Hair • 07/16/2024
Is Salt Water Good for Your Hair? Use These Tips During Your Next Beach Vacation
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Going to the beach might be the highlight of your summer. You deserve to kick back on the warm sand and relax in the breeze. Don’t let your hair care worries get in the way. Find out if salt water is good for your hair and how to protect your gorgeous locks whenever you find yourself diving into the waves.
What’s In Salt Water?
Salt water is any water that combines hydrogen and oxygen molecules with sodium and chloride to create a higher natural salinity. The last two elements affect everything that goes in salt water, like your skin and hair. Areas with more condensed seawater, like inlets, may have higher salt levels and affect your hair more intensely.
Is Salt Water Good for Your Hair?
Salt water is good for your hair in some cases and not so great in others. These are the pros and cons you should be aware of before your next coastal getaway.
Pros of Salt Water on Your Hair
Splashing in ocean waves makes water run through your hair strands. You’ll naturally wash away excess oil created by your sebaceous glands between your showers. While you won’t emerge as clean as you would from a freshwater shower, your scalp may be noticeably less oily as you dry off on your beach towel.
Sea salt also has anti-fungal properties that may help with dandruff. People who deal with frequent dandruff may live with constant itchiness because fungi like Malassezia affect the scalp that way. Ocean water may relieve your dandruff symptoms if you’re battling unknown fungi.
Saline water notably improves hair follicle growth for people with thinning hair. If you’re spending frequent time on the beach this summer, you may notice a fuller head of hair by fall.
Cons of Salt Water for Your Hair
If you spend a long time in the ocean, you might feel like your hair’s much drier the next day. Salt naturally draws water from surfaces, so it can pull the moisture from hair strands too. It’s a much more noticeable problem if you’re frequently spending extended periods in the sea.
Split ends are much more common when your hair is dry because it’s easier for the strands to crack microscopically. You could deal with more split ends and have to get your hair cut more often if you spend lots of time in salt water.
How to Protect Your Locks From Ocean Water
Taking care of your hair from the inside out is a great place to start. Improve your diet with extra omega-3 fatty acids that nourish your hair with oils that fortify each strand’s moisture content. They’ll be healthier and withstand the effects of salt water better if you’re eating to support your hair health long before your trip to the beach.
You can also limit your time in the ocean or put your hair up in a bun. Reducing how much contact your hair has with salt water will minimize any potential damage you could experience. Swim caps are also helpful if you don’t want to get your hair wet and can’t put it in a bun.
Best Hair Care Products for Beachside Summer Activities
You can also protect your locks with hair care products. These are the best options for anyone spending time on the beach this summer.
Stream2Sea Restorative Leave-In Conditioner
You apply sunscreen on the beach to protect your skin, so why not protect your hair? Stream2Sea makes a reef-friendly conditioner you apply when your hair is wet with fresh water before jumping in the waves. Run this conditioner through your strands to coat them in environmentally friendly ingredients that shield your hair from the harsh effects of UV rays and salt.
Aqua Therapy Salt-Neutralizing Conditioner
Remember, chlorine is in ocean water just like salt. You can get both elements out of your hair quickly with Aqua Therapy’s neutralizing conditioner. It flushes salt and chlorine off each strand while neutralizing any lingering scents from the sea’s waves. As your strands absorb it, they’ll also benefit from the conditioner’s argan oil, amino acids and vitamin C.
Oliology Coconut Oil Leave-In Treatment
It seems like any time you need a beauty hack, coconut oil appears to soothe your skin or prevent razor bumps. It’s here once again to save your hair’s health. The coconut oil leave-in treatment from Oliology detangles and moisturizes your hair with essential ingredients like antioxidants and vitamins. You’ll strengthen the cuticle layer of each strand and prevent issues like frizz after a day on the beach.
Malibu Swimmers Vegan Hair Treatment Packet
Fitting large hair care bottles in your travel bag can feel frustrating. Malibu’s vegan hair treatment packet solves that problem. It fits anywhere you can put a credit card and contains powerful ingredients that remove salt, chlorine and minerals. Give your hair its soft shine back after jumping in the ocean by applying the cruelty-free product in the shower before your usual shampoo and conditioner.
Bellisso Biotin Scalp Scrub
Sometimes, showering after a dip in the ocean isn’t enough. The lingering coating of salt on your locks and the granules between them might take multiple showers to finally go away. Solve that problem with the Bellisso scalp scrub.
This helpful, compact hair scrub combines sea salt and tea tree oil to detox your scalp. Fighting sea salt with itself might seem confusing, but it’s all in the granular shape of each salt piece in the scrub. The rough edges remove the liquified salt on your head while the other ingredients moisturize everything in its wake. It’s a cruelty-free way to freshen your hair when one shower just won’t restore its natural softness.
Take Care of Your Hair This Summer
Use these tips and tricks to protect your hair at the beach this summer. Once you know if salt water is good for your hair or not, you can take extra precautions to protect your locks before and after your time in the waves.
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