The weather at the end of summer can be summed up in three words — hot, sticky and humid.  While this makes for wonderful beach and pool days, it also wreaks havoc on wavy or curly hair, which tends to already be on the dry side.  And those measures you were taking to cool off are only making things worse.  Combine the pool’s taxing chlorine compounds, drying sea salt, and damaging sun rays with your everyday styling routine, and it’s the ultimate recipe for fried-out, lackluster locks.

CURLS hair care

As the creator of natural/organic hair care line CURLS, Mahisha Dellinger knows a thing or two about taming your tresses.  Her line is specially formulated for multi-ethnic hair types ranging from loose waves to extremely tight curls.  As wavy-haired women ourselves, we tested out two of her “cocktails” to calm our curls — the Quenched Curls Moisturizer and Curls Milkshake — and we were blown away.  In fact, we reveled in all of the compliments thrown our way throughout the day (as beauty bloggers, this is a true testament, since family, friends and coworkers are used to seeing us try new products).

Quench your own curls with Mahisha’s end-of-summer hair care tips, and even better, check out her recipe for an At-Home Milk & Honey Tress Smoothie Treatment to bring those dull tresses back to life!

End-of-Summer Hair Care Tips from Mahisha Dellinger

1. Before entering any body of water, drench your hair with water and apply a coat of conditioner to protect and coat the hair. Try an At-Home Milk & Honey Tress Smoothie (see recipe below).  Made from pure coconut milk, avocado, olive oil and honey, this delectable delight will fill up the gaps in your hair shaft and act as a barrier from the chlorinated water.

Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo gently removes build-up

2. Immediately after swimming in chlorinated or salt water, purify your curls with a clarifying shampoo. CURLS Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo was formulated to rid the hair of these curl killing chemicals. It is the ideal summer cleanser to gently, and effectively remove chlorine. Pineapple extract nourishes as grapefruit extract adds sheen while removing buildup from unwanted chemicals. Follow up with a deep conditioner.

3.  Over-shampooing and under-conditioning are common culprits to dry and frizzy hair…especially in the summer months. Shampooing more than 1x a week is not recommended on naturally curly hair. On “shampoo-less” days, simply do a conditioning rinse — rinse hair to remove styling products (this is when using the right products that are water soluble come in). Apply an ample amount of your favorite conditioner, comb through, rinse and proceed with styling. Doing so will pump much needed moisture back into your hair without stripping away essential nutrients, rinse away unnecessary dirt and oil, and give you a fresh, clean start.

4.  Avoid products that contain synthetic oils such as mineral and/or petrolatum oil, as they sit on the hair, blocking out moisture further dehydrating your hair. Also avoid products that contain drying alcohol, such as hair spray, mousse and some gels. Instead, opt for curl creams and lotions.

5.  Pay special attention to the ends of your hair; after all, they are the oldest part of the hair. Mix a bit of a conditioner with a natural oil, apply and comb through ends; leave in for extra protection.

6.  Hydrate curls DAILY…this is very important! Quenched Curls Moisturizer is excellent as it softens the hair, eases comb ability, moisturizes and conditions, preps it for the next step, and leaves a little goodness behind. This product can be used daily under any styling product you use. Consider this “underwear for your hair.” It is a great “2^nd day hair” reviver as it tames “bed head.”

At-Home Milk & Honey Tress Smoothie — Pre/Post Swim Treatment

• 1 can of pure coconut milk (rich moisturizer – hydrates, conditions and de-frizzes hair)
• 1 ripe avocado (natural source of protein – chlorine robs the hair of protein)
• 2 tablespoons of pure honey (conditions and adds sheen)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (hydrophobic oil acts as a barrier to chlorine and salt water)

Directions:

Add ingredients to blender.  Mix at high speed until your concoction reaches a smoothie consistency.  Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  You can warm up your hair smoothie in the microwave before next application.

Instructions for Use:

• Section hair into 4 segments.
• Generously apply evenly to hair, from root to ends concentrating on ends…as they are the most prone to damage.
• Smooth hair into a protective style (e.g. braided ponytail, or bun).
• Enjoy your day at the pool, lake, or ocean!

Photo Credits: Cover Image – Juan Hurtado;Product images courtesy of CURLS; Blender image – Mark Anderson

Location
Auburn, CA, United States