Get Your Hair Ready for Summer

Posted by Robyn on 19th May 2014

The Organic Approach to Healthy Summer Hair

Here comes the sun, do-do-do-doo...

Here comes the sun, and we say: GET YOUR HAIR READY FOR IT!

Summer is quickly approaching so we thought we would share our holistic approach to keeping your hair gorgeous in the upcoming warmer weather!

Health begins on the inside, which is why you may find yourself frustrated with highly commercialized products promising to "make your hair healthier with each application". The majority of these products attempt to superficially make the outside healthier, regardless of what is going on inside. So naturally, from a holistic point of view, the number one step toward healthy hair is to make sure that what you are putting into your body does not reflect badly in your hair.

During the heat of summer you may find your hair drying out, frizzing out, flipping out and otherwise skipping out on beauty, so for starters: stay hydrated! Drink lots of pure h2o! This will keep moisture accessible to your stressed tresses. Lisa Testa of Healthier You, LLC, suggests that we all drink 1/2 of our body weight in ounces every single day. Not only will this keep your hair healthy, but it is extremely anti-aging for the skin as well.

The next step toward beautiful, cooperative hair is to protect it from drying out. Here are a few tips.

Wash with a gentle shampoo.
- Most shampoos contain ingredients that will strip your hair of its natural oils. These oils are your body's natural way of keeping your hair healthy and shiny. They keep the moisture from escaping from the hair strand. When hair is moisturized, there is less chance of breakage, which causes frizz and dullness. Every single Shear Miracle Organics Shampoo has carefully chosen ingredients to keep your hair in its best condition - always all organic, vegan, gluten-free, non-gmo & cruelty-free. Plus they contain ingredients like grapeseed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil and rosemary, which are all fantastic UV protectants.

Wash it less frequently or purchase a shower filter.
- If you don't have your own personal well, then most likely you are showering in chemically treated water. This water contains chlorine and sometimes even ammonia! The more you wash it, the more you strip those natural, protecting, moisturizing oils out of your hair, just from your water. This leaves your hair desperately thirsty and consequently dry, frizzy, brittle. Use pure water with a pure shampoo!

Don't be afraid of conditioner.
- Always use a good quality conditioner after shampooing your hair. This helps to pH balance your hair, putting it back in a balanced state which will also keep your hair from losing its natural moisture. Especially for those with longer, more porus hair, consider leaving a little conditioner in your hair by not rinsing the conditioner all the way out. (Make sure your scalp is rinsed clear if you have any tendency towards oiliness.) The majority of conditioners on the market use silicones, waxes and/or buffers to counteract the harsh ingredients in their shampoo to make your hair feel & appear soft & shiny, but this is only a cover-up, like a bandage on a wound, rather than truly healthy hair from the inside out.
- Pamper yourself now and then with a deep conditioning treatment, making sure to deeply massage your treatment of choice into your scalp for at least 60 seconds & perhaps leaving it in overnight.

When it comes to an activity which will inevitably cause some damage to your hair - such as going to the pool or the beach - prepare accordingly.

Dry hair is like a dry sponge. If you put it in water it will soak up everything, including chlorine and other chemicals, until there's no space for more. However, if your hair is already saturated with something good, it will not be able to soak up nearly as much chlorine, salt water, or whatever you may be putting your hair into. So hop into the shower before you hop into the pool and soak your hair. As an extra measure, apply a little Protect Leave-In Conditioner before you dive in.

Hair exposed to the sun and wind will become naturally dried out, become extremely tangled, causing the need to brush it more. So protect your hair when going to the beach or when boating.
- Wear a hat or a hair scarf to protect it from the sun.
- Contain it by braiding it or putting it up in a low bun to keep the wind from, literally, tearing it up.
- Try rinsing your hair immediately after coming in from a sunny adventure, followed by a nice 30-second scalp massage. Massaging the scalp exfoliates the dead cells and brings circulation back to your scalp, promoting healthy new growth, and helping to eliminate product build-up. The bonus feature is that it feels amazing!

Using these simple hints, you can fearlessly bask in the beautiful summer sun with hair that's ready for it!