Brush and repair summer-soaked hair
Feeling a little dried out?
Whether you’re headed for one last dip in the ocean or wanting to repair a season’s worth of summer fun, here are a few quick tips to remedy any hair issues.
Keep the memories, not the damage!
What chlorine and sea salt damage looks like
Chlorine can make your coloured hair dull and lighten it up. And, if you’re a bottled blonde, it can make your hair turn a lovely shade of green.
Chlorine-damaged hair is often stripped of its natural oils, which leads to more damage. Tangles, split ends and snapped strands are just a few things that could happen if you love to swim.
Sea salt does the same: swelling the cuticle and leaving it dehydrated and prone to damage.
Go in with a good brush
Treat sea-tangled hair gently. Detangle with the wet/dry brush after your rinse. The ball-capped nylon bristles will glide gently through your strands. Start from the ends and work slowly to your roots to minimize any snagging.
Repair and rinse
Hit the beach showers for a cold water rinse and brush and detangle with the wet/dry brush and squeeze–don’t wring–hair out.
Use a clarifying shampoo
Paul Mitchell’s Shampoo Three is a great clarifying shampoo to lift mineral and product buildup and the dreaded chlorine green.
Follow with moisturizing products
A moisturizing shampoo and conditioner will do the trick. Or use a leave-in conditioner and do a weekly mask, if swimming is a weekly–not daily–thing.
Take a day off from styling
Go a few days without heat styling if your hair is really damaged. Luckily, hairstyles created with our cordless convertible curling iron or cordless flat iron last for at least a day. The titanium tools, which are efficient heat conductors, can go up to 450ºF. The flat iron or curling iron won’t be on your hair for that long and can create lasting looks with a little hairspray. Use the give me life dry shampoo the next day for a touchup!
If you don’t want to heat style, wear it loose or put it in a style that won’t strain your strands
Protect your hair before you dip in the pool
If you don’t want to use a swim cap–the ultimate protection–make a pit stop to the showers before you hit the pool. A quick, but thorough, rinse of your hair will limit the amount of chlorine your hair will absorb.
Dyed hair tips
Not everyone wants to wear a swim cap, so the best option is to keep hair up and out of the water.
Rinse your hair beforehand if you are determined to swim. Filtered water acts like a protective coating by soaking the hair and, hopefully, keeping the chlorine or sea salt out of your hair. Head straight back to the showers for a rinse when you’re done swimming.
Use a clarifying shampoo and follow with a moisturizing and colour-safe shampoo and conditioner!
