Must-have products for healthy summer hair

We are so excited for summer!  Everyone is getting out more, seeing family and friends again, our favorite summer places have re-opened, and with vaccines behind us, going mask-less means that we get to see everyone’s pretty faces again. Looking good!  Hard to believe how much of our summer world was closed last year at this time. 

As we go back to things that we used to love, we want you to look and feel your best this summer. So we pulled our favorite summer hair care tips from the past. Going “retro” means keeping it simple and easy.

Whether your hair is curly, straight, fine or full - whether it is short, long, or even-existent – we’ve got something for you.

We love summer – especially the long days, barbecues, eating outside, flash light tag, camping, the beach,…. The list seems endless… What’s your favorite summer activity?

Let’s be honest. Summer's not all perfect.  It can be hard, too.

Summer is hard on hair. Heat, sun, wind, humidity, sweat, chlorine, and saltwater make hair dry and dull, and stresses the scalp. That means our hair is prone to breakage and split ends. Summer is brutal on color treated hair and it can be hard to maintain your style.

Summer can also be stressful.  Experts are calling it "re-entry anxiety." For those of us who tapped into our introvert sides, all of the get-togethers and parties take energy.  Some days, our smile muscles hurt. Kids out of school but summer activities not fully up to speed means that many of us are shifting from reluctant home schoolers to camp counselors. And for many of us, opening up means that we need to commute back to an office again – which has its pro’s and con’s.

This summer, we want you to have your best summer hair ever. This starts with products that use the right ingredients that:

• work with your body to make your scalp happy because healthy follicles make strong hair
• add flexibility and resilience to hair from within the strand
• protect your hair color and add shine

In the spirit of what’s old is new again, ANTIDOTE has tips for everyone this season that are steeped in “old school” traditions. These tips are time tested. We’re embracing the past and hope that you’ll join us!

Hire a Bodyguard for your hair.

Time outside and long days means lots of UV rays hitting your hair. That causes color to fade and get dull and weakens the hair strand. Invest in a good hair protector. Goldenseal Hair Protector protects hair and hair color from the sun. It locks in moisture with shea butter and sunflower seed extract, and has vegetable proteins that strengthen hair. Trust us, you will become addicted to this must have product!  

And while summer is a great time to give your blow drier a vacation, a good hair protector will guard against damage from heat styling.

Start with a new style. 

Summer is a great time to try on a new style. For shorter hair we recommend going a bit shorter than usual. Staying cool is about keeping your hair off of your face and neck. Shorter styles do that and are more protective of fragile ends. They also work well with hats. Fedoras, Buckets, and Pork Pie hats work especially well with shorter hair.

For longer hair, our favorites are braids, high ponies, cornrows, and buns. Keep them loose to allow hair to flex. These styles protect your hair from breakage and work well with scarves and head wraps so that you can have fun with your look.

Cocktail your hair care to for a personalized look.

Oops, not this kind of cocktail... we're talking about taking a few of your favorite styling products and “cocktailing” them together. Use one product to add shine to the hair and another for hold. Get playful to find what works for you. 

Not sure where to start? Here are a few cocktails to try out:

• mix a ANTIDOTE's Sandalwood Multi Styler and Avocado Hair Cream together on naturally curly hair for wonderful ringlets of curls, or to add shine and hold to wavy hair
• mix Vanilla Pomade with Avocado Hair Cream for a firmer hold

You can do this with any products. What’s good about a line like ANTIDOTE is the natural ingredients and fragrances blend well together.

Stay in the shade. 

Being outside is good for your mood and outlook, so it’s important to play outside as much as you can and explore nature.  But beware of the sun.  Avoiding sun exposure can be as simple as wearing a fun hat or colorful scarf.  There are tons of fun hat options. Go retro or keep it simple with your favorite baseball cap. 

When you don’t want to wear a hat or sun blocking clothing, there is nothing like a good sunscreen! Look for ones that are Oxybenzone & Octinoxate Free – because these are safe for coral reefs. My favorite site for information on sunscreens is Environmental Working Group. Check out their sunscreen guide here.

Pick a nature walk in heavy shade of a woodland area.  We love AllTrails to connect us to great hikes no matter where we are. While you shouldn’t skip the sunscreen, when you are under a canopy of trees you’ll have less exposure to the sun – it’s cooler, too!

Keep it clean, but don’t overwash. 

Whether you’ve been to the pool, lake, or ocean, make sure to wash your hair afterwards to remove chlorine, salts, and chemicals that naturally occur in water.  Look for SLS free shampoos because they won’t dry your hair the way that traditional shampoos will. The secret to getting good lather with these is to make sure that your hair is saturated with water. One of my favorites is ANTIDOTE’s Rosemary Detox Shampoo. I use it a few times each week, then follow up with a good conditioner.

While washing out chemicals like chlorine is important, don’t over wash! You want to keep your body’s natural oils if you can. Oils that come from the scalp are produced for a reason. They help to reduce dry, brittle hair.

Condition, condition, condition.   

We know that the guys, especially, tend to skip this step. Don’t! Instead, look for good conditioners and styling products with natural, cold-pressed oils. These penetrate the hair shaft to strengthen it from within.  Good conditioners and styling products help to improve hair texture and resilience and protect hair from environmental damage. That means your natural or enhance color will shine and fade more slowly. Some of our favorite summer hair stylers:

• ANTIDOTE Goldenseal Hair Protector is full of conditioners and proteins to strengthen and protect.
• ANTIDOTE Sandalwood Styler is great on dry hair as well and acts as a de-frizzer.
• ANTIDOTE Vanilla Pomade has sandalwood oil and shea butter to condition your hair while it holds.My hair feels better after I use it!

Note that any natural conditioner can be used as a leave in conditioner if used sparingly enough on towel dried hair. Avoid conditioners with silicones – using these as leave-in products weaken hair and make it more prone to breaking.

Whatever your hair type and style, get out there and enjoy the summer with these hair tips for everyone! 

When you visit your stylist, be sure to ask them for more tips.  Happy Summer 2021!

Hungry for more summer hair tips?  Check out last year's version here.

 - Abigail + David