Hello my dear curly heads 

Lately I've been receiving a lot of emails with questions about summer, sun, water and curls. So I would like to use this curls post to give you a few tips on care and the Protection of your curls.          

Sun protection doesn't stop at the hairline

The same rays that we protect our skin from with sunscreen also hit our curls and as you probably know need Curls curls need a lot more love and attention than straight hair. What's more, the heat in summer causes curls to lose their moisture, which is the opposite of good for curls. The keratin structure of the hair is also weakened by the sun's rays and the curls become more brittle and, as if that wasn't enough, UV rays generate free radicals in the hair.

So how do we get our tresses through the most beautiful season "safely"?

The most important thing is to provide our curls with sufficient moisture. The best way to do this is to use a moisturizing leave-in or conditioner and seal it into the curls with a little oil. The oils of argan, avocado, jojoba, almond and coconut provide a small but natural sun protection, as they contain vitamins that protect our curls from the harmful rays. Among the oils, grapeseed has the highest sun protection factor. Another advantage of oils is that they protect the curls from free radicals.  

Click here to find a selection of protective oils 

There are some protective products that are actually designed to protect curls from heat damage when blow drying, these products are also great for protecting your curls from the heat and drying out in summer, more on this below.     

However, the most effective protection for curls is and remains a Sun hat or Headscarf.

Curls protect against salt & chlorinated water  

If we go swimming in a pool with chlorinated water, we should first soak the curls well with "fresh water". Because curls are like a sponge, they soak up the water and this should never be chlorinated water. The same applies to salt water. After soaking the curls, comb in a leave-in that protects the curls and seal them in with a little oil.

You can find a selection of protective leave-ins here 

Even if the curls in summer on the beach, especially with fine wavy hair, give these beautiful beach-waves, it is anything but good for the hair, because the salt roughens the outer hair structure, which feels nice and grippy, is actually harmful to the hair, especially with dry, damaged curls, as salt leads to split ends and hair breakage, the curls also lose their stability and elasticity, it is best to rinse the curls again with fresh water after the bath.       

I prefer to use a fat/oil based leave-in and comb it into my curls after showering to protect them from drying out & chlorine & salt water. 

I hope this helps you and your curls stay safe and healthy through the summer!

If you have any questions, please write to me, I am always happy to help.

Cordially 

Rosa Maria