The chill in the air is gone and now it is time for you to start sporting that beautiful natural hair of yours. However, between the pool parties and the muggy weather, you might eventually need some summer hair care tips to get you through the season. Summer hair care tips are not difficult to come by these days. Especially when it comes to natural hair, it seems as though everybody has an opinion on the matter. Still, some methods have been proven to be more effective and beneficial than others. Here are the top DIY hair products/tricks for summer:
LIGHTEN HAIR
Cinnamon is not only a great lightener but it smells great, too. For the DIY hair lightener, you need cinnamon powder and conditioner. You just have to add cinnamon powder to a small handful of conditioner and then evenly coat your hair from top to bottom. You may want to comb the mixture through to ensure that it coats evenly. Pull your hair up and keep it secure with a clip. You can use a shower cap to hold your hair in place and leave the mixture on overnight. Rinse and shampoo first thing in the morning. This mixture is perfectly safe for hair so you can use it more than once if you want to really see highlights.
BEACH HAIR SPRAY
To make beach hair spray, you need 1 cup hot water, 1-2 teaspoon seasalt, 1 tablespoon coconut oil or argan oil, 1 teaspoon leave in conditioner and dab of pomade or water-based hair gel. Add the hot water to the spray bottle. Measure out and add the ingredients. Shake it up and spray liberally to towel-dried hair. Try putting it in a big, loose braid for awhile, and/or on top of your head in a loose knot while it dries. When it’s almost dry, let your hair down, scrunch, and let it completely air dry.
SPF HAIR MIST
To make DIY SPF hair mist, you need 5-10 drops grapeseed essential oil, ½ cup water (plain or rose waster). Grind grapes so as to obtain the grape juice and strain it. Combine water, grape juice and grapeseed essential oil. Put the solution in spray bottle, shake well and use before stepping out in the sun!
DIY AFTER SUN HAIR MASK
Coconut milk works as a natural moisturizer for your hair, particularly hair that is brittle or breaking, which makes this an amazing mask for sun-baked strands. Add equal amount of coconut milk and olive oil, stirring rapidly to make sure they mix well. Warm the mask in a pre-heated pan for about 20 seconds. Apply to your hair from roots to ends, massaging it into your scalp. Leave in for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Use daily or as needed after sun-exposure.
ANTI-CHLORINE HAIR MASK FOR POST-SWIMMING HAIR CARE
If you have rough and damaged hair due to chlorine, here’s a simple hair mask to treat it. Mix together 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2-4 tablespoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap. Apply the entire mixture to wet, clean hair, massaging it in from the roots of the hair to the ends. Let the mask sit for 20 minutes then rinse thoroughly and wash and condition.