Summer need not leave your curls and kinks dry and frizzy. With the right products—and some help from ingredients in your kitchen—your hair will look its best throughout the dog days of August.
Mahisha Dellinger, creator of the CURLS and Curly Q’s lines of products, provides these easy tips
- Before you enter a pool, lake, ocean or any body of water, drench your hair with water and apply a generous coat of conditioner mixed with a natural oil of your choice (Dellinger prefers olive oil”>. This oil/conditioner mixture will fill up the gaps in your hair shaft and act as a barrier to the chlorinated water.
- Immediately after swimming in chlorinated or salt water, purify your curls with a clarifying shampoo. Dellinger recommends Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo. Formulated to rid the hair of these curl-killing chemicals, it is the ideal summer cleanser to gently and effectively remove chlorine. Pineapple extract nourishes as grapefruit extract adds sheen while removing buildup from unwanted chemicals. Follow up with a deep conditioner.
- Pamper your curls after a day in the sun. Whip up your very own CURLS concoction and give your curls a post-swim treatment with your very own Milk & Honey Hair Smoothie.
- 1 can of pure coconut milk (rich moisturize—hydrates, conditions and defrizzes hair”>
- 1 ripe avocado (natural source of protein—chlorine robs the hair of protein”>
- 2 tablespoons of pure honey (conditions and adds sheen”>
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (hydrophobic oil that acts as a barrier to chlorine and salt water”>
- Feel free to substitute the olive oil for any natural oil of your choice.
- Add more oil for extra dry hair, e.g. 1 tablespoon.
- Add more honey for hair that needs more sheen, e.g. 2 tablespoons.
- Section hair into 4 segments.
- Generously apply evenly to hair, from root to ends concentrating on ends…as they are the most prone to damage.
- Smooth hair into a protective style (e.g. braided ponytail, or bun”>.
- Enjoy your day at the pool, lake, or ocean!
Milk & Honey Hair Smoothie
Add ingredients to blender. Mix at high speed until your concoction reaches a smoothie consistency.
Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can warm up your hair smoothie in the microwave before next application. Just enough do de-chill.
