Summer is the most damaging season for your hair. Between the sun, the sea water, and sweat, if you don't protect your hair during this time, you risk ending up with broken, dull, and weakened hair when you return to school!

In fact, we mainly think about protecting our skin from the sun because we are more aware of the risks involved, but we often forget that our hair also needs protection!

Even though the sea water gives you beautiful natural waves and the sun makes you look better, it's important to rinse your hair well with fresh water after swimming to get rid of the salt and to put your hat back on your head after settling back down on your beach towel!

In this article, you will find our routine and tips for keeping your hair healthy this summer.

1- Use an anti-UV protective shampoo

First of all, to provide maximum protection to your hair, choose the right shampoo, because it will make all the difference.
It is essential to use a gentle, natural, sulfate-free shampoo to avoid further damaging your hair and scalp.

LAO treatments have an extremely rare characteristic: they protect the hair fiber from the sun's rays thanks to hemp protein, incorporated in just the right dose.

We ran tests on strands of hair that were washed with LAO under normal conditions, then rinsed and exposed to UV and pollution conditions similar to those you are exposed to every day.

The results are there: from the first washes, the hair fiber is protected by +50% from this oxidative stress! In 2022, we repeated the tests by testing several concentrations of our flagship active ingredient to understand the effect on the hair, and these new tests confirmed the exceptional anti-UV and pollution effectiveness!

Both cleansing treatments can therefore protect your hair, and LAO has taken the steps to provide you with the proof.

Some brands, natural or not, claim a protective effect of their products, especially in summer. An oil has no UV protection effect, even if it can help protect the hair from other damaging factors like salt or chlorine by acting as a barrier. For example, we tested strands with hemp oil, and the protection % was 0! Only trust the test results and evidence provided, because a lot of approximate information is circulating.

The Purifying Shampoo will care for your scalp thanks to its nettle hydrosol, known for its sebum-regulating properties. The Nourishing Shampoo contains a high concentration of lemon balm hydrosol, known for its soothing properties. The idea is to gently cleanse the scalp, coat the hair with oils, and protect the fiber from UV rays thanks to LAO's patented technology!

2- Protect your hair from the sun

Even if you have now found the shampoo that protects your hair this summer and throughout the year, still be careful not to expose yourself too much to the sun, especially from noon to 4 p.m., when the UV index is strongest and the rays are most aggressive!

There's nothing better than physical protection to keep your hair healthy for longer. Bring out your best hats, bucket hats, or caps to protect your hair and scalp!

3- Apply a post-exposure treatment

Whether you've been lounging around, wandering around, or swimming all day, treating your locks to a treatment is essential! Choose our Conditioner , which is a perfect detangling treatment for fine to normal hair that struggles with tangles!

You can apply the treatment after washing and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

4- Rinse your hair systematically 

Whether you're swimming in a chlorinated pool or in sea water, it's important to rinse your hair thoroughly after swimming to minimize the harmful and corrosive effects of salt and chlorine.

Indeed, chlorinated water is bad for your skin but also for your hair. With its very basic pH, chlorinated water damages and dries out your hair, in addition to altering its natural color. For example, if you have blond hair, whether naturally or through coloring, you risk having rather unsightly green highlights.

As for sea salt, it irritates your hair and weakens it, in addition to also drying it out! Indeed, the abrasive action of the salt crystals alters the hair's protective barrier, accelerating its drying and further weakening your hair fiber.

Our advice? After swimming, rinse your hair directly with fresh water and then, as soon as you can, shampoo to completely remove any chlorine or salt from your hair!

5- Tie your hair up when swimming

To avoid damaging your hair when swimming and coming out of the water with knots, it is advisable to tie it up in protective hairstyles.

You can create a loose bun with the ends of your hair hanging loose, a fishtail braid, or a classic braid. Our favorite at LAO? The bubble ponytail, which is perfect if you're the type to take out your fins, mask, and snorkel to explore the ocean floor! This is LAO founder Lisa's favorite hairstyle when she goes scuba diving.

Follow these simple and practical tips to protect your hair this summer and prevent the damage we usually see at the start of the school year!