Summer is finally here! Exciting, right? But not if you ask our hair. Hotter temperatures and prolonged sun exposure can put our hair under a lot of stress if we don’t make the necessary changes to our haircare routine. To ensure you and your hair have fun in the sun, here are 5 tweaks you can make to your haircare routine that’ll summer-proof your locks against dryness, oiliness, sun damage, and more. 

1. ABSORB EXCESS OIL 

Temperature changes affect the amount of sebum - a moisturising, oil-like substance - our scalp produces. As a result, our hair usually appears greasier in warmer months as we create more to combat dryness. To prevent your hair from getting oily, we recommend haircare products with ingredients that help to sweep up excess oil in summer. 

Allow us to introduce you to Alott Sea Salt Spray. It features award-winning Halen Môn sea salt, a naturally found astringent that absorbs unwanted oil to recreate true ocean-like texture with added volume. And if you’re worried about that crunchy feel, don’t be. Aloe vera has an extremely high-water content and will keep your beachy waves soft to the touch. 

2. USE A SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER GENTLE ENOUGH FOR EVERYDAY USE

As we produce more sebum and sweat during summer, we find ourselves washing our hair more often. Because of this, it’s important to include a non-stripping shampoo and conditioner in your summer haircare routine, otherwise, you’ll remove every last drop of sebum, leading to irritation and dryness. 

Our Shampoo and Conditioner Bar are both gentle enough to be used daily on all hair types. Cleansing and conditioning the hair whilst nourishing, moisturising, and protecting, everyone needs this dynamic duo in their life. 

3. ADD MORE HYDRATION WHEREVER YOU CAN TO REDUCE FRIZZ

One of the biggest challenges in the heat, especially for textured hair, is frizz. When the air is humid it contains more water, which dry hair will drink up like nobody's business. These unfamiliar particles will then go on to rearrange the bonds inside the hair strands and cause the hair to become frizzy. 

The solution? Make sure your hair is so moisturised that it doesn’t need to quench its thirst when it’s humid outside. Look out for moisture-rich shampoos, conditioners, hair masks - any haircare products you can sneak in some extra moisture this summer. 

4. SHIELD AND PROTECT AGAINST SUN DAMAGE WITH A UV PROTECTANT SPRAY

Did you know UV rays can damage your hair too? Prolonged exposure to UV rays can break down the protein in hair, making it brittle and prone to breakage, hair loss, and thinning. Applying a UV protection spray will help to avoid sun damage.

There are also natural ingredients that have sun-protecting qualities such as jojoba and coconut oils found in our Moisturising Shampoo Bar. Both oils create a protective barrier on the hair to help prevent UV rays from penetrating.

They also contain antioxidants to neutralise free radicals that multiply in the sun. Free radicals are incomplete atoms that can cause damage to the hair when looking for their missing electron. With an SPF rating of approximately 4 and 8, jojoba and coconut oils can provide additional protection against UV rays. 

5. INCLUDE AS MANY PH-BALANCED HAIRCARE INGREDIENTS AS POSSIBLE

Healthy hair leans towards the more acidic side of the pH scale. It ranges from 0 to 14, 7 being neutral between acidic and alkaline. The most desirable pH level of the scalp is 5.5 as it can kill bacteria and provides the perfect environment for the hair to thrive. But a few things can knock it off balance such as sweat and sun exposure. 

To prevent disrupting your scalp’s natural pH level during summer, prioritise haircare ingredients that share a similar pH level. Alott Sea Salt Spray contains aloe vera, whilst the Moisturising Shampoo Bar includes jojoba oil with pH levels landing between 4.0 to 5.5, both falling within the healthiest acidic range.