Caring For Your Hair At The Beach

Summer is  here and being a true Jersey girl, for me that means it is time to hit the beach!  A day filled with ocean waves, sun and sand is my idea of the perfect summer’s day – until I stop to think about my hair that is!  Fear not you can enjoy the shore without wreaking havoc on your strands.  I’ve always been an advocate of enjoying your hair while you are in your hair journey.  To me, while you are in the midst of your healthy hair journey, it makes no sense to not be able to have some fun with it, show it off and enjoy. Sure we all have styles we dream about doing once we reach our goal length, but in the mean time, work whatcha got girlfriend!  So that being said, here is my beach day hair advice.

Pack a small cosmetics bag with a spray bottle filled with water and conditioner, some shea butter (straight or whipped), and your favorite cheap conditioner. My favorites are Tresemme Moisture Rich, Vo5 Moisture Milks and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration – any of these will work perfectly.  You don’t have to pack the entire arsenal of products, leave that for when you return home.

Prepare your hair in either either a flat twists or braids, large or small it is all up to you.  These styles are perfectly appropriate to be worn to the beach.  Saturate your hair with the conditioner and water mix, seal with shea butter and even apply some of the shea butter to your scalp.  The reason I suggest using shea butter* rather than an oil is because shea is natural sunscreen.

Be sure to wet your hair with the spritz mix prior to sauntering onto the beach because regardless of whether you head straight for the water or do a bit of sunbathing first, this will help your hair.  Hair is only able to hold so much volume, so if your strands are occupied with your water and conditioner, that means there is less room for the salt-water to be absorbed (this is true for chlorinated water also).  If you sit on the beach for a while, the water and conditioner will help your hair to not dry out as quickly.

If you are feeling cute, once your hair has dried release the twists and braids and rock your beach waves…ON THE ACTUAL BEACH!  Strut your stuff up and down the shore and be sure put a bit of bounce in your step to show the movement in your tresses!

Now, before you hit the water be sure to re-saturate your hair and seal it with the shea butter*.  You can re-twist or re-braid if you like, but I just pull mine into a high bun.  My personal preference is to keep my neck above water and never fully dunk my hair.  Throughout the day, I be sure to spritz my hair to keep it moisturized.  The salt and the sun can really do a number on your hair if you let it, but moisture as always is the key.

Immediately upon leaving the beach, do a quick co-wash.  Most beaches have the shower stands so that you can rinse the sand from your body and feet.  Quickly rinse your hair to prevent sand and salt from settling in.  Once you get home, you can do your full wash routine but with three simple products you can have a great day at the beach, enjoy your hair and keep it healthy!