Hair Care Tips for the Summer

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I have made no secret of the fact that while I was in Florida I messed my hair up. For starters, my hair isn’t in the best of conditions due to the fact it’s now so long it requires two boxes of dye. While one usually leaves your hair lovely and glossy, the second sort of makes it feel like a birds nest. Add this will a Florida heatwave and an idiot who didn’t bring a hat and you have hay. Yes, hay. It’s taken me almost two months to resurrect my hair and for the time being I’ve returned to only one box of hair and accepted that my colour will just have to not be as bright for a wee while. Not only that, but I have done some heavy research into protecting my hair in September. I know a lot of people are heading off into the sun before I jet off again so I thought i’d share my discoveries today and some of the products I will be packing to ensure I don’t end up with my hair cut into a pixie style (it came really close…)

Invest in a few good hats. I apologise for my language, but I was a COMPLETE DICK when it came to a hat. I didn’t want the shade in my face, I didn’t want my hair messed up and I wanted to rock a Tinkerbell esq bun. However I can assure you all these arguements for not wearing a hat are completely invalid when you can no longer get a brush through it. I cannot stress enough that if you have heavily coloured hair, wear a hat. Prevention is much better than dealing with messed up hair once it’s happened. And trust me, when I was a sweaty mess, the last thing I would have cared about was a shadow across my face in a photo. I now have two hats, one straw, and one felt, both from eBay and both for less than a fiver each. I feel like I’m prepared.

Paul Mitchell Sun Range* I’m not sure why I didn’t pack either of my Paul Mitchell sun range products this year as I raved about them when I went up the East Coast last year, this is why they’re part of this list and products I have already chucked into my suitcase. The Sun Shield Conditioning Spray* is the most perfect sun protection for you hair. It has UV protection in it and as it’s a leave in conditioner you simply spray on your hair and go. It couldn’t be easier. Not only that but it smells nice too. It adds shine to hair that would usually look dried out from the sun and it can be sprayed throughout the day without leaving your hair a greasy mess. There is also the After Sun Replenishing Masque*. After Sun for your hair sounds a bit crazy, right? But it works. This masque not only revives your hair after a day in the sun but it also offers colour fade protection which is of course something I need otherwise I end up teetering on the ginger end of red.

VO5 Plump It Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion* Although this is called a lotion, it’s not, it’s a very light weight spray that smells amazing. In case you hadn’t noticed, I like to use products on my hair that smell good. The reason why this has made it here is because it has “heat defence”. Both of the Paul Mitchell products offer UV protection from the sun but if you’re heading somewhere like Florida, you also have the heat to consider. I use this product every time I blow dry or straighten my hair, but I’ll also be taking it to Florida next time as although my hat may cover my hair, it’s still going to get very hot and be at risk from drying out. This stuff is also great for adding volume and it holds the style well if you’re worried about getting hat hair.

Umberto Giannini Frizzi Miracle Worker with Argan Oil. I have naturally Hermione Granger circa Philosopher’s Stone hair and if I don’t use some kind of oil to tame it, it’s a mess. Now this is a product I did take with me on holiday because it is great for replacing those natural oils that the sun evaporates. Not only that but it can style even the frizziest of hair. It’s basically a God send and can be used on both wet and dry. I used it after a shower on wet hair before letting it dry naturally, this left it wavy and ready for a spritz of salt spray for that messy beach look. This is definitely a product I swore by post holiday when my hair was very dried out, it’s one I used to help restore it back to it’s former glory. I can’t recommend it enough.

Of course it’s not all about using products, there are some foods you can try this summer that will help keep your hair healthy.