Beauty / Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs

Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs

Beauty Aug 10, 2020

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Hair is a South Asian woman’s crowning glory. However every crown is tarnished once in a while. In the middle of summer, the combination of humidity, heat, sweat, and air conditioning can overthrow the mightiest of manes. What is a South Asian queen to do? Whether you it’s super straight or super curly, these simple tips will return the lustre to your summer hair.

Summer is not about arduous styling, so keep your heat styling tools with the mittens. Summer beauty is about easy glow, then hair is correspondingly all about the simple flow. The trick to finding your flow is to accept your natural texture. Acceptance does not mean looking at the mirror, attaching your hair in a scrunchy and then facing the world. Hair, regardless of season, needs TLC but the season dictates the type of TLC. Once you master the correct TLC, your hair texture will be your mane attraction.

In summer, the focus should be on adopting rituals and using products that permit you to apply a single styling product and then you can go outside and enjoy the sunshine.

HAIR OILING — EMBRACE THE SCALP AND YOUR ROOTS

A universal step, to ensure that hair growth remains optimal and frizziness remains minimal, is to oil your hair as recommended in Ayurveda medicine. The practise works for all hair types from straight to curly because it balances Doshas (Pitta, Vata and Kapha) and nourishes the scalp, which is the ecosystem of the hair. (Not sure what to use for your scalp treatment? Check out our story here!)

Hair oiling starts with selecting a quality oil, and I am delighted that Fable & Mane has facilitated the process with its HoliRoots™ Pre-wash Hair Treatment Oil, which contains Ashwagandha (an ancient medicinal shrub that helps the body to handle stress, also sometimes referred to Indian ginseng).

**Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs: HoliRoots™ Pre-wash** **Hair Treatment Oil**. Photo Credit: www.fableandmane.com

The actual oiling process itself need not be tedious. I suggest dividing your hair into quarters using duck clips, and leaving one section free. Once a section is oiled, pin it back with the duck clip. The Hold Me Hair Clips from Dry Bar are great because they are strong enough to hold hefty hair in place, and they don’t snag.

**Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs: Dry Bar Hold Me Hair Clips.** Photo Credit: www.thedrybar.com

I then apply a few droplets of oil to my fingers and then massage the scalp of the free section using a circular motion to stimulate the scalp and to deposit the oil. Once the scalp is massaged, I then pat the oil along the hair shaft, making sure not to pull the hair and then gently clip it back. I repeat the massage for each section. Give summer’s unforgiving humidity, I suggest waiting another 40 minutes and then use a clarifying shampoo to remove all traces of oil.

STRAIGHT HAIR — GLOSS OUT

A universally impactful product for all hair types, in particular for straight locks which tend to go limp during the summer, is a clarifying shampoo. I recommend the John Masters™ Organics Scalp Stimulating Shampoo because it contains spearmint and meadowsweet which left my hair clean, not squeaky.

**Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs: John Masters™ Organics Scalp Stimulating Shampoo.** Photo Credit: www.johnmasters.com

The scent was so mint fresh that I pretended to chew gum while I massaged the shampoo throughout my strands. The shampoo did not lather strongly but I love how it gently cleaned each strand.

For the conditioning step, I suggest using the Professional Sebastian Dark Oil Lightweight Mask which feels like mousse, and only requires five minutes to soften the hair. The lightweight texture is appealing because humidity weighs down hair, so products should be soft and light. Always apply it from mid-shaft to the tips, because during the summer, the scalp tends to be oilier and does not need extra moisture at the roots.

After rinsing my hair, I let it air dry until it was 50% dry and then I spritzed the John Masters™ Organics Scalp Follicle Treatment & Volumizer.

I doubted that a mere liquid could actually provide any lift to my heavy, South Asian hair. However when my hair was completely dry, I was enthralled by how it was unable to lay taut against my scalp. My hair was enjoying several millimetres of height – no hair spray required. I applied a few spritzes of Sebastian Dark Oil Silkening Mist to tame some fly-a-ways, and then attached my hair into a chignon. I walked out the door with a simple hairstyle that remained stable and frizz-free during my afternoon errands.

