When spring comes around, we trade our rich creams for lighter lotions to tailor our skin-care routines to the warmer temps. So why not do the same for your hair? Considering heavy lotions and butters weigh down the hair and prevent much-needed hydration from penetrating the strands, stylists say swapping in lightweight sprays and oils can make a world of difference once the real sweaty seasons set in.
“In summer and spring, heavy butters and oils on your hair will basically dry it out more, because they’re creating a thick barrier on the hair that prevents moisture from sinking in,” says Mika English, a hairstylist at The Ursula Stephen Salon in Brooklyn. In the winter (when there’s less humidity in the air), this barrier can be helpful for sealing in moisture and keeping dry air out, but in the warmer months, it’s overkill. And when it’s really hot (looking at you, July in New York City),”heat and oil together will fry your hair,” says English.
Additionally, those thicker products don’t hydrate and moisturize your strands. “They aid with styling and getting through the week, but to really get inside the cuticle, you need water and conditioner,” says English, which means a regular wash with a good, moisturizing conditioner is tantamount. Even if you have dry hair and can get away with washing less frequently, derms say not to go more than 10 days without a wash and condition.
“A lot of people feel like extra moisturizers and oils are essential, but if you just wash your hair more frequently, you’ll feel your hair adjust to the water,” says English. “When a plant is dry, we water it. It’s the same concept with hair.”
Once you have your hair washed and conditioned, English recommends lightweight moisturizing hair sprays to keep your hair conditioned throughout the week. “I always prefer liquid or oil products over creamy-based or butter-based products,” she says. “Creams and butters tend to lay on top of the hair, whereas liquid goes inside [the strand] and makes the hair easier to manage.”
To keep your hair optimally moisturized this spring and summer, shop English’s favorite lightweight moisturizing hair sprays and oils below. “They’re all really lightweight, but they fix the problem rather than just lay on top,” she says. Consider us sold.
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