Spring is in the air which means Travel Season is upon us. It’s time to book those trips to sunny places and prepare our packing lists. Let’s take a minute to find out what hair products should be in our travel bags this summer.
We ladies like to look our best and invest a lot of time and money into achieving the perfect hair color and style. It only makes sense that we want to protect that investment. Whether taking a trip to the beach, relaxing in the hot tub, or spending time in the pool, we will likely expose our hair to some harsh elements. We protect our skin with sunscreen, but we also need to know how to protect our hair from the effects of sun, salt, and chlorine.
During my recent vacation in Hawaii, I started thinking about how all the things I love to do when I travel may be damaging my thin, color-treated hair. I decided to ask for advice from my phenomenal friend Kelsey Elliott. She is a John Paul Mitchell Systems Educator and owns Infinite Designs Hair Studio.
Protect
Problem: Sun Damage – This occurs when prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays weakens the hair structure, leading to dryness, brittleness, split ends, color fading, frizz, and potential thinning. The breakdown of hair proteins caused by UV radiation makes hair appear damaged and lackluster.
What should we do to protect our hair from the sun?
There are a few simple things you can do:
- Wear a hat
- Don’t expose your scalp to the sun
- Use hair products with UV protection
Problem: Chlorine Damage – This occurs when the chemicals in pool or hot tub water strip away the natural oils from your hair, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to split ends as chlorine can disrupt the hair’s natural structure, causing significant damage, especially with frequent exposure; this is often accompanied by a rough texture and potential color changes, particularly for dyed hair.
How can we protect our hair from chlorine?
Wet hair down before getting into the pool or hot tub, spray with leave-in conditioner, and braid to keep hair out of the way and make it easier to deal with if it does get wet.
Dampening the hair and putting on a leave-in conditioner will take up the majority of the space in the hair shaft so the chlorine doesn’t penetrate too far. Wash your hair immediately afterward to remove anything that could’ve gone in.
Problem: Sea Salt Damage – Sea Salt damage happens to hair by drawing out moisture, leading to dryness, brittleness, tangling, and breakage. It can also exacerbate color fading in dyed hair.
What method works to protect hair from sea salt?
You should use the same method to protect your hair from sea salt as you do with chlorine. Apply a leave-in conditioner before exposure, and then wash your hair immediately after.
Hair Products For Summer Travel Season
Here are some great products to help you create the perfect summer hairstyle and protect your hair from humidity (frizz), and damage from the elements this travel season. If you want to order any of these products, scan the QR code at the end to visit Kelsey’s Salon Shop and support her small business!
Final Thoughts
We’ve all heard the saying “Vacation Hair and I Don’t Care”…Well, we should care! Our hair is at its most vulnerable when we are on vacation because we expose it to many potentially damaging elements. By utilizing the tips and strategies Kelsey shared with us along with a few key products, we can protect the health of our hair and preserve the color we love so much!
I’d like to thank Kelsey Elliott for taking time from her busy schedule to answer our hair care questions and providing great tips and product options to help us keep our hair happy and healthy.
The World According to Dev 