It’s Not Too Late To Protect Your Hair Against The Summer Rays and Dreaded Humidity

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Dianne Austin

Dianne is the co-founder of Natural Haircare News and Coils To Locs.com. She's been blogging about natural hair ever since she made the decision to break free of the creamy crack in 2012.

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The sun’s rays can feel rejuvenating and invigorating; especially after a long winter. Although the dog days of summer are starting to wind down, the summer rays and humidity aren’t taking a break just yet.

The UV rays can wreak havoc on your hair and if you live in a humid climate…

If you are still finding that managing your natural hair is still a challenge in these late days of summer, try these hair-rejuvenating strategies:

Add moisture – Do not skip the pre-poo!

It is an extra step and we are all so busy, but don’t skip the pre-poo; (conditioning your hair before you wash it). Your hair is worth this extra step.

Shampooing natural hair causes dryness. Prior to your shampoo, use a penetrating oil like pure coconut oil to add extra moisture to your hair.

Opt for co-washing instead of traditional shampoo

You do need to use a sulfate shampoo occasionally to remove product build up, but to help prevent dryness, which are curls and coils greatest enemy, use a conditioning wash every three to four washes.

Give your hair a spritz

If you don’t mind shrinkage, try spraying your hair as needed during the day with pure water or better yet, a mix of one part aloe vera juice, two parts water and a few drops of jojoba oil. It will add moisture and shine; especially in drier climates and revitalize curls and coils.

Women with natural hair in the 4 range who want to maintain their curl pattern and length will need to be careful about spritzing – a fine light mist is all that is needed. Don’t want to risk frizz or shrinkage? Skip this step.

Anti-Humectants versus Humectants – Your hair’s best friend or worst enemy?

Many women are confused about when to use a humectant versus an anti-humectant.

A humectant is a product or ingredient that naturally draws moisture into the hair from the air while an anti-humectant acts as a protective barrier on the hair and repels moisture.

Hair texture, frizz level tolerance, and the weather are things to think about when determining which to use.

Since a humectant draws moisture from the air into your hair, you may generally want to avoid using a humectant in humid climates since your hair will becoming “poufy” and frizz up. If that is the look that you are achieving then definitely use humectants.

Popular humectants include glycerin and aloe vera gel. Humectants can be very drying depending on the climate that you are in; another reason to avoid humectants in the summer.

A note about aloe vera gel and glycerin – I have found that using aloe vera juice has helped with moisture but has not caused frizz unlike glycerin. I’ve also found in the humid summer climate of the Northeast, that my hair not only shrinks and frizzes with glycerin based products, but it also makes my 4 “a, b, c” hair extremely dry and brittle feeling. Experiment to find what works for your hair.

Anti-humectants are a great choice during the summer and especially in humidity because these ingredients repel moisture, which will help prevent frizzy hair and retain the definition of your curls, coils, braid and twist outs. If you take the steps to moisture your hair with a good pre-poo product and use a good conditioner, anti-humectants will help you to maintain your hairstyle.

Some of the best anti-humectants include shea butter, palm oil, and silicone. Yes, silicone! Most naturals like to stay away from silicone but if you want to retain your style in humid weather, it is one of the best ingredients out there. If you choose to use products with silicone be sure to use a clarifying shampoo every three to four washes to eliminate product build up.

Author: Dianne

“Changing attitudes about natural hair” is what we do at Natural Haircare News. Through informative articles, podcasts and videos, we go beyond just sharing the latest advice and tips on kinky, curly, wavy haircare – We shake things up and focus on the realities of wearing our hair natural.