Summer (and the coinciding festive season) is the time to relax, have fun and let your hair down (excuse the pun!).
You should be planning trips to the beach, activities with friends and poolside lounging sessions, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your hair, or let it hold you back from any activities.
But despite having the best intentions, the reality is that summer conditions can sometimes lead to hair concerns. Textured hair and curly hair is prone to higher levels of moisture loss during exercise and hot weather, which means you need to put in extra time to care for it, afterwards.
Plus, there is sweat and salt water or chlorine water to contend with! If you’re sweating or swimming a lot during summer you may want to wash your hair more frequently, but for those of us who wash their hair once a week to preserve its moisture levels, this poses a challenge.
While caring for your hair is important, you should never let it stand in the way of you living your best life. Selecting the right hairstyle for summer can make all the difference in keeping your hair moisturised, healthy and convenient. Try one of these hairstyles this summer to keep your hair healthy and protected:
Pineapple updo
A pineapple is one of the best summer hairstyles if you prefer rocking your natural hair. Not only does it look great on just about anyone, but it helps protect the hair and is also a low manipulation and easy to achieve style. Simply pull your hair up into a loose pony on top of your head and let your curls do their thing. If you want to accessorise it, you can wrap a headscarf like a loose band around the base of your head. Cantu Satin Scarves (R145.00) can be worn during the day to enhance your look or at night to protect your hair while you sleep. Made from breathable satin, they also help hair retain moisture and prevent breakage.
Cornrows
A popular style for both men and women, cornrows protect hair and look great, but when they’re in, you’ll need to give your hair plenty of moisture to keep them looking good for longer and to maintain the health of your scalp. Before you start braiding, be sure to give your hair a good (but gentle) brush to ensure there are no knots or tangles. The Evolve Flow Thru Detangler (R59.95) gently detangles and smoothes hair without snagging or pulling. Apply a leave-in conditioner to lock in moisture and protect your hair before you start braiding. Try Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream (R140.00). This deeply nourishing treatment formulated with 100% pure shea butter and other natural oils to leave hair softer, more manageable and more resilient. Once your cornrows are in place, you’ll need to moisturise your hair and scalp regularly to ensure its health. We recommend applying an oil between the cornrows and against the scalp to keep the scalp moisturised. Try Jamaican Mango & Lime Original Castor Oil (R110.00) which is not only intensely moisturising and good for your scalp, but also promotes healthy hair growth.
Twist out
The twist out is an easy, effortless style to perfect, and looks great in summer. It requires you to part your hair into sections and apply a curling cream to each section. Then, you separate the sections into two parts and twist them around each other, resulting in a two-strand twist. It’s important to apply a leave-in conditioner or curl cream that’ll add moisture, strengthen, protect and make your hair more manageable not forgetting to spritz hair with water in between sections . Try Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream (R219.99) helps to condition, nourish and define your curls.
Knotless box braids
This is one of the best protective hairstyles for summer. It’s a friendlier version of the traditional box braids as they don’t have a tight knot at the base, making them gentler on the scalp. Divide your hair into four even sections (or more if you have very thick hair) and use hair ties or pins to keep the other sections out of the way while you work on one. Apply a nourishing hair cream like Cantu Shea Butter Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream (R219.99) and comb through with a rat tail comb. Create your parts and apply some hair gel to the roots to help keep the braid in place. We recommend Cantu Flaxseed Smoothing Cream Gel (R200.00). Start weaving your three-strand braid and braid down the length of your hair while feeding strands of braiding hair (of the same length as your natural hair). You can also add a little bit of gel for hold when you get to the ends.
Summer hair doesn’t need to be stressful. Try one of these low maintenance protective styles and enjoy a carefree holiday season.
