How To Look After Your Natural Hair (+ Embrace It!) w/ Boots

ad | There are many things that can cause havoc to our skin and hair. From pollution, heat, chlorine in a swimming pool and more. The weather however, can be one hair-damaging element that we simply can’t avoid! Don’t want to get chlorine in your hair? Wear a swimming cap. Don’t want to get the weather on your hair? Stay inside. And that’s no fun, is it?

Summer is all about letting your hair down and having fun in the sun but you also have to be aware of the damaging effects the same sun and warm weather is having on your hair too.

I find that the Summer heat can dry up the natural oils in my hair, leaving them dry and damaged – sometimes to the point of no return! If this sounds like you, this is when you’re going to need to invest in hair masks and ensure you’re using adequate heat protection.

Summer is also a great time to embrace more natural beauty. And that’s exactly what I’m doing this year with my hair.

I’m majorly cutting down the use of artificial heat – easier to do in the Summer when your hair dries naturally in the warm weather – and trying to style my hair using more natural methods.

Embracing my natural hair is something that I go through phases with. When I was a teenager, I used to bleach the life out of my hair to get a white-blonde colour.

But now, I’m fully embracing my natural red hair, letting all my more recent highlights grow out and absolutely loving my natural colour. In the Summer sun, the red is so vibrant and beautiful!

I’ve selected a handful of products to help me look after my wavy hair more effectively this Summer.

But it doesn’t matter if your hair is poker straight, wavy or curly, they have all your needs on hand.

Products from Boots to help me look after my wavy hair

I have naturally wavy hair. Sometimes I’ll straighten it, if I’m going out for the evening. I’ll occasionally curl it but most of the time, I tend to just leave it as it is!

If you have wavy hair, like me, you’ll know there are some things you can do to keep it in the best condition for the style of hair you have.

I’ve found having wavy hair can be quite versatile because it straightens well, curls well but also when you leave it as it is, in its natural state, you can go for a really lovely messy bedhead style or beach waves – which I absolutely LOVE.

There are a few products from Boots that I chose that will really help me with looking after my wavy hair:

The first product I know I’ll use a LOT for my hair is the Garnier Ultimate Blends Banana Hair Food. This mask is designed for dry hair, so it’s ideal to put on the ends of your hair to help avoid breakages.

When you have wavy hair – especially beach waves – the ends are noticeable, so you’ll want to make sure they’re in the best condition. Especially if you go swimming a lot – like me – which can dry the ends of your hair!

I absolutely love this mask. It’s thick and really does the job as it’s super nourishing – and not to mention it smells absolutely DIVINE. Once it’s been washed off, my hair feels so lovely and soft too

I also chose the John Frieda Radiant Red Boosting Shampoo and Conditioner. The results from using this shampoo and conditioner combo have been great; my hair already looks more vibrant and when the sun hits it – hello red!

The shampoo and conditioner itself are very red, so it’s worth being a bit careful that you don’t get it all over brilliant white tiles.

They can be used on dyed or natural red hair and help bring out the natural red shades in your hair for more vibrancy. I’ve used these products in the past and loved them, so I’m glad they’re back in my haircare routine! They’ve made my hair feel soft and silky as well as boosting the red.

Of course there are so many different types of shampoo to suit whatever your hair colour or type, from red hair shampoo like this to specific shampoo for curly hair.

Sticking with John Frieda, I also went for the John Frieda PROfiller+ Thickening Spray. Although my hair is quite thick anyway, it tends to flatten a bit when I go outside and after a couple of hours can look quite lifeless.

Especially with wavy hair, you want nice thick and luscious locks, not drab waves that look like you’ve just been caught in a downpour!

This can be used with or without a hair dryer and is easy to distribute on towel-dried hair from roots to ends to give your hair that extra boost and lift! It’s a quick and easy boost of volume and I’m definitely noticing the difference – my hair doesn’t tend to go flat as quickly and dramatically as normal and my waves stay nice and buoyant.

I’ve seen this Wonder Water by L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Hair Treatment all over the internet, especially on Instagram and I’ve heard some great things about it so I had to give it a try!

