Alright… pools are opening, the sun is finally doing its job, and everyone’s coming out of hibernation.
We’re ready for a hot girl summer.
But let’s be clear about one thing real quick—we’re trying to be hot now… and still hot later. We are not out here putting all this time and money into our hair and skin just to fry it off by July and end up with dry, dull hair and leathery skin by the end of summer.
The more you protect your hair and skin now, the healthier it’s going to be in the long run.
So let’s talk about what’s actually happening and how to avoid it.
First up—the sun.
Everyone thinks about sunscreen for their skin (as you should), but most people don’t realize it can mess with your hair too.
Some sunscreens—especially ones with ingredients like avobenzone—can react with minerals in water and cause your blonde to turn orange or extra brassy.
So if you’ve ever been like “why does my hair look weird after being outside a lot?”… that could be part of it.
And just so we’re clear—SPF is not just a summer thing.
You should be wearing sunscreen on your face every single day, even in the winter.
But in the summer, we need to step it up.
If you’re outside—gardening, at the pool, golfing, running around all day—you should be using at least SPF 50.
And yes… I know… this part is annoying… but you need to reapply about every two hours.
I know it’s a bummer.
But you can thank me later when your skin still looks good.
Just don’t be spraying it everywhere like you’re fogging the whole situation.
Keep it mainly on your skin, be mindful of your hair—especially you blondes—and if you’ve been out all day, rinse your hair or wash it at the end of the day.
You probably need a shower anyway.
This is not something dry shampoo should be covering up or something you should be trying to ignore.
Also—hydrate.
And I don’t just mean your hair, I mean you.
If you’re out in the heat, sweating, in the sun all day—your body, your skin, and your hair all feel that.
The more hydrated you are, the better everything functions—your scalp, your skin, your hair growth, all of it.
Water matters more than people think, especially in the summer.
Now let’s talk about chlorine.
Because this is where things really start to go downhill if you’re not careful.
Chlorine strips your hair of its natural oils, dries it out, and for blondes—it can turn your hair green.
Not because your hair is “dirty,” but because chlorine binds with metals like copper in the water and deposits it into your hair.
Super fun.
The easiest way to prevent that is honestly so simple.
Before you get in the pool, soak your hair with clean water.
Your hair is like a sponge—if it’s already full, it won’t soak up as much chlorine.
I also recommend putting in a leave-in conditioner before swimming to give your hair a little barrier.
And after you get out—rinse your hair as soon as you can.
Don’t just let chlorine sit there all day baking in the sun.
This goes for kids too—little blondies will turn green fast.
And we need to talk about extensions for a second.
Chlorine, salt water, and even sunscreen buildup can be really rough on extensions.
They don’t get natural oils from your scalp like your real hair does, so they dry out faster, get brittle quicker, and can lose their tone way easier.
If you have extensions, you need to be even more mindful—rinse them, protect them, and keep them hydrated or you’re going to feel it real quick.
If your hair starts feeling dry, weird, or just off, this is where Malibu Swimmers comes in.
I carry the shampoo and conditioner you can use regularly, and there are also treatments you can do when your hair really needs a reset.
It helps pull out all those minerals and buildup and gets your hair back to normal.
It’s one of those things you don’t realize you need… until you use it.
And don’t forget about salt water.
The ocean might give you those cute beachy waves, but it’s also drying your hair out like crazy.
Salt pulls moisture out of your hair and leaves it feeling dry, tangled, and harder to manage.
So same idea—rinse it out, hydrate it, and don’t ignore it.
Hats are great too—don’t get me wrong.
They help protect your scalp and your hair from direct sun exposure, which is huge.
But… wearing them all day, every day can also create friction, flatten your hair, and sometimes cause breakage around your hairline if you’re not careful.
So wear the hat, just don’t rely on it 24/7 and call it good.
Same goes for sunglasses.
Wear them. Protect your eyes. Be cute.
But stop shoving them on top of your head and ripping them through your hair.
Those little nose pieces love to grab onto your hair and we are not pulling strands out all summer long for no reason.
You’re also probably going to be washing your hair more in the summer—and that’s okay.
You’re sweating more, outside more, and your scalp is doing more.
But if you’re washing more, you need to be hydrating more too.
That means conditioner every time, adding in a mask here and there, and using good products to keep your hair healthy.
I love using the Redken Acidic Color Gloss shampoo and conditioner to keep your color looking good and your hair balanced.
Moroccanoil Treatment Oil is one of my go-to products to add moisture back into your ends—it helps with frizz, dryness, and overall feel, and you can use it on wet hair, dry hair, or both.
Moroccanoil also has a really good hydrating mask, and Amika has some great ones too if your hair is feeling extra dry.
And I’m going to say this again because I will forever say it…
Stop sleeping with your hair wet.
Your hair is most fragile when it’s wet, and when you lay on it and toss around all night, you’re just creating breakage.
Summer already does enough to your hair—we don’t need to make it worse.
At the end of the day, summer is supposed to be fun.
We’re outside more, we’re busier, we’re doing all the things.
But a little extra care goes a long way.
Protect your skin. Take care of your hair.
And if something starts feeling off—dry, brassy, green, whatever it is—come see me and we’ll fix it.
Because again… we’re not doing all of this just to undo it in three months.
If it’s something we talk about in the chair…it belongs here.
- From The Chair
