Summer Hair Savers — 12 Products To Replenish Sun-Exposed Locks
Just because the lifeguards at the beach are counting the days until the end of the summer season, that doesn’t mean you can stop guarding your precious locks from the effects of sun exposure. It’s more than likely that, even once the temperatures lower and the foliage starts to change colors, you’ll still be nursing your hair back to health. So how to begin your post-summer treatment? Start with these products — they’re just what the hair doctor ordered!
MOISTURIZING SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS
1. Cutler Specialist Cleanser + Conditioner With Olive Oil
This was only my second experience with a shampoo-free, double-duty cleanser and conditioner (the WEN by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner being the first), and I may never turn back. Sure, the routine required me to be open-minded about a new experience: a creamy, foam-free cleanser that also conditions your mane. One of the most unusual aspects of this new haircare ritual was the sheer amount of product I needed to use: about 10 pumps along the crown, 12 pumps along the back of the head, and 8 pumps along the mid-shafts and ends of my strands. Once acclimated with the new routine, however, all I was left to do was marvel at how soft and healthy my hair looked and felt.
If you’ve got dry and damaged tresses, you may notice that, when you shampoo your hair, it can often get tangled and knotted. In those instances, you’re left hoping that, when you apply your conditioner, your mane will be fully detangled (in addition to being moisturized, of course). With the Cutler Specialist Cleanser + Conditioner with Olive Oil, you never have to worry about your strands getting tangled in the shower. Even as you massage your scalp vigorously, your strands feel thicker, softer, and more replenished. Not only is the sensation a welcome relief, but it’s helpful on a practical level, as you’ll be able to more effectively work the product into your strands and scalp now that you’ve eliminated the impenetrable knotted web of your shampooing days. And, while the idea of forgoing shampoo may seem scary, rest assured that any dirt and grease will be fully eradicated. Plus, when you emerge from your shower, your scalp will feel refreshingly cool (it’s a treat on particularly steamy days).
The Cutler Specialist Cleanser + Conditioner with Olive Oil includes ingredients like: olive oil, which has antibacterial properties that make it an effective cleanser and which softens, hydrates and enhances your hair’s luster; avocado oil, which nourishes hair and can stimulate hair growth thanks to its high quotient of vitamins A, D, E and B6, as well as its concentration of magnesium, copper, iron, iron, and folic acid; rosemary leaf extract, which can help boost shine and which is often used in anti-dandruff remedies due to its purifying properties; sweet almond mint, which replenishes and moisturizes hair; aloe leaf juice to calm and soothe the hair and scalp; and coffee bean extract, which can boost circulation and help to stimulate hair growth at the cellular level along the scalp.
Cutler Specialist Cleanser + Conditioner With Olive Oil, $22. Available at HSN.com
2. Kérastase Soleil Bain Apres-Soleil Shampoo and Conditioner
This shampoo and conditioner were specifically designed for tresses that have been exposed to the sun and need some extra TLC. The shampoo is extremely lightweight and fluid, cleaning hair ever so gently, without tangling or stripping hair of its color. The Lait Richesse, meanwhile, contains pro-vitamin B5, which augments the hair’s water retention capacity, as well as ceramide to strengthen the hair fiber, and hydrating glycerin. The conditioner is very watery, but don’t underestimate its efficiency just because of its texture — it penetrates the hair cuticle with ease, softening and replenishing tresses, all without requiring excessive rinsing.
Kérastase Soleil Bain Apres-Soleil Balancing Shampoo For Sun-Exposed Hair, $34, and Kérastase Soleil Bain Apres-Soleil Lait Richesse Lightweight Restoring Conditioner For Sun-Exposed Hair, $38. Available at Kerastase-USA.com
3. Arrojo Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner
I’m a sucker for Arrojo’s hair care products — from the Curl Creme to the Detangling Foam and Defrizz Serum. And when my hair feels particularly parched, the Arrojo Moisturizing Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner hit the spot. Both products contain pro-vitamin B5, which purportedly helps to prevent hair loss, diminishes the potential for split ends, and seals in moisture. The conditioner, meanwhile, also includes hydrating coconut oil and macadamia seed oil to leave your mane silky smooth.
Arrojo Moisturizing Shampoo, $13, and Arrojo Moisturizing Conditioner, $15. Available at ArrojoNYC.com
4. Herbal Essences Quench To Drench Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner
You may already be familiar with Herbal Essences’ Quench to Drench moisturizer and shampoo, which feature orchid and coconut milk to nourish dry tresses, but these products are getting a fresh packaging makeover thanks to the “Herbal Essences Loves” program. Launched in conjunction with Target, Herbal Essences Loves offers up-and-coming design students a conduit through which to showcase their work. After an open call for submissions, Herbal Essences and Target execs ultimately selected Rhode Island School of Design student Brooklyn Boston as the winner of their first Herbal Essences Loves campaign. Boston’s illustrations adorn the exterior of selected HE products (like the one featured here) available exclusively at Target.
Now, your hair can get a nice infusion of moisture, while your bathroom gets an artistic boost with shampoo and conditioner bottles you’ll be happy to put on display.
Herbal Essences Quench To Drench Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner, $2.50 each. Available at Target.com
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS AND HAIR MASKS
1. Inova Professional Silk Keratin The Miracle Mask
Don’t be off-put by the packaging’s bright mustard yellow color and giant pouch-like shape. It’s what’s on the inside that counts, remember? In this case, we’re talking about a rich hair mask formulated with ingredients like: softening and replenishing avocado oil; wheat germ, which conditions hair and is said to stimulate hair growth; silk protein, which creates a protective film around the hair cuticle, sealing in moisture and making hair more soft and manageable; keratin protein, which mimics the proteins naturally found in the hair, giving your tresses greater volume and bounce; and white carnation oil, which some believe can help prevent hair loss.
