I was reluctant to face the truth, but summer is the last season I used to dread the most. This is not due to sunburns or any form of heat. My soft spirals suffered, and suffered greatly. For some reason, the temperature would rise, and my hair would go from moisturized and bouncy to a halo of frizzed out chaos.
If you have curly hair like mine, you are all too familiar with this phrase: a combination of sweat, UV heat, and ponytails ruin your curls making them rhythm-less. They become heavy, dry, difficult to tame, and too light to manage.
I found new solutions and decided to take action altogether. I changed what I did with my curls to a more rational and effective approach in dealing with curls. This article will provide you with my you what has worked as well as what hasn’t, my actionable advice, and hopefully, help during the summer make your hair feel a lot brighter, and easier to manage.
What Summer Does To Curly Hair
This is the part I surely never expected. Summer does not only dry out your curls, it messes with almost every single layer of their identity.
Heat speeds up the rate of water evaporation from the hair shaft. Perspiration adds salts that violate the Scalp’s delicate balance. Humidity provokes the cuticle to lift, encouraging frizz. As for UV light, it damages the proteins responsible for the elasticity of curls.
What this implies is that, in summer, there is inadequate hydration as well as a lack of protection and resilience for the hair. The curls are not damaged, instead they are overwhelmed.
So what changed for me?
I no longer tried to ‘tame’ my curls. Instead, I started listening to them. My methods became more effective when they became less complicated. I enhanced my curls’ resilience by protecting them, replacing a complicated, multi-step styling routine with a few mindful habits. To my delight, my curls welcomed the change.
3 Steps That Saved My Curls This Summer
Allow me to walk you through it.
1. Hydrate Before and After Washing
About 30 minutes before showering, I started using pre-wash creams with aloe and coconut water. This one may sound weird, but it sealed in moisture long before my shampoo touched my hair.
Post-wash, I applied a light conditioner and followed it with a leave-in conditioner and a single styling gel. No more layering five products. No “praying hands” for two decades worth of time. Just moisture and then a spritz of hold.
2. Easing Your Hair Routine
No more products like curl soufflés, mousse, and custard. Out came one leave in conditioner and one gel—applied to my hair whilst soaking wet. The result? Definition and bounce without any buildup.
Combing the product through with fingers was my only intervention. Resting time until completely dry was the only time hands off. Not touching my hair yielded the best results.
3. Frizz Control and Protection</h Amy>
As long as the hair misting is moderate and done with water and light aloe spray, I did not mind my hair getting misted. Brushing it off while getting sunlight is a no-go. Avoiding contact with my hair is a must, especially for the crown area.
During the summer, the best product sometimes is… not styling your hair.
Looking For New Hair Products? This is Why Summer is The Best Time to Change It Up.
This is the exact moment I shifted my focus from the fanciest curl creams to their ingredients.”
- Light moisturizers such as aloe, glycerin (only when the air is not too humid), and flaxseed
- Uh, oh! Protections for the sun’s harmful rays, for example, ‘sunflower seed extract’.
- Humectants capable of adapting to moisture changes without frizzing (look for polyquaternium blends)
- Moderate intake of proteins, they are beneficial, however, summer curls can turn brittle if overheated.
- Do not use – Silicones or heavy oils; they shield hydration and capture heat during intense temperatures.
This summer, my favorite combo was an aloe based curl gel and rice water leave-in. Soft, simple, and never crunchy.
My Gentle Wash & Dry Ritual for Hot Days
It started with something I thought I’d hate: washing my curls more often –
Low-Poo Strategy
I began volumizing every 2-3 days, LOW POO and cleansing conditioner focused on the scalp. The foam lather from the wash would run through the strands instead of scrubbing it out. gentle rinse.
It kept the scalp clean without stripping strands.
Drying Without Drama
I post shower used a cotton T-shirt to squeeze water out. No towel rubbing. Full air dry. Hardest part was keeping hands out of hair.
After hair is dry, fluff roots with dry hands. No extra product. No extra steps.
Curls that I have, not what the weather gives me.
Then vs Now: My Routine, Organized
Micro-Habits That Caused the Maximum Change
These are the small things that lead to significant shifts:
- I exclusively detangle my hair in the shower with conditioner
- I now carry a small bottle of curl mist in my bag.
- I now wear a hat from 10am to 3pm on sunny days.
- I travel with a silk pillowcase to maintain my sleep routine.
These adjustments, even in their small nature, make a significant impact when curly hair is in the mix.
Letting Go of Perfect: What Summer Taught Me About Embracing
On a more personal note, my pursuit of idealized bouncy curls led me to wanting curls that were extraordinarily polished. Summer had different plans.
Some days hair would inflate. Other days maybe one side would do a beautiful curl while the other remained straight. The more that I learned to let go of imperfection, the greater curls returned with comfort.
Letting go of everything ironically provided the control needed.
So-called summer curls shouldn’t ever be classified under the winter curl umbrella. And that’s perfectly okay.
Final Takeaway
This one bonus product, did not add, but rather become a deeply rooted mentality change. I no longer disengaged from the world around me, rather I began adjusting to it organically.
With effortless curls, summer demands gentle loving. It doesn’t need tight reigns.
If you are getting ready for summer and your curls are acting up, make an attempt to do less. And doing less consistently.
What’s one small change that enabled your curls to flourish?
Save this article if your hair care routine for the summer needs improvement!
