Many of us regularly switch up our skincare with the seasons, but do you do the same with your haircare? As the days get longer, warmer and brighter the type of care our hair needs changes, making summer a tough time for our precious strands. Sun exposure, heat, humidity, chlorine and salt water – all of these create challenging conditions that can cause our hair to look and feel lacklustre.
Whether you have straight, wavy, curly or coily hair, these summer haircare tips from the SalonLab&Me team will keep your hair feeling and looking beautiful all summer long.
Protect your hair from the sun
Just like skin, hair needs protection from the sun. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light emitted by the sun can weaken the hair’s protein structure and cause dryness, creating the perfect conditions for breakage. As well as this damaging effect, sunlight also contributes to colour fade. Dark shades lighten faster, vibrant shades become dull and blondes can look brassy. Thankfully, there are now a number of leave-in products on the market to help defend your hair from the sun’s rays – use them regularly, just like sun cream! Both BLONDME and Bonacure Sun Protect from Schwarzkopf Professional offer leave-ins with UV protection.
For more extreme sun protection, opt for a chic scarf or wide-brimmed sun hat. The latter has the benefit of protecting your face too!
Stay hydrated
This advice applies all year-round, but keeping your hair hydrated during the summer months is extra important. Sun, saltwater and chlorine can be extremely drying, leaving hair feeling dry and brittle. Look for hydrating shampoos and conditioners to restore some much-needed moisture. If your hair tends to get weighed down easily, look for products offering ‘lightweight’ hydration or moisture, as these tend to be formulated for finer, grease-prone tresses. Coarse hair types such as coils and curls can opt for deeper hydration, which will also help to control any frizz.
Minimise the use of hot tools
Heat damage in summer can become a vicious cycle. Heat, humidity and damage cause hair to look frizzy, making it tempting to reach for hot tools to try and tame frizz for a more polished look. This can be counterproductive, with repeated use of hot tools causing even more damage. To counteract this as much as possible, always use heat protection before styling and opt for heatless hairstyles, such as heatless curls for example.
Reconsider your hair washing routine
If you normally like to prolong time between washes for as long as possible, summertime may be the season to schedule in a few more washes throughout the week. Both heat and humidity can increase oil production and therefore build-up on the scalp. Add wearing hats, swimming, salt water and sand into the mix and it’s safe to say your scalp has a lot to deal with during the summer. A simple solution is simply just to wash your hair more often – the number of times will vary for everyone depending on hair type and your regular wash schedule. Clarifying shampoos can also be helpful to sweep away impurities and provide a deeper cleanse.
Make hair masks non-negotiable
If you use conditioner after each shampoo, you may see hair masks as an unnecessary additional step. For some hair types this may be relevant, for example finer hair may feel too weighed down by the additional conditioning. However, come summertime, all hair types may benefit from the added care a hair mask provides and the best approach is to seek a personalised hair mask designed for your specific hair and scalp type.
Top up your hair’s moisture whilst you relax on the beach by packing Spray Conditioner in your beach bag!
Fight the frizz
For those with frizz-prone hair, humidity can be a nightmare. In humid conditions, hair absorbs moisture from the air around it. This can cause straightened strands to curl, sleek styles to frizz and result in a generally unkempt, fuzzy look. The more porous your hair is, the more moisture it will absorb. Dry, coarse hair types may be especially prone to this. One way to combat frizz is to fight moisture with moisture – keeping hair as hydrated as possible helps to prevent additional absorption from the atmosphere. Using a leave-in conditioner and styling products can be helpful too, along with dedicated anti-frizz serums.
Consider your summer salon routine
Summer is definitely not the season to skip your salon appointments. We recommend starting the sunshine season with freshly trimmed locks. This is an effective way to minimise damage, ensuring that any vulnerable split ends are removed. During the summer, it may seem counterintuitive but ideally this is the season to go easy on colour, especially if you regularly get your hair lightened. Chat to your hairdresser to see if there are any less damaging options to opt for over the summer months. You could also consider extra in-salon care services to top up your hair health and keep your locks looking radiant with shine.
Give your SalonLab&Me products a seasonal refresh
If you already have a SalonLab&Me personalised haircare regime, you can customise your products to reflect what the summer season means to you. Why not boost the sensorial experience by choosing a scent that evokes the feeling of summertime? Perhaps that’s the subtle citrus notes of Blossom, the vibrant mandarin and watermelon notes of Spring, or Cocoon, with its velvety summer fruit and fresh almond notes. Go a step further and bring the new season vibes into your bathroom by opting for a new packaging colour – maybe yellow as an ode to the sun, or blue to evoke clear skies and salty waves?
Summer haircare, personalised for you
We appreciate how different we all are and how your hair behaves during the summer will be unique to you. That’s why SalonLab&Me offers a 100% personalised haircare regime, tailored to your individual hair type, hair condition and hair goals. Find your nearest SalonLab&Me salon using our Salon Finder to get your customised summer haircare routine, so you can have fun in the sun, safe in the knowledge that your hair is being cared for in the best way possible.
Haircare Guide
Check out our Haircare Guide – the ultimate guide to all things hair that’s packed full of expert knowledge to keep your hair looking and feeling its most beautiful.