This super easy rinse-out treatment only takes 8 seconds to get to work. You simply add it after shampooing, massage it in and rinse it out. That’s IT! And will leave you will smoother and glossier hair. Perfect.

It really is the easiest product to use and has fit effortlessly into my haircare routine. Wavy hair needs to be kept super nourished and you’ll notice the quality of your waves when you keep your hair hydrated and conditioned!

And finally, I picked the Aussie Miracle Moist Recharge Hair Conditioner Spray. I used to use Aussie products a lot and I absolutely love them – particularly the smell. These are the absolute ULTIMATE products for wavy hair!

This leave-in conditioner is a great option for those hot days when your hair needs that little extra boost throughout the day. You can condition your hair on the go!

Aussie products smell like an absolute dream and this is no different. This is an excellent conditioner to keep in a bag with you and it’s really helped keep my hair looking and feeling fresher as the day goes on. It does leave too heavy a residue on your hair nor does it leave your hair looking wet.

It also helps to re-invigorate your waves if they’ve dropped a bit throughout the day. I always find a quick spritz of this gives my hair a new lease of life!

How else can you look after your wavy hair?

• Keep it super nourished and hydrated
• Use styling tools less and avoid over-styling, naturally wavy hair doesn’t need to be styled to within an inch of its life!
• Comb with your fingers! This is a tip I live by because as soon as a hairbrush touches my waves, they don’t look as nice
• Keep to a cooler wash as this will avoid your waves from going frizzy
• Use pins for a cute up-do! Pinning up sections of waves looks really lovely

Here are some tips for looking after your natural hair (and embracing it!) in the Summer:

Use less heating tools and let your hair dry naturally

If the Summer heat dries out your hair even more than usual, then it’s a good time to cut down on the amount of hair styling tools you’re using. The good thing is, the Summer heat dries your hair naturally is record time! Heating tools have their time to shine but you might just want to use them a little less in the Summer.

Use a hair mask if you’ve been swimming in chlorine

Swimming is one of my favourite forms of exercise but I really have to give my hair some extra TLC afterwards because chlorine can dry the life out of it. Invest in a good quality and ultra-conditioning hair mask to use after you’ve been swimming to combat the effects of chlorine. You might want to think about wearing a swimming cap for extra protection as well.

Use a cold wash (and wash your hair less!)

The Summer heat can make your hair greasier quicker but washing your hair TOO often also can dry it out. So it’s a bit of a catch-22. However, using a cold wash on your hair can stop your pores from opening as much and reduce the time it takes for your hair to get greasy again. Also, when it’s 35 degrees outside, who doesn’t want to stick their head under a cold shower?

Choose products for your hair type

Using products that are wrong for your hair type isn’t going to do your hair any good, so take a bit more time and care with picking out the right products for you. For example, if you have curly hair, then using curly hair products specifically for your hair type will work best for you!

Style your hair without heating tools

Similarly to the first point, you might want to use styling tools a bit less in the Summer but if you’re still after a super gorgeous hair style, you can try styling your hair without heating tools. The Heatless Curling Ribbon is a great alternative, if you want those luscious curls but don’t want to use heat! You could also invest in curl creams to enhance those curls too.

Get regular trims

Keep up with those trims and hair cuts, even in the Summer, to keep your hair is tip-top shape. Even if it’s just snipping off the split ends, it will make a difference in both look and feel.

Keep yourself hydrated

And finally, beauty comes from within. We all know that. But REALLY it does, when it comes to staying hydrated. This goes for our skin and our hair and staying hydrated by drinking enough water – especially in the Summer – will have a knock-on effect on your hair as well.

Summer is the time to get out there, have fun, look and feel great and embrace the wonderful outdoors.

But from your skin to your hair, you have to pay a little extra attention to how you’re looking after yourself in the Summer heat to ensure you’re as protected as possible!

Check out boots.com for their full range of hair care products, for every hair colour and type!

How do you look after your hair in the Summer? What is your natural hair type and how are you embracing it?