There’s nothing quite like the one-two punch of summer heat and humidity to turn your tresses into a slick, sweaty mess. As if contending with frizz and limp locks wasn’t enough, hot and humid weather also means excess oil, dampness, and grease. But don’t sweat it – we’ve got tips to help keep your scalp and strands fresh even on the muggiest of days.
Clarify & exfoliate
Kick things off by giving your scalp a deep cleanse. Sweat, product residue, and sebum quickly accumulate in summer’s humid weather, leaving hair looking lacklustre and weighed down. Use a clarifying shampoo weekly to cut through grime and rebalance your scalp. Try a scalp scrub or massage with a brush while shampooing to fully dislodge any lingering buildup.
Lighten up your leave-ins
While hydrating hair products are crucial for managing frizz and dryness, they can also leave strands feeling heavy and greasy if you aren’t careful. Switch to lighter leave-in formulas like milks, mists, and serums rather than dense creams and butters. Avoid ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and heavy silicones which can be too occlusive on greasy hair and humid days.
Embrace dry shampoo
Your new summer best friend? Dry shampoo! These oil-absorbing powders can instantly revive greasy, limp roots between shampoos while injecting some much-needed volume and texture. Spray directly onto your roots, let it sit for a minute, then massage and brush out. Dry shampoo also helps soak up sweat and scalp moisture. Tinted formulas can camouflage roots while you stretch time between colour appointments.
Try texturizing products
To create cool-girl texture and grit on damp, greasy-looking strands, reach for texturizing sprays and sea salt mists. Lightly mist roots for lift while scrunching through the lengths for enhancing waves and adding piecey separation. Just be mindful not to overload fine or thin hair with too much product.
Blot & cool it
When all else fails, blot excess oil and dampness from your strands using blotting papers, clean cloth towels, or even a fresh dryer sheet. You can also give hair a quick blast with your blow dryer’s cool shot button to re-set the cuticle and soak up any sweat and moisture at the roots.
Don’t let sweltering temps and humidity turn your hair into an oil slick this season. With some smart scalp care and the right product stash, you can keep grease at bay all summer.
