4 Tips & Tricks to Care for Forlorn Summer Hair
Summer can be harsh on hair: humidity, sun, saltwater and chlorine, not to mention more frequent washings now that showers can take place more than once a day due to all of the above. Take care of your hair this summer… here are four easy tricks for every hair type!
Brunettes
Hey brunettes… want all-natural highlights this summer? Instead of hitting up salons, where artificial dyes can damage your hair, try just a few squirts of lemon juice. Simply squeeze a few lemons into a dish, and use your hands to run the juice through your hair. Sit in the sun (with sunscreen, of course!), and let the sun do its magic. This quick and easy method will give you natural-looking highlights!
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after this, or use gloves during application. Lemon juice can bleach skin too, if you’re not careful!
For other at-home highlights ideas, check out our guide.
Blondes
For blondes, the nightmare of summer can be chlorine-green hair. Instead of keeping your hair dry all season – where’s the fun in that? – try Aubrey Organics Swimmers shampoo. Instead of chemicals, like most post-swim shampoos for blondes, this shampoo uses all natural ingredients like corn syrup and soy protein to neutralize the chemicals that make your hair turn green, while adding shea butter and almond oil to moisturize, keeping your hair soft and luxurious.
Curly-Haired Girls
I’m a curly girl, so I know how little our hair likes humidity and dryness. Curly-haired girls are naturally dryer – skin and hair-wise – than their straight-haired companions, but don’t let summer get you down. Moisturize your hair daily, using a deep-conditioner, and once a week, use an all-natural olive oil treatment.
Take a jar of about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (more if you have long hair) into the shower with you (preferably in the evening). When you’ve finished washing and conditioning your hair as usual (use our all-natural conditioner), towel it dry, and mix the olive oil with an equal volume of warm water. Pour the concoction over your hair, concentrating on the ends, then brush through to the roots until it’s evenly distributed. Twist your hair into a knot on top of your head, and cover with a plastic bag or shower cap. I like to tie a (washable!) scarf over the cap, because otherwise the noise of the plastic can get a bit annoying while you sleep. Sleep with your hair in the cap; then rinse it in the morning. Voilà! Deep-moisturized hair.
Straight-Haired Girls
Naturally straight-haired girls may be getting evil looks from us curly girls in the summer, but I know that you have your own set of qualms. Even the straightest hair in the winter can get poofy or limp in the summer; it seems even straight hair won’t make up its mind once humidity sets in!
While some girls use straighteners to keep their hair sleek in the summer, it’s not great for your hair. The more damaged your hair becomes, the more difficult it will be to tame, so abandon straighteners and blow-dryers, and instead, use the humidity to your advantage by making sexy beach waves easy!
Simply combine a cup of water and three teaspoons of sea salt in a spray bottle. Allow the salt to dissolve, then spray over towel-dried hair and scrunch. You can use a blow-dryer, but this works just as well air-dried.
Be careful how often you use salt spray, as it can rob your hair of much-needed moisture. Either add a few teaspoons of olive oil to your spray, or start olive oil treating your hair once a week, if you aren’t already!
Image: lovemaegan
