The insights of La Saponaria

Hair in the sun: natural remedies for healthy and shiny hair

Written by Simona | Jul 25, 2023 8:03:42 AM
Summer is not exactly the season most loved by our hair! Between a sunbath and a dip in the sea or in the pool, you may notice that your hair has become duller, more brittle and dry. It's all the fault of the sun, heat, salt, chlorine and sweat that can attack the beauty of our hair and make it more difficult to tame.

To avoid having to deal with a drastic cut at the end of summer, you can intervene in time and take advantage of a few tips and the power of natural ingredients to nourish and restructure your hair and show off healthy and shiny hair all year round! Together we will discover why it is important to protect our hair before and after exposure to the sun

In this article, we will explore 7 tips for our summer hair care routine:

  1. Shield your hair from the sun
  2. Protect your hair from saltwater and chlorine
  3. Nourish sun-stressed hair
  4. Exfoliate the scalp
  5. Avoid hairdryers and straighteners
  6. Be cautious with chemical dyes
  7. Support your hair with a healthy diet and plenty of hydration

Tips for taking care of your hair in the summer

Here is a list of good hair care habits that will allow you to take care of lengths, roots and scalp without too much effort.

1. Shield your hair from the sun

The skin is not the only one in need of attention when it comes to solar radiation! Even hair, if exposed to the action of UV rays, can be damaged. Here then straw hair comes to our aid, which in addition to being super chic are breathable and avoid unnecessarily oppressing our hair, and protective sun sprays for hair, excellent to spray on the beach, by the pool or before a summer walk.

For a triple action you can try our Protective Hair Oil 3 in 1 - Aloha, effective against sun, salt and chlorine! It is an oil with a rich formula but with a light texture - no greasy hair effect! - which ensures nourishment and helps protect the natural beauty of the hair. How does he do it? Thanks to its sumptuous mix of oils! Argan, Coconut, Linen, Babassu and Vitamin E: they will be your best summer allies.

No holidays in sight? Aloha is also excellent as a protective spray during styling: apply it to the lengths before using a hair dryer, straightener or iron to prevent split ends from appearing.

Extra tip: Aloha will also come in handy to remedy some unexpected gusts of wind on the beach or by the pool. It will be enough to distribute a little product between your hands and pass them through the strands to restore order!

2. Protect your hair from saltwater and chlorine

When you go for a swim, there is nothing more fun than immersing yourself completely and leaving the scorching heat and humidity behind! Unfortunately, salt and chlorine are sworn enemies of the hair and in the long run can weaken it, make it dull and more prone to split ends. This is why it would be better to rinse your hair after every dip!

If you then want to be sure that you have eliminated all traces of chlorine or salt from the hair shaft or scalp, you can wash your hair with Amico del Mare, our shower shampoo formulated with 100% renewable and biodegradable vegetable surfactants, to gently cleanse without polluting the seas!

Contains moisturizing and soothing ingredients, such as Aloe gel and Calendula, and smells of summer and nature thanks to the essential oils of Basil and Lime.

Etra tip: Thanks to its hybrid nature, Amico del mare is one of those 'clever' products to put in your suitcase or beach bag. With just one product you will have a fragrant shower gel and a delicate shampoo at your disposal!

3. Nourish sun-stressed hair

That's right, in the summer our hair is crying out for moisturizing and restructuring masks: apply them once a week in the shower to prevent dryness and frizz.

Wondermask Hair are great for pampering your hair from roots to ends! There are 3 types:

  • Luce, perfect for giving shine, hydration and softness
  • Volume, ideal for hair looking for energy and freshness
  • Forza, restructuring and strengthening, excellent for stressed and brittle hair.

From week to week you can alternate one or the other mask and ensure your hair a beneficial mix of moisturizing, energizing and restructuring properties!

If, on the other hand, you want to try your hand at creating a homemade hair mask, then try the restructuring mask with wheat germ oil and avocado oil. It is a really simple recipe but excellent for nourishing and strengthening the hair fiber, without greasing or weighing it down.

All you will need is:

Mix the ingredients together and spread the mixture evenly over the hair, gather it in a twist or soft braid and leave it on for about 30 minutes. Then proceed with normal hair washing.

