The TBS haircare summer guide for sun, sea and pool time

As promised, after fighting static, we are back with another chapter of our summer haircare guide. Honestly, it’s really hard to take care of your hair properly, during summertime! The air is too humid, there’s too much sea and pool water, there’s too much aggressive washing and unbearable styling happening. To try to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we had another chat with Jeni Thomas, Ph. D. and Pantene Principal scientist. We asked her everything we wanted to know, from the basics to the craziest questions about the complexities of hair styling. This guide is the result of our phone interview with her, and it’s the sum of everything we have learned on the topic. Sharing is caring, so here we are, sharing everything we know, without any omissions!

Sun
The sun is both your best friend and your worst enemy in summer. Its rays are very damaging for the protein fibre that makes your hair, and they can bleach the melanin out, too. Protecting your hair from the sun is not as simple as protecting your skin. Technically, you could use a cream, but it’s really not a nice feeling. We have three tips to minimise the damage we’ve just mentioned, and make sure you keep your mane nice and healthy. First, make sure that your hair is packed with antioxidants. How, you ask? You can use specific shampoo, conditioner and hair masks: even a no-rinse treatment can be helpful. Secondly, we suggest wearing a hat — not kidding! It’s also the best way to protect your skin. We really do not recommend using hair-specific sunscreen, as it’s often oil-based and you should really avoid that… Imagine how hot oil can get, you might end up literally frying your hair under the sun! Our third tip is related to hair dye. We are obviously not suggesting you start coloring your hair now if you never did it before, but if you usually dye it, make sure you pick a darker nuance than usual, so you can be ready for exposing your dyed locks to the sun. The hair dye will work as a shield and protect your hair, while the sun will just destroy the artificial pigment in your hair, bleaching it, before it gets to the protein inside your hair.
Sea
The sea is also bad news, unfortunately. You know beach waves, the beautiful effect you get after playing with the waves? From this year on, you’d better forget it, since the truth has surfaced. Salt is really bad for your hair, and in the long run it can damage your hair fiber up to the real breaking point. If you want to have healthy hair, try to get beach waves with an artificial spray, which also contains nourishing ingredients. To give your hair a better feel after swimming in seawater, and to rebuild your mane, use a hair mask, and feel free to keep it on your hair for longer than suggested on the packaging.

Pool 
Let’s debunk the myth that chlorine is what we should worry about. Sure, it’s not good for our hair, but the real enemy here is copper, which is found in some products used in swimming pools to keep the water clean. Copper causes oxidation, and accelerates the negative effects caused by UV rays. The trick is to start your care even before you swim: wet your hair with clean water, cover them with a rich hair mask, and you’ll be ready to swim. Rinse everything again after the pool: the mask will have absorbed all the bad chemical agents you were exposed to, protecting your hair.

Shampoo and conditioner routine
We’re not going to lie, it gets hot and sweaty in summer… And sweat is bad for your hair. Just like seawater, sweat is packed with salt, and has, therefore, a very similar effect. If you feel like washing your hair more often than usual, don’t worry — it’s actually not a problem to wash your hair if you use nourishing shampoos and conditioners. Just make sure you avoid blow drying them and straightening them with heat You really should save your hair this kind of stress, too… Why not embrace your natural texture and let your hair air dry? After all… We’re all on holiday!