3 essential summer hair tips

Your cheatsheet to saving your strands this summer

Marie Claire Contributor / May 25 2017

Sun, surf and scorching temperatures can wreak havoc on your hair. Give your locks a new lease of life with these tips for protecting and prolonging soft, shiny strands.

Be sun smart

When applying SPF, don’t forget to shield your hair, too. “UV rays zap the life out of your colour, giving it a lacklustre look,” says colourist Belinda Jeffrey of La Boutique, Sydney, and Clairol colour ambassador. Apply products that contain UV filters, like Kérastase CC Cream to dry hair from root to tip for complete protection. 

Kérastase CC Cream

Give your hair a break

Give your hair a holiday, too, by taking a break from heat styling and embracing your natural texture. “It’s the time of year to simplify your routine and give your hair a rest from what we put it through in the cooler months,” says Harry Josh, international creative consultant for John Frieda. “Summer is all about fun, relaxed styles, so why not let your hair reflect your mood?” There’s nothing sexier than slightly salty, tousled hair, so put the beach back into your lengths with a sea salt spray or texturiser, such as Evo Salty Dog Cocktail Beach Spray

Evo Salty Dog Cocktail Beach Spray

Treat accordingly

“Warmer weather brings with it its own set of hair stresses such as frizz, dryness and fading,” explains Josh. To put the moisture back into weathered lengths, he recommends upping the ante when it comes to masks, making sure you apply them to clean, damp hair. If your hair is fine or prone to oiliness, use a lightweight option, such as Redken All Soft Heavy Cream, from mid-lengths to tips, while rich formulas, like Sebastian Professional Penetraitt Deep Strengthening and Repair-Masque and Al'chemy Ginkgo & Jojoba Intense Moisture Masque, are better suited to replenish thicker, coarser hair.

Redken All Soft Heavy Cream

Sebastian Professional Penetraitt Deep Strengthening and Repair-Masque

Al'chemy Ginkgo & Jojoba Intense Moisture Masque

Main image credit: Getty

Lucy is a beauty, fashion and health journalist, brand consultant and speaker from Sydney, known for her work across a broad array of platforms. Her work has been published in marie claire Australia (for which she was Beauty Director for 9 years), marie claire France, UK, Netherlands, US and China, Women’s Health and The Australia Women’s Weekly. As a journalist, Lucy has interviewed celebrities including Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Margot Robbie, Aerin Lauder and Miranda Kerr.