Beat the Heat: How to Maintain Moisture in Color-Treated Hair During Summer

Do you spend your summers warding off the perils of split ends, unruly frizz, stubborn tangles, and a dry scalp? Dry hair symptoms are never fun to deal with, but they’re particularly annoying in summer when Insta-ready locks are more important than usual.

And, if you have color-treated hair, maintaining moisture is even more challenging this time of year. As much as we love a good color session, the chemicals used to dye your hair are often dehydrating.

But you don’t have to accept dry hair as a side effect of color forever – just a few tweaks in your routine can set you on a more moisturizing path!

From one color enthusiast to another, here’s how to maintain moisture in color-treated hair during the summer heat.

How to Hydrate Color-Treated Hair in Hot Weather

Choose a Hydrating Shampoo

Like color treatment itself, shampoo is both essential and – if you’re using the wrong shampoo – drying. That’s right: unless you use a shampoo blended explicitly for color-treated hair, you’re likely sucking moisture from your locks with each wash.

So, step one is to choose a color-safe shampoo! If you’re a Colorproof customer, you can check this off your list. Everything in our collection goes beyond color protection with formulas designed to enhance the vibrancy of your color.

But to really save dehydrated strands, you’ll see better results with a moisture-focused shampoo, like our aptly named Moisture Shampoo! It nourishes dry skin at the scalp level, laying the foundation for replenished hair from root to end.

The ultimate goal of Moisture Shampoo? To make your hair more resilient while extending the life of your color.

Pro tip: If you think damaged hair is to blame (instead of the weather), our Baobab Recovery Shampoo will deliver the hydration you’re missing.

Turn Down the Water Temperature

Your shampoo will also do its best, most hydrating work in cooler water. Steamy showers may feel amazing, but hot water promotes over-drying! On the next wash day, simply turn down the heat, at least during shampooing.

Go Straight to Conditioning

While our beloved Moisture Shampoo and Baobab Recovery Shampoo are safe for everyday use, reducing how often you wash your hair can do wonders for hydration.

But that doesn’t mean you have to skip your shower or use a shower cap. After wetting your hair, simply jump straight to the conditioner! This gives your hair a moisturizing refresh without the risk of over-dried roots.

Like shampoo, dry hair requires more purpose-focused formulas than you might usually use. That’s why our Moisture Conditioner is so popular this time of year! This award-winning product softens, nourishes, and enhances luster and color vibrancy. It’s also quite light, so your hair won’t feel weighed down after use!

For similar results, check out our Baobab Recovery Conditioner, a powerful hydrator, or Smooth Conditioner, an instant strand softener.

Don’t Skip Your Moisturizing Mask!

This time of year, a standalone conditioner may not cut it. Enter the hair mask – an essential tool in the hot-weather hair toolkit.

Whether humidity has your strands frizzy or dry conditions have them crispy, treating your hair with a moisturizing mask makes everything more manageable and resilient.

Our favorite summer go-to is our Moisture Masque, a mint-scented boost of luster, shine, and strength! Use it in place of conditioner, let it sit for two minutes, and enjoy your newly softened strands.

For ultra-dry hair, consider trying the Instant Reboot Treatment Masque. It’s a two-part formula designed to lift the hair’s cuticle and allow moisturizing ingredients to penetrate through every part of your hair.

Both of these handy treatments are, of course, completely safe for color-treated hair.

Lock in Moisture When Your Hair is Wet

The window right after your shower when your hair is wet is an opportunity to lock in lasting moisture. If you don’t already use a leave-in treatment, now is the time to take advantage of their hydrating powers.

For color enthusiasts who love heat styling, our Essential Leave-In offers protection against the drying properties of heat tools. It can also be used on dry hair!

For color enthusiasts suffering from damage-related moisture loss, the Baobab Recovery Treatment Spray delivers deep nourishment to strengthen and repair weak strands.

For color enthusiasts looking for a silky soft, frizz-free finish, our award-winning Plush Locks Leave-In Smooth offers a lovely blend of hydrating oils.

Whether it’s a full wash day or just a conditioner shower, never skip this step on wet hair!

Reduce Heat Styling Overall

Unfortunately, straighteners, curlers, and blow dryers can make dry hair even drier. Taking a break from these tools may be the key to unlocking hydrated hair!

When skipping styling isn’t an option, heat protection is essential. Plush Locks Leave-In Smooth and Essential Leave-In both shield against heat up to 450°F (230°C), as well as our Volume Blow Dry Spray, Biorepair® Thicken Blow Dry Spray, and Lift It Mousse.

But our top recommendation for heat-safe styling on dry hair is our Moisture Styling Crème, of course! It also boosts shine and reduces blow-drying time for minimal heat exposure.

Embrace Hats, Wraps, and Bandanas!

There’s another potential culprit for your dehydration woes: the sun. Like your skin, your hair suffers from dryness and discoloration when exposed to UV rays directly.

The bright side? Experimenting with hats, wraps, and bananas can enhance your summer style. Any time you know you’ll be sitting in direct sunlight, pair your outfit with your favorite hair coverage.

Turn to Hair Oil Between Washes

Finally, give your dry hair some moisturizing TLC with a quick oil treatment like our fan-favorite Smooth Drops. They’re clear, featherlight, and non-greasy, offering humidity resistance and anti-frizz properties without weighing down your hair. They also add shine and improve luster!

On non-wash days when your hair is feeling drab, use a dash or two to bring your strands back to life.

With our favorite moisturizing, color-safe treatments on your side, nothing can stand between you and hydrated hair – even in summer weather.

How are you keeping your hair fresh and happy this season? As always, we want to follow along on your Colorproof journeys. Use the hashtag #ColorproofHair Instagram and TikTok (@colorproofhair).

See you there!

Xx,
Colorproof