Summertime Hair Care Tips

Guest Column by
Mahisha Dellinger
Founder of CURLS

Our favorite time of year is finally here – summer! With it comes the daily assault of taxing chlorine compounds, drying sea salt, and damaging sun rays... not to mention all of the havoc we wreak on our angels' hair from daily styling faux pas.

It is imperative that you Chlorine and salt water both dry, discolor, and damage hair. Chlorine binds to the hair, filling in gaps in the hair shaft. Mineral deposits in salt water make hair brassy and brittle. Both severely dehydrate hair. Imagine how these elements affect delicate, kinky/curly hair which tends to be much drier than straight hair.

Here are a few summertime tips that will keep damaged, split, brittle, frizzy hair away, so you and your angel can enjoy the summer without worry.

What You Need: What You Need to Do:
  1. Before your angel enters a pool, lake, ocean, or any body of water, drench his/her hair with water and apply a coat of conditioner to the hair. This water/conditioner mixture will fill up the gaps in the hair shaft and act as a barrier from the chlorinated water. Follow up with a little club soda; it makes for a good post-pool rinse.

  2. I recommend wearing a swim cap as often as possible. Although most kids hate wearing them for many reasons – they're uncomfortable, unattractive, or never stay on, etc. - using a cap that securely protects the hair is always the best option.

  3. If there is a time to be extra gentle with her hair, it is now. Treat her hair like a fine silk blouse. Purchase a gentle hydrating shampoo. Always follow up with a rich conditioner. Shampoo gently, massaging a small amount of shampoo into scalp, rinse well. CURLS Hydrating shampoo is a great option.

  4. Use a quality conditioner with moisturizing ingredients to deep condition her hair on a weekly basis during the summer. Look for ingredients such as wheat germ, jojoba oil, coconut oil, silk amino acids, etc. We recommend CURLS Quenched conditioner.

  5. Over-shampooing and under-conditioning is a common causes of dry and frizzy hair, especially in the summer months. Shampooing more than once a week is not recommended. On her "shampoo-less" days, simply do a conditioning rinse: rinse hair to remove styling products (this is when using the right products that are water soluble comes in), apply an ample amount of CURLS Quenched conditioner, comb through, rinse, and proceed with styling. This will pump much needed moisture back into her hair, rinse away unnecessary dirt and oil, and give her a fresh, clean start without stripping away essential nutrients.

  6. Avoid products that contain synthetic oils such as mineral and/or petrolatum oil, as they further dehydrate the hair. Avoid products that contain drying alcohol, such as hair spray, mousse and some gels. Instead, opt for a finishing lotion. We recommend CURLS Curly Q styling lotion. It combats frizz, enhances curl formation, and leaves a soft and natural curl hold without a greasy, sticky, or hard feeling. It also replenishes damage to the hair lipid.

  7. Pay special attention to the ends of her hair; after all, they are the oldest part of the hair. Mix a bit of a conditioner with a natural oil, apply, and comb through ends. Leave in for extra protection.
Mahisha Dellinger is President/CEO of CURLS, a line of hair care products developed specifically for bi/multiracial women and girls. Her own Creole-Black heritage spurred her interest, and the result is two groups of products (Curls and Curly Qs), and a wealth of knowledge she is sharing with us in a series of articles offering hands-on assistance. She can be reached at mdellinger@curls.biz.


Comments

This is a fantastic article and of great importance for parents of AA or bi/multiracial children.

Summertime can either be good or bad to curly locks, depending on the type of care given.

I often end up cutting off my tresses by mid-summer, as the humidity tends to snap my chemically straightened ends off if I'm in the sun a lot or don't care for my hair properly.

Posted by: nappyroots at 08/04/2005 08:30 AM

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