Other hair masks we can do in summer? We can make them at home! Here are the recipes:

  1. Mask with linseed oil and lemon essential oil
    Flaxseed oil, used as a pre-shampoo pack, is excellent for nourishing dry and brittle hair, for removing frizz and making it shiny.
  2. Castor oil and olive oil mask
    Castor oil is an excellent strengthener and invigorator for dull and lifeless hair.
  3. Mask with wheat germ oil and avocado oil
    Avocado oil is rich in vitamins, proteins and essential fatty acids. It is an effective softener and, among other oils, has a much higher absorption rate. Among the vegetable oils, it is the most effective in protecting the skin and hair from the drying effect of the sun's rays. The oil softens, nourishes and strengthens the hair without greasing or weighing it down.
  4. Nourishing wrap with Shea and jojoba oil
    This pack is also a real panacea for dry and dull hair, thanks to the shea butter that will nourish it in depth and to the high nourishing and protective activity of jojoba oil from the sun's rays.
  5. Flower lotion
    This lotion contains apple cider vinegar and nettle to stimulate circulation, while avocado oil, calendula and rosemary have nourishing and moisturizing properties.

For other hair-themed DIY recipes, you can consult the dedicated section of our website: you'll be spoiled for choice!

Extra tip: if you love multifunctional products you must know that Aloha is also excellent for making pre-shampoo packs!

4. Exfoliate the scalp

Scalp scrubs are very useful in any season, but even more so in the summer. The reason is obvious: in this season sweat, salt, chlorine and styling products risk accumulating on the skin and making it asphyxiated. The consequences? Gradually more dull and lifeless hair.

To avoid the problem it is necessary to act at the root, or rather, at the roots! On a monthly basis, massage Detox Scalp Scrub on moistened skin, the microgranules will take care of purifying, reinvigorating and stimulating the area. It is formulated with chicory prebiotic, which helps strengthen the natural microbiota present on our skin, and aloe gel, moisturizing and soothing.

Extra Tip: being a mechanical scrub, the Detox Scrub is also suitable for sensitive skin. It will be sufficient to modulate the intensity of the massage, decreasing or increasing the pressure, to regulate its scrubbing power.

5. Avoid hairdryers and straighteners

A great way not to rage on our hair during the summer is to let it dry naturally, avoiding the use of a hairdryer. From June to September it would also be advisable to forget the straightener and iron for styling.

This, in addition to preventing the stem from drying out and the infamous appearance of split ends, will also prevent you from spending long minutes in the bathroom in the company of red-hot tools!

Extra tip: if you don't want to give up styling your hair, you can distribute a small amount of coconut oil between your palms, massage it into the lengths and make a soft chignon.

6. Be cautious with chemical dyes

In the long run, chemical dyes can ruin the natural beauty of our hair and, especially during the summer, when our hair is subjected to innumerable sources of stress, it would be better to avoid them. We must not give up dyeing our hair: there are also natural dyes and in particular we can use henna and herbal dyes.

The components that make up natural dyes wrap around the hair cuticle and bind to the keratin, filling the hair scales. This determines a strengthening of the hair which also appears shinier, silky and full of beautiful natural shades. That's why they are particularly recommended to do in the summer! Wrapping the hair they protect it from oxidative stress.

The powder colors of the Hennetica line contain a skilful mix of dyeing herbs and henna and are formulated without ammonia, metallic salts, sodium picramate or chemical additives.

Extra tip: if you have dark hair and want to give your hair the benefits of henna without changing your starting color, you can use Hennetica Devi (Sand). In fact, this mix has no dyeing power on dark hair and will therefore act as a restructuring pack: in fact, inside we find Cassia, particularly suitable for strengthening and restructuring hair. If, on the other hand, you have light hair, you can opt for the Henna Gloss, a reflecting mask that is prepared easily and with very few ingredients.

7. Support your hair with a healthy diet and plenty of hydration

It might not be exactly the first way that comes to mind to take care of your hair, but maintaining a balanced and varied diet helps to have healthy, resistant and shiny hair. Green light then to seasonal fruit and vegetables to be consumed also as a snack directly on the beach or by the pool.

Even hydration should not be underestimated, both for the physical well-being of the body and for keeping the hair beautiful and hydrated. Considering the heat and the increase in perspiration typical of the summer period, it is essential to drink at least 2.5 liters of water a day and to favor foods that contain a high percentage of liquids such as watermelons, peaches and melons.

These are all our hair care-themed tips for the summer period: following them will help you manage your hair without too much effort and keep it healthy and beautiful throughout the hot season.

So if under the umbrella you get the idea of ​​going to the hairdresser when you return from vacation, it won't be to run for cover with drastic measures, but just to have the coolest cut of the moment!