Toronto summers are the best, but all that sun, sand, chlorine, and humidity can do a real number on hair. Here are our top summer hair care tips to keeping your ‘do smooth and healthy, all season long.
Wash With A Cleansing Conditioner
To fight frizz, we swear by cleansing conditioners. These are shampoo-free formulas that leave natural oils in the hair (which helps keep frizz down). Instead of penetrating deep into the hair like a traditional shampoo, they just wash the surface of the strand and remove product and mineral build-up. It’s like a really good rinse and it’s great for people who don’t want to wash their hair a lot. We love Oribe’s Cleansing Crème because it leaves hair feeling not too clean and not too greasy. Another option is Goldwell Kerasilk Color Cleansing Conditioner or Moistrepair by KMS.
How To Use It: To avoid tangles, apply the cleansing conditioner to length and ends first, then to your scalp with your head upside down. This releases the weight of hair on the scalp so you can apply it properly. Make sure you can run your fingers through your hair from root to ends – this allows the product to do its job – and rinse very well!
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Introduce A Moisturizing Product
Cream products are important all year ’round but especially during the summer months. After towel drying, gently finger comb then apply an anti-frizz product such as Oribe Balm d’Or to protect from the heat of your blow dryer. Emulsify two to three pumps in your hand and apply it from mid-shaft to ends. As you run out of product in your hands, you can go closer to the root. Avoid touching your scalp or else it can get greasy. If you have thicker, coarser textured hair, you can also add a touch of serum cocktailed with the anti-frizz product or one after the other.
Another way to keep hair soft and smooth is to apply a weekly mask treatment. Goldwell has some nice ones for moisture or volume or colour protection. Apply it mid-shaft to ends, leave it on for a minute or two and rinse well.
Rinse After You Swim
Chlorine, lake, and salt water are all rough on hair so it’s important to rinse your hair with clean water after you’ve been swimming.Even better, slather on a dense leave-in conditioner BEFORE you swim because it will add a protective barrier. If you swim in pools a lot, you’ll want to avoid chlorine build-up by using a clarifying shampoo weekly. Chlorine can also be harsh on highlights. To protect yours, wash weekly with a purple-based anti-brass blonde shampoo. It’s designed to keep blonde hair bright and shiny, but it also gives medium brown hair pretty sun-kissed highlights.
Use A Diffuser
A diffuser is probably our number one must-have tool for summer! It protects hair from the heat and it’s a more controlled way of drying. When you see Sports Illustrated models their hair didn’t just dry like that. You need a diffuser to get this kind of “natural” look. It helps dry at a controlled temperature and makes it look like you’ve been air-drying by the beach. Even people with straight hair can get that beachy look by using one. It’s amazing what happens when you diffuse super straight hair, it makes it really textured and piece-y. Our favourite is the soft Diane Ionic Mesh Diffuser. You can stuff it in a suitcase when travelling, and, best of all, the mesh is infused with titanium that creates shine and reduces frizz.
For stunning summer hair, make an appointment at Toronto’s bob + paige salon.