Some of us are blessed with effortless hair year-round, but the rest of us mortals need to make changes to our hair routine here and there to manage the effects of the changing seasons. Summer brings with it an influx of heat and humidity: the wetness in the air makes hair sticky or frizzy, while the heat can dry out some hair types. Here are some haircare products that can help stave off these effects, no matter your hair type:
Hair Type: Dry
Seasonal dryness doesn’t need an entire moisturizing regimen, because suddenly introducing a deeply hydrating product into your routine can actually throw off the oil production on your scalp. Instead, stick to topical treatments here and there. All-natural aficionados will prefer the conditioning power of coconut oil; those of us looking for a more potent hydrating treatment will find it in Alterna Haircare’s Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Masque ($51), which replenishes damaged, dry or coarse hair with a blend of marine botanicals and a proprietary enzyme complex.
Hair Type: Fine
The finer your hair, the less you should load it up with oils and active ingredients, because over-conditioning can make it greasy, sticky or insanely frizzy. Consider a lighter conditioner in the warmer months, like Herbal Essences Cucumber and Green Tea Foam Conditioner ($2.30), which lightly conditions but deeply nourishes thanks to a blend of sea kelp, aloe and tea-powered antioxidants.
Hair Type: Curly
Amika’s latest line is almost entirely devoted to helping out curly-haired friends, and its Curl Corps Enhancing Gel ($32.50) is the perfect summer product to give curls bounce and texture without leaving them frizzy or crunchy. A cocktail of vitamins and hyper-calming oat peptide ensures that hair is deeply conditioned even as it’s styled.
Hair Type: Flat, lifeless
Good shine is easily unleashed with a caring, conditioning oil, but many of us don’t use hair oils year-round, so finding one for the summer can induce a kind of panic. In that case, consider something like the John Frieda Frizz Ease Thermal Protection Serum ($11.50), which provides UV and heat protection while conditioning hair lightly with hydrolyzed silk extracts.
Hair Type: Wavy
It’s important to protect the movement of your hair without letting it get torched by the heat. To achieve this, instead of layering on texture or hold products after hair is dry, apply a wash-and-wear formula that coaxes out texture and let it air-dry. Give Ouai’s Air Dry Foam ($35) a go: it contains kale extract and carrot protein to ensure your hair doesn’t get dry enough to crackle or pop.
