How to look after your hair in summer

In summer, our hair and scalp need care just as much as the rest of the year. After all, protecting your skin from the elements is part of your daily beauty routine, and you can't imagine going on holiday without it. In summer, protecting your hair and scalp from the elements (sea, sun, swimming pool) is part of an essential beauty routine if you want your hair to look as healthy as you feel.

The Clauderer specialists have put together some health and beauty tips to help you get the most out of your hair in the summer sun, with minimum effort and maximum results: soft, moisturised and shiny hair!

Why take care of your hair in summer (too)?

Even far from pollution which attacks our scalp and damages our hair, the summer period is not necessarily good for our hair.

There are a number of causes that can damage the hair fibre in summer, making it dry, porous and brittle, as well as upsetting the scalp's delicate pH balance:

1. Excessive heat: our bodies resist heat by naturally regulating body temperature. Sweating is the natural process that keeps our body at the ideal temperature by increasing the production of sweat (water at 99% + mineral salts). More sweat will flow through the pores of the epidermis and, inevitably, of the scalp. With an oily scalpThe result: oily dandruff, flat, shiny hair, an oily appearance, seborrhoeic dermatitis, itching and other skin problems, as well as compromised hair growth. The result: greasy dandruff, flat, shiny hair, an oily appearance, outbreaks of seborrhoeic dermatitis, itching and other skin problems, and compromised hair growth. Conversely, a dry or even very dry scalp that produces too little sebum will not be sufficiently protected. In the event of prolonged exposure to heat, the scalp dries out and lacks moisture. Dry flakes or dandruff appear, and the scalp can become very painful.

2. Sea water: both beneficial, as the salt absorbs excess sebum from an overly oily scalp and acts as a natural scrub, purifying the scalp, and harmful, as it dries out a dehydrated scalp. On the lengths, the salt from the sea becomes embedded and attacks the hair fibre. The hair fibre becomes porous, the hair is dull, brittle and difficult to style.

3. Chlorine from the swimming pool: a bactericidal agent, chlorine is the enemy of the hair fibre, weakening it by opening the scales of the cuticle. Hair is stripped of its protective hydrolipidic film. It becomes porous, rough and breaks easily. Chlorine can also alter hair colour, turning pretty blonde highlights - whether natural or not - green! The scalp is not spared: dryness, irritation and itching are commonplace after swimming in the pool.

4. Sun: UV rays are dangerous and can burn the scalp. Beware of coloured or bleached hair: already weakened, it can be damaged even more quickly by exposure to UV rays: depigmentation, excessive bleaching and yellowing ends are common damage caused by UV rays. But this also applies to natural hair, because UV rays penetrate right down to the cortex and damage the keratin. Damaged by prolonged exposure to UV rays, the hair tends to break, the ends split and the hair is dull.

How to protect your hair during the summer: our advice 

To stay looking its best in the summer sun, our hair doesn't need a demanding beauty routine. All it needs is a few well-chosen hair care products and, above all, one key word: protection. Here's our advice on how to make sure your hair enjoys its holiday too.

1. Protect hair fibre and scalp from the sun's rays with a hat, scarf or cap.
2. Baldness and sun don't mix: high SPF sun cream is also good for your skull!
3. Plan ahead and have split ends trimmed - the sun won't help them, on the contrary
4. With the sun and chlorine, colours and other highlights and bleaches tend to oxidise: there's no need to do your colour just before you leave and let nature bring beautiful natural highlights to your hair. 
5. Moisturising the scalp: when dry, the scalp flakes, produces dandruff and can be easily irritated and prone to itching. This is particularly true of Afro scalps, which are naturally drier. However, an Afro scalp is naturally protected from the sun's aggressions by the particular way the hair shaft is implanted: Afro hair doesn't grow vertically, but curls down to cover every millimetre of the scalp. For all hair types, soothing lotion (Lait Clauderer) or a light plant oil will bring comfort and reassurance to scalps in distress. And why not massage your scalp to help the nourishing and moisturising active ingredients in your skincare product penetrate? Well-being guaranteed.
6. Moisturising the hair fibre: badly treated during the summer, the hair fibre suffers from external aggressions. It's essential to repair the damage caused by the sun, sea or chlorine with masks enriched with regenerating plant oils such as shea or jojoba, coconut or sweet almond. Leave on for several hours before rinsing and washing thoroughly to remove impurities, then reapply a little protective oil without rinsing to continue to deeply nourish the fibre and smooth the scales while reducing frizz.
7. Gently cleanse the hair fibre. Rather than an anti-dandruff shampoo that can attack the skin on the scalp, opt for a silicone-free shampoo that is as natural as possible, with a gentle vegetal base that cleanses without attacking. Avoid the systematic use of dry shampoo (for emergency use only).
8. Moisturise, repair: between the sun and swimming, hair suffers. Give it a little time in the evening by applying a hair mask. Applying it to dry hair rather than as a conditioner on wet hair reinforces the powers of hydration and nutrition at the heart of the fibre. You can also use a balm, cream or dry oil - a dab is enough - as a leave-in protective treatment to repair damaged ends. Aloe vera gel is an excellent option for an effective natural repair treatment.
9. Reinforce with a deep treatment: the power of plant-based hair oils. Castor oil, jojoba, karite, avocadoApply generously to the lengths with a warm towel to open up the scales and allow the products to penetrate the fibre better. Leave on overnight to maximise the results of this oil bath. The next day, rinse thoroughly with clean water followed by an ultra-gentle shampoo and your hair will be silky and more resistant.
10. Prevent damage: travel light and forget about hairdryers, straightening irons and other styling tools for a while. You can have beautiful hair without blow-drying or straightening!
11. Drink water and eat properly, without forgetting to treat yourself. Healthy hair also means healthy food.
12. Textured hair tip: curly, frizzy, frizzy, Afro hair or mixed-race skins have specific characteristics and needs. To compensate for the structural lack of moisture, always use a vegetable butter (shea) or oil (coconut) to seal in as much moisture as possible. In summer, even more than usual, make sure you drink enough water, wear a hat or scarf, style your hair loosely and apply a special sunscreen to protect your thirsty lengths.

In summer, taking care of your hair involves a simple, effective hair routine based on 2 key principles for beautiful hair: Protect and Moisturise. 

By following our advice, you can avoid the back-to-school blues with hair that looks as good as you do!