3 Essential Ways to Care for Your Hair This Summer

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Say so long to fading, dryness and frizz. Here's how to protect hair from sun, sweat and salt water and have healthy-looking locks.

Heads up! While summer sun can do wonders for your mood, it can also do a number on your hair. Now for the good news: Getting the jump on colour fading, dryness, frizz and greasy roots is as easy as having the proper products on hand.

Use protection

When you’re in a steady relationship with your colourist, using a shampoo and conditioner formulated for colour-treated hair is the first line of defence against fading. Using a sun protection spray regularly and wearing a hat for extended exposure will further protect your investment, says salon owner and Alterna Haircare brand ambassador Salvatore Leonetti. When used together, they’ll help maintain vibrancy and extend results between services, but a shade shift is inevitable. In fact, the pros expect it. “I’m never too concerned with a small level of fading,” says Leonetti. “That’s a normal process.”

Nourish

Sunlit activities interspersed with watery cool-downs are the ultimate summer goal. Unfortunately, that cycle can quickly alter hair’s moisture levels. “Sun and water are drying, so allowing hair to air-dry with nothing to protect it will start to strip away moisture,” says Ashley Readings, a Toronto-based hair and makeup artist and TRESquad stylist.

Treat hair with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and have a leave-in treatment on standby. For maximum nourishment, Leonetti recommends using a hair mask—a beauty trick inspired by his Brazilian wife. “Women in Brazil will sit on the beach with a tub of hair mask,” he says. “They run in the water, come out, douse their hair in it and brush it through.”

If you have fine or brittle hair, choose a protein- or keratin-enriched mask designed to rebuild strands. “Keep it on the mid-shaft and ends because that’s usually where fine hair takes more of a beating,” says Leonetti. Coarse textures will benefit from hydrating masks with rich oils, such as argan, shea and coconut oils. Conditioning products are also the secret to overcoming frizz. “A hydrated curl is a healthy-looking curl,” he says. “Use leave-in conditioner and styling products, and be generous with them.”

Spritz after sweating

If, like Readings, your version of summer lovin’ involves two wheels, you’ll appreciate her quick fix for helmet head. “Dry shampoo is my go-to and always in my bag because I have very oily roots and my bangs get sweaty,” she says. “When I take off my helmet, it’s a hero product that gives some volume back and absorbs oil.”

It can also be used to manage greasy roots by reducing over-cleansing. “I’m a big believer in dry shampoo because you can’t wash your hair every day,” says Leonetti. Daily cleansing can send hair follicles into overdrive, producing more oil and worsening the issue. “It’s smarter to use a dry shampoo and extend longevity from one wash to another,” he says. “If that requires using a healthy amount of dry shampoo every second day and then washing hair on the third day, that’s fine.”