WAVY — NOT WILD

Unfortunately during the summer, when we tend to be active and sweat more, wavy hair tends to become frizzy and unruly. The trick for wavy hair is to use lightweight products that will not choke off the delicate crests and troughs of the strands.

I suggest that in addition to cleaning weekly using a clarifying shampoo, that wavy hair is best maintained with a washing product, in addition to your standard shampoo and conditioner. By the term washing product, I mean a gentle product which can be used to provide a quick cleanse when the hair is a tad grimy but you do not wish to engage in the rigmarole of washing and conditioning hair.

Shea Moisture Power Greens Hair Tea Rinse is a sulfate-free, colour safe product that looks like iced tea.

Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The TLC Boost It Needs — **Limp Locks? These No Fuss Products Will Give Your Summer Hair The Boost It Needs: Shea Moisture Power Greens Hair Tea Rinse.** Photo Credit: www.sheamoisture.com

I tried to apply it using the dispenser tip but was unsuccessful. I opted to open the bottle and pour a few millimetres into the palm of my hand, and then massaged it into my wet hair. I expected it to be sticky like ice tea and was pleased that it cooled my scalp and rinsed out quickly. I controlled my expectations because my hair is drenched in sweat after a hot yoga class, and I was delighted that my hair felt light and refreshed when it was dry. Remember that hair should be clean but drier hair types such as wavy and curly ones, need to be wary of stripping away natural oils through excessive cleaning.

To continue the light-handed approach to preserving the delicate crests of troughs of the strands, I suggest using a product that is designed to preserve shape such as the Wella Nutricurls Curl Shaper.

Even though it is designed for curly hair, its function can easily be transposed to wavy hair. The trick is to rub a few tiny dollops into the palms of the hands and then pat it on damp hair. Once the hair air dries, the waves will be held in place without the frizz. You can add a beautiful clip to your hair, and your hair is ready to turn heads.

CURLY Q TO THE QUEEN

Curly hair needs hydration year round because its beautiful shape makes it difficult for the scalp’s natural oils to coat the shaft of the strands. Consequently, the buoyancy of the curls is muted by the dryness. To ensure that the beauty of each coil is preserved, it is important to wash and condition the hair using a richer, hydrating formula, even in the middle of summer.

I suggest trying the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate and Repair Shampoo and Conditioner duo which contains organic shea butter, Manuka honey and yoghurt.

It does have a sweet scent but it dissipates fairly quickly. The shampoo lathers up and works easily through the strands. The conditioner has the consistency of a thick pudding and drenches the hair in moisture. As you rinse out the conditioner, gently comb the hair using a wide tooth comb so that the hair separates with minimal snags. Once the hair is rinsed lean, continue to build a hydrating base by massaging in a leave-in conditioner

such as the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-in Conditioner. Like the shampoo and conditioner, this product also contains shea butter that helps to maintain the shape of the curls and to impede the development of frizz.

At this point you can opt to use to use a diffuser to ensure that the hair dries evenly or if you prefer to avoid all heat, then proceed to use a product like the Wella Nutricurls Curl Shaper to preserve the shape of the coils. Some curly queens also like to add gel to create a cast so that the hair looks great for the next 2-3 days. A neat trick to add both shine to the hair, and create a final coat against humidity is to dab on a hair oil such as Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil. This final step can be followed by adding a pretty hair accessory and your mane will be the main attraction.

MANE THOUGHTS

It is easy for South Asian queens to take their hair for granted because it is innately beautiful. However summer presents challenges that are easily overcome with healthy roots, simple cleaning, air drying and a pretty hair accessory. Given that our brown skin is already glowing, simple hair looks complement our summer beauty perfectly.

Main Image Photo Credit: Adrian Fernandez/Unsplash, www.fableandmane.com

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Author

Meena (@meenalaregina) always loved the idea of exploring the non-conventional idea of beauty. Having grown up as a pimply chubby teenager, she wanted to see the change in the world that best reflected your uniqueness as well. Her well-received collection of blogs where she tries on various beauty p...

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