Summer Weather Brings Hazards to Your Hair and Body!

The hot and humid days of our Australian summer is just around the corner. By the end of summer, the repeated exposure to heat, humidity, chlorine and salt water can take a major toll on our hair and skin.

Don’t worry though, warm summer days don’t have to lead to thinning and damaged hair or bad skin. You can help to protect your hair and skin with these 10 easy hair and beauty tips that will keep your hair shiny and your skin radiant without too much hassle, and looking your best this summer!

1. Hydrate:  Long exposure to the sun can leave our hair fragile and brittle and our skin oily or sometimes sunburn (don’t forget to apply sunscreen!).  Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. This will help to cleanse your body of any toxins, keeping your hair soft and bouncy, and your skin hydrated and glowing.
2. Keep a balanced diet: You are what you eat!  What you put into your body will show in your outward appearance as well.  Strong, vibrant hair and glowing skin depends on a healthy and balanced diet.  By taking in proper nutrients, you help to combat against bad hair and bad skin. Think vegetables and lean meats and avoid those saturated fats!
3. Exercise: Regardless, if you enjoy walking, running, swimming or another form of exercise, it’s worth keeping up your fitness in summer.  Exercising helps to release endorphin’s.  Endorphin’s trigger a positive feeling in your body.  And let’s face it, if you feel good you look good.  So get moving! Aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day and you’ll notice how great you feel and how good you look in just over two weeks.
4. Wash hair with a mild shampoo and conditioner: Frequent trips to the beach and pool brings an increase in hair washing in the summer.  The harsh chemicals from the pool and the salt and elements from salt water doesn’t help with keeping your hair healthy. When choosing a shampoo go for a gentle, herbal-based shampoo and conditioner, like O&M Hydrate and Conquer Shampoo and Conditioner.  This dynamic duo has Tasmanian Sea Kelp and contains Vitamins A, B, C, & E and 13 amino acids to strengthen hair and stimulate growth. You cannot go wrong with this product!
5.  Go au natural: Summer hair should be fun, light, and uncomplicated. Allow your hair to go without styling, at least for a trip to the beach! The less heat and stress on your hair, the better. Heat weakens hair proteins resulting in brittleness and fragility. Reduce the amount of flat iron use as well. Flat irons will only damage your hair and remove any natural shine you have. Instead, keep your hair natural, wild, wavy, and glossy. If you already use a lot of damaging styling products on your tresses use O&M’s Seven Day Miracle Mask to help repair and replenish moisture back to your hair. So ditch the clips, elastics, flat irons, and allow your hair to enjoy the summer with you!
6. Sunblock: Apply products that contain SPF every day in the summer! If you want to have healthy, glowing skin, then it’s critical to avoid harming it in the harsh summer UV rays. Whether your hair is colored or not, the sun can bleach it, leaving it looking brassy and damaged. And, of course, any exposed skin is susceptible to sunburn, including the part in your hair. Your best weapon to protect your hair and scalp from sunburn is a wide brim hat. Pair it with some oversized glasses and you’ve got a great look happening a la Audrey Hepburn!
7. Take your vitamins: Vitamins are hugely important when it comes to your body’s daily functions and are essential to its growth and repair. We know certain vitamins are good for skin (including vitamins A and E, antioxidants, etc.) to ensure a healthy looking, supple and glowing complexion. Get your fix of these vitamins daily to ensure you are looking great. Both vitamins A and E help with keeping your hair looking ‘hot’ too!
8. Brush it: Brushing your hair regularly will not only keep it free from knots, but it will stimulate circulation in the scalp, which encourages blood flow to the roots of your hair. The golden rule of brushing says: “The longer your hair, the bigger your brush should be.” Try O&M’s No Knot Conditioning Detangler if you have difficulty getting a brush through your hair easily.
9. Use oil free products: Skin tends to be more oily than usual during the summer months because of the heat and humidity.  In the hot weather, it’s easy for your pores to get clogged, causing unwanted breakouts.  Therefore, it’s important to minimise the amount of oil that you add to your skin in order to avoid breakouts and black heads.  Use oil-free face products; including water based foundations and light face moisturisers.  Also, be sure to exfoliate your face at least twice a week to remove any excess oil or dirt from your pores. In order to avoid aging and maintain your summer beauty cleanse and moisturise your face every morning and night. This will help to keep your face clean and young looking.
10. Condition: If you enjoy swimming in salt or chlorine water conditioning your hair is imperative in the summer. Give your hair a treatment at home at least once a week.  You can also spritz a little leave-in conditioner and wear a swim cap so that you can prevent the hair from damage caused by chlorine and salt water. Try O&M’s Frizzy Logic Serum for best results.

We all love the sun, sand and sea but the truth is, Australian summers can cause our locks to dry out and our skin to become oily and sunburnt.  Now is the time to start prepping your hair and skin so that it does not fall victim to Mother Natures’ moodiest season.