How to Protect Your Hair this Summer!
The weather is looking up and a lot of us are looking forward to creating some beautiful memories at the beach, cruise or pool this summer! We have read the many reasons we should protect our skin from the harsh rays, but do we really know how to protect our hair? You can have beautiful memories while maintaining beautiful hair!
The two biggest things to protect your hair from are the water and the sun that we all love to enjoy in the summer.
Protecting Your Hair from the Water.
Often in the summer our hair is exposed to hotel water, chlorine, ocean salt water, and hot tub water, all things that can wreak havoc on our hair.
The Hair at a Microscopic Level
All hair has varying levels of porosity. The longer your hair gets the more porous the ends will become naturally. Layering balayage for that effortless beachy look will increase the porosity as well. A simple way to visualize porosity is to imagine a tube with a bunch of tiny holes in it; the more holes the higher the porosity. The second you get your hair wet in a pool, hot tub, or a salty ocean, the hair absorbs those harsh chemicals and deposits. Why do we care? Anything other than filtered water can open your hair’s cuticle, penetrate your hair, and lead to dry hair. If your hair is color treated, like many of us, the harsh water will open your hair cuticle and release the color molecules that were placed there in the salon! Don’t worry, there are things you can do to prevent this.
Pre-beach Care
STAYING.ALIVE seals the cuticle using Hedera Helix Leaf Extracts. Multiple antioxidants too long to pronounce strengthen, condition, and moisturize. My favorite is the grapefruit seed extract that helps repair dry damaged hair. Voila!
The first step to protecting your hair is to fill the holes in your hair with awesome and nourishing products so that there isn’t anywhere for the water, chemicals, and sediments to enter. Liberally applying KEVIN.MURPHY STAYING.ALIVE to dry or freshly washed hair helps to even out the porosity of your hair and applies a protective barrier to keep the harsh chemicals and sediment from entering the hair shaft.
Post Beach Care
After you hair has been exposed to water, it is crucial to cleanse your hair to remove any buildup like salt, chlorine, and minerals from hard hotel water from your hair. Wherever you may travel, MAXI.WASH will be your best friend. MAXI.WASH is a pre-shampoo that acts as a gentle facial. Fun fact, the more it sudses the more buildup you have on it! After using MAXI.WASH, shampoo your hair normally with a great shampoo. We often recommend BALANCING.WASH. It's not uncommon to wash your hair more often on vacation and the ylang ylang oil balances your scalp to prevent a dry or oily scalp. Your hair will be thirsty so it's crucial to use a rinse that adds moisture. We prefer to use HYDRATE.ME because it gives your tresses a sip of much needed water.
Sun Protection for Hair
Let’s talk sun! Exposure to the sun can wreak havoc on professionally colored hair. The sun’s rays can make your hair color fade! That includes those toners used for blondes! Hello, Brassy! The sun can also make gorgeous reds and chocolates fade faster! Most people get photos at the beach or are covering those pesky grays so prevention is key! A huge glamorous sun hat that covers all your hair or a cute scarf that matches your bathing suit is the most impactful thing that you can do to protect your hair. If hats and scarves aren’t for you, enjoy the sun and schedule a haircolor appointment soon after the beach to get your color looking right. You can also use KEVIN.MURPHY MOTION.LOTION, YOUNG.AGAIN, or SMOOTH.AGAIN to help protect from the UV rays of sun.
KEVIN.MURPHY Products with UV Protection
About the Author: Kate Kandel
Kate is a the owner and stylist at Kate Kandel Salon. She’s been working behind the chair for over 10 years and was a KEVIN.MURPHY Color Educator for two years. To learn more about Kate, check out her team member profile.