For most South Mississippians, summer means beaches, boats and pools. While days spent on the water are great fun, they can wreak havoc on your hair, so here are a few tips and tricks to get your locks ready for all the galas, fundraisers and football games coming this fall.
1. CLARIFY:
To recondition your hair, you must start with a blank canvas. Wash your hair twice using a good clarifying shampoo. This will open up the cuticle shaft and allow for the cleansers to get in and do their thing. One note: Clarifying shampoos are not color safe, so I recommend doing this treatment right before your next color appointment.
I recommend: Paul Mitchell Shampoo 3 is affordable and smells amazing. If you are swimming regularly, it’s a great shampoo to use once or twice a week to keep the salt and chlorine at bay. (Just remember, it will strip your color.)
For color-treated hair, Joico K-PAC Color Therapy Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner is a great moisture and repair option.
2. TREAT
Next, we need to turn our attention to our scalps and get the pH balance back where it belongs.
I recommend: The Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Treatment is fantastic. I highly suggest getting this treatment applied as a salon service; it feels amazing!
3. DEEP CONDITION
Hair needs two things to be healthy: moisture and protein. If we get too much moisture, it gets greasy. If we get too much protein, it gets brittle. This is a balancing act to say the least. Talk to your haircare professional about what your hair needs. My guess is a combo of both after a summer of swimming.
I recommend: One super-easy at-home treatment to add a little moisture and protein is to mix one half-cup mayonnaise with one egg. Apply to freshly washed (not conditioned) and towel-dried hair. Cover with a disposable shower cap and leave the mixture on for at least 30 minutes. If you can get some heat on it, even better.
I often see coconut oil marked as a moisture treatment, but I’d avoid this. Coconut oil is very difficult to dissolve and coats the hair, which doesn’t allow for any actual conditioners to penetrate. This is why it’s a four out of five on the comedogenic (pore-clogging) scale.
Follow these easy steps to get your end-of-summer locks in great shape for fall!
