be patient with your wonderful curls! Summer activities can often make your hair more prone to tangles. However, keeping your hair as chemical-free as possible will make your locks more manageable.
Go minimalist when it comes to maintaining summer curls. This is a great time to grow out natural hair and truly enjoy your fabulous tresses.
Self-Care is Hair Care!
Take a moment to de-stress. It may surprise you to learn that mindfulness is a great way to achieve healthy hair.
When we're stressed, our whole body feels it. According to the Mayo Clinic, high stress and hair loss share a positive relationship. However, stress-related hair loss is also highly reversible! So take a time out. Enjoy a yoga class. Get outside and practice some breathing exercises or simply read a book at the park. However you choose to unwind and escape the hustle of summer, your curls will thank you for it.
Eat Well
Nutrition plays a significant role in hair health. If you're looking for the best summer hair care tips, prioritizing a hair health diet is at the top of our list.
Focus on getting enough whole foods and antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies. Antioxidants are especially important in removing free radicals and restoring the cellular structure of the hair follicle. Smoothies are a summer classic that packs a powerful antioxidant punch! Consider blending up your favorite superfoods to start your morning off right. Compliment with oatmeal for a filling, energizing breakfast for curly-haired champions.
The best vitamins and nutrients for hair growth include vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin C, essential omega-3 fatty acids, keratin, zinc, and vitamin E. These powerhouse hair support compounds are found in a variety of our favorite summertime foods from berries to watermelon to salads and even the occasional dark chocolate indulgence.
Hot Curl Summer, But Heatless
Your summer style is sizzling enough without adding high heat styling to the mix! If you've been considering going heat-free to minimize hair damage, summer is the time to do it. Consider the intense heat your curls are under throughout the day. A combination of UV rays, humidity changes, and rising temps can really weigh your curls down. Adding blowdrying and straightening tools on top of that is a sure way to accelerate hair damage.
Give your curls the vacation they deserve this summer by ditching the blowdryer. If the commitment to heatless styling makes your curls stand on edge, relax. The right tools make all the difference in a speedy, effortless summer hair routine. RevAir's reverse air technology works like magic to dry hair 3x faster than conventional hairdryers, with half of the heat and in a third of the time! You can stretch, smooth, and straighten your hair all in one simple step.
Get your hot curl summer started with your friends at RevAir! Our team would love to share more seasonal hair care tips. Reach out today to join the conversation.
