HAIRCARE EXPERTS TONI & GUY SAY LOOKING AFTER YOUR HAIR IN THE SUN AND SALT WATER SHOULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN.
Being sun smart these days is second nature – especially compared to the
generations before us. Nowadays, it’s routine to lather our faces and bodies in
SPF50+ and also make sure our kids are coated from ear holes to big toes if they are
out in the sun. But Toni & Guy Broadbeach style director Bernadette Cliff reminds us
that we should be as cautious and sun smart with our hair as we are with our skin,
whether we are holidaying at the beach or live there full time.
“People spend hundreds of dollars on a great cut and colour but they forget to protect
that investment,” she says. “A day in the sun rapidly reduces the moisture content of
hair. Coloured hair fades quicker if you are spending excessive time in the sun –
browns warm and blondes go brassy.”
When on a sunny beach holiday, Bernadette suggests daily use of moisturising
protein sprays that contain an enviroshield complex for UVA and B protection. Put
simply, the more moisturised your hair is, the longer your colour will remain.
Whether you’ve been swimming in the saltwater, chlorinated pool water or just
chilling on the sand in the sun, Bernadette suggests that, just like you would apply an
after-sun spray to your skin, you should also apply a mask or leave-in conditioner to
your hair at night.
In fact, Bernadette says the best thing you can do to prepare for a
long day at the beach or poolside is to apply a leave-in conditioner or mask to your
hair before you step out. Throw your hair up into an on-trend top knot and you’ll be
protecting it before you even walk out the door.
There are also hair products available with sun protection factor in them. Keep an
eye out for Wella’s ‘Solaris’ range, for example, she says.