SUMMER HAIR SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR NATURAL CURLS

jennifer Stewart
Jun 21
3 min read

By Jem | Natural Hair It Is

Hey curlfriend,

Summer is here, the weather is changing, and with that comes humidity, heat, chlorine, ocean water, sweat, and sun exposure. All of these things affect your natural hair differently during the summer months.

As your favorite curl specialist, I want to give you a few professional tips based on what I’ve learned from my own hair journey and what I see every single day from the women who sit in my chair.

Let’s talk about how to protect your curls, preserve your styles longer, and avoid unnecessary dryness, frizz, and damage this summer.

WHY YOUR HAIR FRIZZES IN THE SUMMER

During the summer months, there is more humidity in the air. Whether it’s from rain, heat, or moisture in the atmosphere, your hair responds to it immediately.

Here’s what happens:

Your hair cuticle begins to swell because it is absorbing moisture from the air. While your hair may “like” humidity because it’s pulling in moisture, your hairstyle may not.

This is why:

Silk presses begin to puff back up
Pixie styles lose their sleekness
Wash-and-gos start frizzing
Rod sets begin to expand
Shrinkage happens right before your eyes

And let’s be honest — nobody wants to spend money getting their hair done just to watch it bouffant and frizz up during dinner, a date night, vacation, or work week.

WHY I RECOMMEND AMINO ACID TREATMENTS

One of the biggest game changers for summer hair is an amino acid treatment.

Whether you wear:

Silk presses
Pixies
Wash-and-gos
Rod sets
Flexi rod styles
Blowouts

An amino acid treatment helps reduce the amount of humidity entering the hair shaft.

This is why styles tend to last longer, stay smoother, and maintain their shape better during the summer months.

And no — amino acid treatments are NOT relaxers and they are NOT traditional chemicals designed to permanently straighten your hair.

Their purpose is to help support the hair so humidity does not immediately break down your style.

If you constantly struggle with:

Frizz
Puffiness
Reversion
Swelling
Lack of style longevity

This may be one of the best summer investments you can make for your hair.

Snag this Summer Vacation Hair Guide I created for YOU!

POOL WATER VS. OCEAN WATER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you are swimming this summer, your hair routine matters.

Whether you are:

Going to the beach
Swimming in chlorine pools
Vacationing at resorts
Spending weekends at water parks

You need to cleanse your hair properly afterward.

Your FIRST shampoo should be a swimmer’s shampoo.

I personally recommend Malibu Swimmer's Shampoo because it helps remove:

Chlorine
Mineral buildup
Pool chemicals
Saltwater residue

This is important because you do NOT want chlorine or ocean residue sitting on the hair and then being baked into the hair shaft from heat and sun exposure.

After using your swimmer’s shampoo, THEN you should follow up with:

A hydrating shampoo
A moisturizing conditioner
Cool water rinse
Leave-in conditioner
Light sheen or protective serum

This helps restore softness and hydration back into the hair.

SUMMER SUN DAMAGE IS REAL

A lot of people protect their skin from the sun, but forget about their hair and scalp.

The sun can absolutely damage your hair.

I learned this personally after traveling one summer with color-treated hair. By the time I returned home, my hair felt fried, dry, brittle, and overexposed from the sun.

Too much UV exposure can: