Summer is in the air! Are you thinking about dipping into the pool, or going to the beach? Make sure you are prepared to take care of your hair this summer before getting your toes wet! Here are a couple of good to know tips:
Never get in the pool with dry hair. Always wet your hair first, apply a heavy conditioner, or deep conditioner like Oribe's Moisture Masque. Think of your hair like a sponge. If you dip your dry hair into a chlorine pool, it will absorb more of the chlorinated water, than if your hair was already wet. Wetting your hair and then applying conditioner keeps you cuticle full and won't absorb as much chlorine. It works like a barrier on the hair. Remember to reapply throughout the day.
Never go to bed with chlorine in your hair. Always shampoo your hair with a clarifying shampoo like Oribe's The Cleanse. Shampoo twice and apply a protein mask like Oribe's Beautiful Color Masque or their Gold Lust Masque. You can also sleep in the mask and rinse out the following morning.
I am sure you have noticed, or even personally experienced green hair created from chlorinated water. This is called swimmer's hair and is hard to remove if you don't shampoo that same day after swimming. Chlorine can leave the hair feeling slimy, dry, brittle, and damaged. Not to mention the green tint that no one wants!
As for the beach, the same rules apply. Chlorine may not be the damaging agent here, but salt water is just as big of a culprit. It can deplete the hair of moisture and protein, leaving it dry and brittle.
For those of you that do not get in the water and don't wear a hat, make sure you always apply a leave-in conditioner like Oribe's Bright Blonde Serum, Supershine, Balm d'Or, etc. A product that has both a UV and UVB protectant. This acts as a sunscreen for your hair.
One Last tip: Shampoo and apply a deep conditioner that you leave on and don't rinse out. Then pull your hair back and put on a swimmer's cap or a hat. The heat from your head will act as a dryer or rollerball, penetrating the conditioner into the cuticle. It's a 2 for 1 deal! You get a deep conditioning treatment while you basque in the sun; beautiful hair and a beautiful tan.
