There's lots of stuff to worry about during the summer—not burning your skin to a crisp, finding denim cutoffs that aren't underwear-sized, figuring out how to sneak away from the office on a Friday afternoon—and now you can add your hair to the list.
Here's a list of summer hair-care tips and products.
SHAMPOOS WITH UV PROTECTION
Yep, even shampoos contain UV protection sometimes. Try reading the label—some shampoos made especially for color-treated hair will contain a UV filter. Redken's Color Extend shampoo is a crowd favorite. Colored hair suffers especially during the summer, and some stylists recommend you wait until the fall to dye your hair. Also check out Redken's Color Extend After-Sun shampoo; it helps to remove minerals, chlorine and salt deposits. Available at Ulta stores and at ulta.com, $13.50.
RICKY'S SUN COMBS
Affordable and useful? Ricky's NYC is a longtime beauty and hair-care staple in Manhattan—and thankfully for us, it also keeps a well-stocked online storefront. Rickycare's new SUN line assists in slowing down the fading of all that hair color on which you shelled out the bucks this summer. These new combs gradually release sunscreen and nutritional oils baked directly into the plastic, coating your hair and helping protect it from those bad UV rays. All you have to do is brush your hair! And on top of it all, there's no greasy after-feeling. (Oh, and while you're on the website, check out Ricky's Wet line, featuring hair brushes made to withstand water usage. Most brush bristles will fall out over time if used in the shower—not these!) Available at rickysnyc.com, $5.99.
CLARIFYING SHAMPOOS
After using all those protective products on your hair, make sure to use a deep-cleansing, clarifying shampoo at least once a week to get rid of any buildup. If you're feeling fancypants, people swear by Frederic Fekkai's Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo ($23 for 8 ounces!). But Nuetrogena's Anti-Residue shampoo costs $6 and works fine—just be aware that clarifying shampoos will leave your hair feeling a bit drier than normal because they do not contain any conditioning additives.
This column appeared in print as “Summer Locks Lovin'.”
