How to Protect Your Hair and Skin from the Sun
Now that summer is here, it’s tempting to want to lie out in the sun and soak up as much as we can. It might feel good, but too much sun exposure can be harmful. When it comes to our hair, the sun causes our hair to dry out and fade, and for our skin, it can cause wrinkles and even skin cancer.
So what can you do about it? Here are a few tips you can follow to protect your hair and your skin from the sun this summer:
1. Use a UV protective balm on your hair: The sun is a natural bleach, lightening everything in sight, including your hair color. UV rays from the sun break down the chemical bonds that are present in dyes, which causes the dyes to fade. That’s why if you have color-treated hair, your color will fade more quickly the more it’s exposed to sunlight.
Just like sunscreen for your skin, a UV protective balm can block the UV rays from attacking your hair. We recommended products such as Color Minded UV Protective Styling Balm or Polish from Bumble & Bumble, or the Color Reflection line of products from Kerastase, which all have UV protection.
2. Wear a hat: Although it might not be the most fashionable statement at the lakefront, wearing a hat is one of the best ways to prevent the sun’s harmful UV rays from breaking down your hair color.
3. Use a thermal protector on your hair: Heat – whether from a hair dryer or the sun – speeds up the oxidation process of the chemicals in hair dyes and causes the color to fade faster. Heat also causes hair shafts to expand and release hair color.
To beat the heat, we recommend using a thermal protector, such as Chroma Thermique from Kerastase. Just apply one to two walnut-sized amounts onto towel-dried hair, starting with the ends and moving up toward your head. Do not rinse and style as usual.
4. Use sunscreen!: This might go without saying, but sunscreen should be applied daily, even if you’re just walking around town and not laying out by the lake. Over time, the sun’s UV rays damage the fibers in the skin called elastin. When these fibers break down, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to go back into place after stretching.
We recommend a Day Cream from B. Kamins that will moisturize your skin and also protect it with SPF 15.
5. Get regular facials: The more your skin is exposed to the elements, including the sun, the more quickly dead skin cells will build up. To keep your face fresh, get regular facials to exfoliate and rehydrate your skin, leaving your face looking smooth and clear.
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