Long summer days filled with sun, fun, and outdoor activities can take a serious toll on your hair. The intense heat and prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB rays can lead to hair dryness; sweat, humidity, and frequent dips in chlorinated pools or salty ocean water can lead to hair damage, leaving your locks brittle and lifeless.
Whether you're lounging by the pool, enjoying the beach, or simply spending time in your backyard, it's essential to protect your hair from these harsh elements. Fortunately, with the right homemade hair sprays, you can shield your hair from sun, chlorine, salt water, and sweat, ensuring it stays healthy, vibrant, and strong throughout the seasons. Here’s how to keep your locks looking their best, no matter where your summer adventures take you.
How to Protect Your Hair from Sun, Heat + Humidity
1. Protect with SPF and Rosemary
Just like your skin, your hair can be damaged by UV rays. Prolonged sun exposure can weaken hair strands, fade color, and cause dryness and brittleness. A hair spray with UV protection acts as a barrier, shielding your hair from these harmful rays.
If you don't have a hair product that contains sunscreen, it's easy to make your own. Adding rosemary oil stimulates hair follicles and encourages hair growth while strengthening hair at the root. Use a clarifying shampoo afterward to get rid of buildup.
- Water
- SPF 25 sunscreen
- 3-4 drops rosemary oil
Dilute two teaspoons of SPF 25 sunscreen in a cup of water - I use homemade coconut oil zinc oxide sunscreen; since the oil and water don't mix, you will need to shake well before each use. Pour into a spray bottle and spritz on hair before going out into the sun or getting into the pool to protect your color and shine.
2. De-Frizz with Aloe and Argan Oil
When strands are already dried out from sun and chlorine, humidity can create a fluffy, frizzy mess. Your hair hero: aloe!
Its polysaccharides restore moisture to hair to seal out humidity and add shine. For extra frizz-fighting power, reach for argan oil, which hydrates hair without making locks greasy.
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons aloe
- 1 teaspoon argan oil
- 1 teaspoon glycerin
Mix ingredients together in a large measuring cup and pour into spray bottle.
3. Add Texture with Coconut and Salt
Sea sprays are always popular in summer and it could not be easier to make your own. Sea salt is great for oily hair as it naturally pulls out oil and moisture.
To counteract the drying effects of the salt, add a small amount of oil to condition the hair. Coconut oil's lauric acid (which is similar to the proteins in natural hair) deeply penetrates the hair shaft.
- Water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil
4. Lighten with Lemon and Chamomile
Harsh UV rays can cause highlights to fade and leave hair color looking dull, but you can get the sun to work for you by applying a lemon-infused spray before heading outside. Lemon's citric acid heats up in the sun, opening the hair cuticle to lift out pigment and deliver natural-looking golden highlights.
(Just be careful to not overuse this spray - the high acid content can dry out hair.) To really lighten, add chamomile, which contains a plant compound that helps brighten hair.
- 2 cups water
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons almond oil
- 10 drops chamomile essential oil
Combine ingredients and mix well. Transfer to spray bottle and shake thoroughly before each use.
5. Condition with Coconut Milk
Coconut milk's high fat content, proteins, and vitamin E nourish hair from roots to ends, helping restore thinning hair, split ends and dry, damaged hair. It also works as a conditioner and de-tangler while improving hair growth.
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (can also use coconut, argan or jojoba)
