How To Protect Your Hair From The Elements

If you’re spending time somewhere warm or tropical it means lots of swimming and sun. So, just as you would take certain measures to protect your skin, I try to take some steps to protect my hair from the climate. Being in Hawaii, there is a high UV index, lots of humidity and wind, and swimming in saltwater and chlorine. With all of that, I try to keep my hair looking and feeling healthy the best I can. The main things I try to do are to keep my hair hydrated and clean. If you are used to only washing your hair once a week or using a lot of dry shampoo, you will want to consider washing your hair every time you swim and using a good oil or mask, focussing on your ends. Keep reading for my favorite hair products and tips for combating the elements.

WIND….

• Keep your hair in a loose braid, or a bun if it is really windy, and use a visor or hat to tame fly-aways. I like to use silk scrunchies because they are gentle on your hair and I like this visor because you can fasten it above or below your braid or ponytail and when you take it off you don’t have hat-hair or a mark on your forehead.
• I also like to spray a detangler or add oil over my braid or ponytail once it is in place to keep my hair hydrated and secure loose strands.
• If you let your hair run wild in the wind it might make for a fun picture, but it is going to get really knotted. When you brush your hair out, make sure to do it when it is dry. I usually only brush my hair before I wash it, and in this case before I swim, so it stays tangle free and still curl normally when it is drying.

WATER ….

• The best tip I have ever followed is to wet your hair BEFORE you swim in a chlorine pool. Do this especially if you are blonde so it doesn’t turn your hair green but no matter what color hair you have if you get it wet first, your hair absorbs the fresh water and each strand doesn’t have room to soak up the chlorine chemicals from the pool. I also try to do this before I go in the Ocean so it doesn’t get too salty and brittle.
• If you can’t rinse your hair off before you swim make sure you rinse your hair out ASAP when you get out of the water and don’t let it dry with saltwater or chlorine in it because it causes a lot of damage to your hair, and if you brush it later it will be crispy and more likely to break off.
• If you want the salt water for volume or beachy waves, at least rinse it out of your ends so they don’t break as much and apply a mask or oil to the ends. I like the ones linked above and below and my favorite original MoroccanOil.
• If you are going to be swimming a lot, like going to snorkel or something, I like to put some coconut oil in my hair to keep it moisturized and the coconut oil is better than a conditioner because it does not add chemicals to the ocean or reef.

SUN ….

• A hat or visor will also help your hair from getting too much sun but I like to use an SPF spray in my hair to give it a layer of protection. I think this is especially important for people who color their hair because the sun combined with swimming can strip the color.
• Although if you do want your hair to get lighter, the sun and sea will get to it, just make sure to protect the ends and your scalp.
• I like this spray oil because you can use it on your hair and body for SPF 30 protection and hydration.

HUMIDITY …

• If you have curly hair, chances are it gets kind of frizzy when you’re in a humid climate. Mine used to get very big but I found that the best thing to combat the humidity is to keep your hair very hydrated.
• I like to use this hair mask every time I wash my hair and instead of rinsing it out the way the directions say to, I leave it on. That way the next day when I go to swim there is an extra layer of protection and moisture in my hair too.

What are some of your best tips for protecting your hair while on vacation?