For best results, leave the mask on hair for 30 minutes and apply a it of heat (I’d suggest sitting under a hair dryer for a good 10-15 minutes). Since the mask smells like a floral garden, you’ll have absolutely no trouble allowing it to linger for a bit — and, when you wash it away, you’ll notice how soft and supple your strands feel.
Inova Professional Silk Keratin The Miracle Mask, $48. Available at InovaProfessional.com
2. Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Beachcomber Leave-In Conditioner
In the summer months, I can’t live without Fekkai’s Beachcomber Leave-In Conditioner, a light spritz with a lively, beachy, citrus-tinged, coconut-y smell. The leave-in conditioner features algae extract and marine peptides to moisturize and detangle hair — and, if you have naturally curly or wavy hair, this will be the building block for free-spirited, loose ringlets.
Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Beachcomber Leave-In Conditioner, $23.Available at Fekkai.com
3. Kérastase Soleil Aqua-Seal
This is hands-down my favorite product in the Kérastase Soleil collection. The lightweight cream, which was recently added to the line-up, works as a leave-in conditioner, but is meant to be applied onto dry hair (instant bonus points!) so that it also helps to smooth any frizz and add definition and control to your look. Most importantly, it works as a protective veil to shield hair from harmful UV rays. How could our lips be sealed about the Aqua-Seal?
Kérastase Soleil Aqua-Seal, $36. Available at Kerastase-USA.com
4. Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Split Ends Mender
Okay, let’s be clear: the “split ends mender” phrase might prove misleading since the only way to get rid of split ends is to take a scissor to your hair and trim them off. That being said, the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Split Ends Mender functions as a lightweight leave-in conditioner, preventing the hair cuticle from disintegrating and split ends from surfacing down the line. The sulfate-free, lightweight mist features: coconut milk and coconut oil, both of which hydrate, condition and detangle locks; a silk amino complex that helps to repair damaged hair cuticles, helping to bind moisture therein; egg white protein, which contains 22 amino acids and helps to strengthen strands; and panthenol, a derivative of vitamin B5 that improves hair texture and increases shine.
Plus, as an added treat, the coconut scent will have you feeling like you’re sipping on a piña colada outside a beachy cabana.
Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Split Ends Mender, $6.99. Available at select Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart stores.
5. Bella Lucce Rainforest Restoration Hibiscus & Honeysuckle Hair Treatment
I’ve never been to Tahiiti, but this is what I imagine the air to smell like there (or in a similar, Fantasy Island-like destination) — and I’m not even being hyperbolic here. As I worked it into my hair, the smell took me back to the La Mina waterfall in El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico, where the cool water cascades down a mossy cliff surrounded by palm trees and the air smells crisp and pure. Intoxicating scent aside, the Bella Lucce Rainforest Restoration Hibiscus & Honeysuckle Hair Treatment features a potent blend of hydrating and softening vegab ingredients, including: Pro-Vitamin B5, a conditioning agent; wheat protein, which seals moisture into the hair cuticle, allowing for greater bounce and volume; organic hibiscus extract, which is rich in Alpha Hydroxy Acids and boasts astringent properties, making it effective in moisturizing and toning hair; honey, a natural humectant and a shine-boosting ingredient; and moisturizing organic shea butter and macadamia nut oil. If you apply the hair treatment and leave it in for 10-15 minutes, you’ll notice your hair feels softer, smoother, and more voluminous — plus, it will smell like a tropical paradise.
Bella Lucce Rainforest Restoration Hibiscus & Honeysuckle Hair Treatment, $26. Available at BellaLucce.com
STYLING PRODUCTS
1. Rusk DeepShine Lustre
I admit: initially, it wasn’t the Rusk DeepShine Lusre’s description or the list of marine nutrients in its formula that first caught my attention but, rather, the product’s light Carolina blue color. This creamy, lotion-like styling aid seemed to beckon me from its thin blue tube, whispering “Try me! Try me!” And so I did. Turns out the Rusk DeepShine Lustre helped to tame my independent-minded and oft uncooperative fly-away strands and added a nice, even sheen to my hair, revitalizing my hair color. You can use the product on damp, towel-dried hair or apply to dry hair as a smoothing aid (which I highly recommend doing on humid days when frizz could be a problem).
Rusk DeepShine Lustre Phyto-Marine Lusterizer, $15. Available at StyleSource.com and at leading salons.
2. Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray
I have yet to meet a Moroccanoil product I didn’t like. At this point, Moroccanoil is like the Jason Bateman of haircare brands — how can you not love it? As with all Moroccanoil products, the Glimmer Shine Spray includes argan oil, which is rich in hair strengthening fatty acids and protective antioxidants. Coating the hair with a halo-like veil, the Glimmer Shine Spray instantly adds a golden sheen while also nourishing locks. The shine effect is particularly noticeable on blond hair, as your strands will look like spun gold.
Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray, $25. Available at selected salons and retailers.
3. David Babaii For Wildaid Hair Polish
Free of petrochemicals, parabens, and sulfates, the David Babaii for Wildaid Hair Polish relies on ten natural extracts — among them cucumber, mango, rosemary and white ginger extract— to smooth hair, boost shine, and provide protection from free radicals. The pump applicator allows you to dispense just the right amount of this lightweight, gel-like lotion, so that you don’t weigh down hair or wind up with icky flakes and build-up on your mane. That being said, if you have particularly dry and frizzy hair, you may need to accompany this with a good anti-frizz agent.
David Babaii For Wildaid Hair Polish, $9.95. Available at DavidBabaii.com
