Top Summer Haircare Products +Tips from Professional Beauty Experts

Say “hello” to soft and shiny tresses all season long.

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Summertime is about relishing every carefree adventure that comes your way. But parties, festivals, and those memories aside, you need to take care of your hair differently during the summer months because outdoor life and the harsh rays of the sun can wreak havoc on stressed strands.

Fortunately, the beauty pros at Beautytap are sharing their tips and tricks for keeping hair healthy from Memorial Day to Labor Day (and all throughout the year).

• Pick Your Protection – Sunscreen or a Hat

There’s no way we’re recommending hair care products without starting with the most serious of all. Wearing sunscreen on your scalp sounds unappealing, but every Beauty Expert we spoke to mentioned it as a necessity. “Hair and scalp mist with SPF are very helpful,” says Beauty Expert Eugene Davis.

Today’s powdered and spray versions make it easier than ever to protect your scalp (and your part, which you’ve probably burned more than once in your lifetime). Choose an untinted, brush-on version for small areas or grab your favorite SPF spray. If neither version sounds appealing, Beauty Expert Rose Bloom recommends grabbing a wide-brimmed hat and tucking your locks underneath to protect your color and your scalp all in one shot.

• Keep Your Follicles Happy and Clear

Memorial Day may unofficially mark the beginning of summer, but it’s also a good reminder that scalp health and summer weather go hand in hand. The more time you spend sweating (or sunning or layering on multiple styling products) the less happy your scalp will become. Philip B. has the solution. “The Peppermint Avocado Shampoo alleviates tension from the scalp as well as stress. It’s better than a cup of coffee to wake you up in the morning and heightens your senses and stimulates your awareness. I always recommend doing two shampoos back to back. The first one really cleans up an oily scalp. The second shampoo will deep cleanse and stimulate, helping to reduce overactive oil glands, keeping your hair and scalp cleaner longer.” 

Since Philip B.’s shampoo is steeped in “high-dose pure concentrates,” he advises clients “to leave the product on for 3–5 minutes for the full effect. This is not detergent water and fragrance. This [formula contains] pure concentrates, which are medicinal and beneficial to improving health and well-being.” 

As a long-time fan and user of Philip’s shampoo, trust me when I say the tingle is a sign that your scalp is in its happy place.

• Trim Your Ends

We get it. You’re busy, but skipping regular trims can leave your locks looking haggard long before Independence Day. Before your stylist heads away on holiday, make sure you’re scheduled for a little light maintenance. Beauty Expert Rosamaria Lionetti Brown recommends trimming hair “every four to five weeks.” This will keep your ends healthy and your style in check.

• Protect Your Hair When In The Pool

When there’s a pool in the vicinity, it’s tempting to just dive right in without thinking about the hair-related aftermath. Most blondes worry more about the discoloration effects of the chlorine than the hair damage, but both can happen and not for the reasons you think. If your pool water has a high copper content, it can bond with the protein in your hair, and the resulting oxidation causes discoloration.

Beauty Expert Briana Hernández advises her clients to presoak their hair in plain tap water before jumping in the pool. “This helps to fill the cuticle, so that it’s unable to absorb as much chlorine.” Beauty Expert Leana Killham adds, “Put in some leave-in conditioner before going in chlorinated water. It [also] helps minimize the chlorine that your hair will absorb.”

Best intentions aside, if your locks still end up looking less than stellar, Brown recommends keeping violet shampoo and conditioner on hand. “It’s great for blonde and white hair [and] keeps it bright not brassy.”

• Switch To A Gentler Shampoo and Conditioner

Daily washing can strip away essential moisture, so it’s important to choose a shampoo and conditioner duo that will also keep your scalp healthy during hot summer weather. Viori’s Citrus Yao Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Bar Set utilize Longsheng rice, which keeps strands soft yet strong and has been used by the Red Yao tribe in Southern China for generations.

The long-lasting bars have an uplifting citrus scent, and the formula works particularly well if you have oily, unbalanced or combination hair. The bars are water-free and will last for months, especially if you’re shampooing less during the hot, dry weather. Learn more about Viori’s commitment to the Red Yao tribe here.

• Reduce Your Dependence On Hot Tools

Some of us opt for air drying our hair once the mercury begins to climb. Unfortunately, prolonged dry time can leave the cuticle splayed open, resulting in breakage. Instead of wrapping your freshly washed locks in a full-size bath towel, reach for an Aquis Copper Sure™ Rapid Dry Hair Wrap instead. The innovative Aquitex® fiber pulls excess moisture away from hair to help it dry more quickly. And since the towel has antimicrobial copper woven throughout the fabric, there’s no need to launder it excessively.

• Baby Your Scalp and Eliminate Product Buildup

When minimizing your haircare efforts means multitasking, the NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Clean 2-in-1 Scalp Scrub & Clarifying Shampoo is a serious timesaver. Unlike most scalp scrubs, Perfect Clean is made with scalp-loving sugar and probiotic-rich sake water. The amazing lather removes excess product buildup, eliminates flakes, and leaves a happy, healthy, itchless scalp behind. It makes an excellent addition to a weekly routine and also eliminates sunscreen residue for those who use powder- or spray-style SPF to protect their scalp.

• Give New Life To Second-Day Strands

Let’s face facts. Shampooing daily just isn’t in the cards for most of us during busy travel times. Summer adventures mean coping with second-day hair on the run, but that doesn’t mean it has to look lifeless and lackluster. Tricoci’s Root Amplifier quickly lifts flat roots to give life to yesterday’s style. The hydrolyzed proteins replenish lost nourishment, and if you have short hair and are looking for a product that provides lift, this may actually replace your usual texturizing product.

What are your favorite summer haircare tips? Please share in the comments below.