Secrets of Healthy Summer Hair

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WholeBlends #CollectiveBias

I get asked a lot of questions about my hair: what products I use, how I style it and if I have any secrets. I’m going to let you in on a little secret – I have no hair secrets. My hair routine has always been pretty simple. I stick to a few basic rules when it comes to my hair and pick brands that I love. I change up my hair routine and products with the seasons a bit, just because a coconut scented shampoo that I can grab at Walmart is the closest I’m getting to a tropical vacation in the middle of a busy week.

I’m currently loving the Whole Blends Smoothing Hair Care line from Garnier. I love the throwback packaging, the coconut oil and cocoa butter tropical smell, and mostly I just love that it works. No secrets, just affordable hair products that I can grab on a weekly grocery run.

Never let it be said that I won’t give the people what they want. Here’s how I keep my hair healthy in the warmer months. (Also how I keep from completely losing my mind in the heat, because I have a LOT of hair. Come August I need some braids or I’ll cut it all off in a fit of overheated rage.

Don’t wash your hair daily. 
I know some people just can’t get behind this one, particularly in the summer when you’re sweating, swimming and sunscreening like crazy.  I get that, I really do. I definitely wash my hair more often in the summer than I do the rest of the year, in spite of my own advice to the contrary. However, if you can skip a wash every now and then, your hair will thank you. Now, if you’re in the pool, forget this advice. You definitely want to rinse the chlorine out of your hair – the sooner the better.

Treat your hair to a little extra TLC
The sun, wind, chlorine and saltwater are killer on your hair, which means that you need to pay a little extra attention to your hair. I use a leave-in conditioner after the shower and before any sort of styling. It gives my hair a little extra heat-protection if I’m blow drying it, and keeps it moisturized if I’m not. A hair stylist recommended applying a leave-in conditioner before swimming in a chlorinated pool to help ward off the dreaded green hair and I’ve used that tip for years. I keep leave in conditioner in our swim bag, so we can rinse our hair at the pool and quickly comb it through if we’re not headed straight home. Bonus! Leave in conditioner works as a fantastic post-swim detangler.

Say goodbye to frizz
If you’re not washing too often and giving your hair a little extra moisture with a leave-in conditioner, you’re already well on your way to taming the frizz. That said, when summer humidity rolls in, even the most well-loved hair needs a little help fighting frizz. I love running a little smoothing oil over my hair to keep frizz at bay.

Get your hair out of your face
I typically prefer my hair down as I have a ton of hair and ponytails and buns give me a headache if I wear them for too long. But come summer, all I want is my hair out of my face and off my neck. That’s why I’m all about the braids. My favorite summer braid look is a loose part down the middle and two french braids down either side. I start with a little smoothing oil to keep the little frizzies around my face in their place, then divide my hair into two equal sections. I don’t worry about being totally precise here – I’m looking for a relaxed look, not severe braids tight enough to give me a temporary face lift. I braid each side, picking up additional pieces of hair after each pass of the braid and secure each braid at the bottom with a clear elastic band.

Bonus! At the end of the day, take your braids out and you’ve got great beachy waves, helping to take your look from day to night with minimal effort.

I told you, none of this is shocking information and this is all something that everyone can manage on their own. Now go forth and condition that hair!

Check out the entire Whole Blends line and let us know which one you’re dying to try!