featuring guest authors; crafting tips and projects; recipes from food editor and sleuthing sidekick Cloris McWerther; and decorating, travel, fashion, health, beauty, and finance tips from the rest of the American Woman editors.

Note: This site uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

BEAUTY WITH NICOLE--SUMMER HAIR TIPS

Beauty editor Nicole Emmerling stops by today with summer hair care tips. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Summer is not your hair’s friend. Between the hot sun, salt water, and chlorine, you can do a lot of damage to your hair during summer activities. Here are some tips for protecting your hair from damage this time of year.

The best way to protect your hair is to keep it covered from the sun. Always wear a hat or scarf. If you can’t wear a hat or scarf, make sure you apply leave-in conditioner with sunscreen before you go outside.

If you know you are going to be in the sun for a long time, and if you don't want to wear anything on your head, apply leave-in conditioner with sunscreen before going out.
Try to limit use of dryers, curling irons, and flat irons, but if you must use one, never use it without first applying conditioner made to be used with these items.
Avoid hair products with formaldehyde or alcohol. These products dry out hair. Natural products are kinder to your hair.
In summer months switch to a moisturizing shampoo.

Use a daily conditioner.
You can reduce the amount of chlorine or salt water your hair absorbs by wetting your hair before you go into a pool or the ocean, and always wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo after swimming to wash out all the chlorine or salt.
On those high humidity days, wear your hair in a bun or braids to keep the frizzies at bay.

Thanks, Nicole! These are tips I can really use, thanks to the heat and humidity of New Jersey in the summer. What about the rest of you? How do you deal with summer heat and humidity? Let's hear from you. Post a comment and be eligible to win a book from our Book Club Friday author. -- AP

3 comments:

Kathy said...

Another way to avoid all the problems you mentioned is to do what I do. I don't swim in pools or the ocean and I don't go out in the sun or the humidity. I don't use a hair dryer because my hair is so short it dries in about 5 minutes. Yep, I spend the whole summer inside in the air conditioning reading about sunny places. Must have some vampire blood in me.

Kathye Quick said...

I have to say I agree with Kathy - no water, beach or chlorine for me. I think I drowned in a past life.

But these are great tips if you partake, N=My neighbor tunred her hair green once dying it ash blond after being in the pool!

Cassy Pickard said...

I have basically given up on my hair. It's very curly. For years I did the blow-dry, fussy steps to keep a cute bob. I'd step outside and poof! it became a frizzy mess. So now, I just let it curl anyway it wants and pin it back if I need to look more put-together. I live on a lake, so avoiding the water is not possible! Fun topic.