Summer hair

From pool, to sun, to chemical treatment (and here I mean shampooing and conditioning, not just coloring), straighteners and curlers, your hair is probably screaming bloody murder. Add to it humidity, and your once beautiful hair seems in need of a major makeover every day, no matter what you do to it. 

All the blondes suffer from the “sun-dried syndrome”. The luster is gone, the color becomes grayish and every strand seems to be going in different direction unless you torture your hair with anti-frizz conditioner, styling product, heat resistant product, serum and finally a hair spray. Oh, don’t forget the flat iron…

Brunettes? Not really sure, but I take it you probably suffer too. Extreme humidity coupled with heat and cold from constant air conditioning puts you far away from the Hollywood gorgeousness. 

So what can you do to revive the Summer hair?

1. Nourish yourself everyday. When you eat consciously and purposely every cell in your body becomes healthier and more beautiful. That goes for skin, hair and nails as well. Your outside body parts are a reflection of your lifestyle habits. Mineral depleted body produces weak, easily breakable, dull hair. Eat well and the hair becomes bouncier, thicker, stronger.

2. Take care of your liver. Liver toxicity is responsible for weakened immune system, skin break-outs, slowly growing hair. Each year your liver accumulates about 5 pounds of toxins just from the cosmetics you use. All the parabens, sulfates, fragrances, colors doesn’t just get rinsed off with the shower water. They get absorbed through the skin and into the liver where they sit patiently waiting for a detox and fiber.

3. Establish a Weekly Beauty Routine. Remember what I always say; having a spa experience once in a lifetime is great and quickly forgotten, but doing small things consistently every day or every week is what brings you the desired results. And the only way to be able to afford that is to do it yourself using simple pantry ingredients. 

Ready? 

• Make a small investment and buy an inexpensive heating cap. The heat will open-up the hair shaft allowing for deeper and speedier conditioning. 
• Use organic shampoos and conditioners, skipping all those chemicals. Make sure to read the labels. If you are sensitive or allergic to something you eat, you will also be affected by it in a cosmetic form.

• Look around for an organic hair stylist in your area to color your hair with gentler colors. 

• Treat your hair. For each treatment put plastic wrap around your head and go about your business for 30 minutes or better yet use the heating cap and relax. Wash as usual.

    

MOISTURIZE

Olive oil treatment:

A juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon of olive oil

Apply to the split ends. 

 

Maple syrup treatment:

Warm-up 1/2 cup of maple syrup and apply to dry hair. 

Run a wide comb through it.

 

Coconut treatment:

Use a can of coconut milk. 

Put it in the fridge for the water to separate from the cream. 

Apply the cream on the dry hair. Use the coconut water in a smoothie.

 

REVITALIZE 

Vitamin C treatment:

If you have well water, like me you know how hard it is to maintain the color. Hold on to it by adding 1 teaspoon of Vitamin C to your conditioner. You can use any powdered form of Vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid dissolves the iron and alkaline deposits in hard water that cause the color treated hair to turn dull.

Keep on for 10 minutes.

 

NORMALIZE THE pH and REMOVE THE BUILD-UP

Apple cider vinegar treatment:

 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

squirt of your favorite shampoo

Mix all together and wash your hair as usual, followed by a conditioner.

 

CHLORINE RESCUE

Aspirine treatment:

Crush an aspirine and squeeze the shampoo on the palm of your hand. Wash as usual to get rid off the brassiness.

DARKEN-UP for brunettes only!

Tea or coffee treatment:

3 bags of black tea brewed in 2 cups of water. Cool and pour over your washed hair. Keep on for 10 minutes, rinse and condition.

or 

5 cups of brewed coffee. Pour over shampooed and conditioned hair as a leave-in treatment if you wish your color to become deep and shiny.

LIGHTEN-UP  for blondes only!

Chamomile treatment:

Brew the whole package of chamomile tea in 5 cups of water. Cool and pour over your washed hair. Dry as usual.