Can we all agree there was something special about summer 2024? Whether you spent it traveling, creating, socializing, recharging, or leaning into the Brat vibes, we loved how vibrant and colorful everything felt this season.
We can only think of one drawback to such a standout summer: the toll it may have taken on your hair. If dry, hot weather didn’t stress out your strands, extra time in the sun, the pool, or the ocean probably did!
Don’t worry – we’re all in this recovery period together. Keep reading for the Colorproof guide to post-summer hair rehab, complete with tips for repairing salt, chlorine, and UV ray exposure.
Post-Summer Hair Rehab: How to Revitalize Color-Treated Hair After Sun, Salt, and Chlorine
Step 1: Get a Trim
Before bending over backward to solve your hair woes, do yourself a favor and chop off half an inch (or more)! Removing damaged ends can do wonders for tired hair, including promoting hair growth, smoothening hair texture, and minimizing future damage.
This tip isn’t too complicated – a trim simply makes everything look and feel better without too much fuss.
Step 2: Clarify and Massage the Scalp
Once those damaged ends are gone, it’s time to focus on the other side of the spectrum: the scalp. Although it’s easy to focus on your hair itself, nurturing your skin in this area creates a foundation for healthy locks and productive growth.
While you can invest in a scalp treatment, you can also get similar results with a clarifying shampoo like our Clear It Up® Shampoo. Just a little bit of this focused formula removes the build-up of salt, chlorine, and sunscreen, delivering both a gentle cleanse and a burst of softness.
Unlike other clarifying shampoos, ours is color-safe! Because it removes color-dulling gunk, you might also notice improved color vibrancy.
Suffering from “swimmer’s green”? Clear It Up® Shampoo is also excellent for removing that tint and returning to your regular blonde shade.
Step 3: Deep Conditioning
Because dryness is usually a top concern post-summer, your next focus should be moisture.
Enter our fan-favorite Moisture Masque, a nourishing treatment that restores hydration levels for smoother, softer, shinier, and more manageable hair. Even if your strands are brittle and breaking, this deep conditioner strengthens, repairs, and protects against future damage.
Apply it from root to end right after shampooing, then rinse it off after two minutes. We recommend using it at least once per week!
For damaged hair suffering from more than dryness, try the Instant Reboot Treatment Masque instead. This one targets the hair’s cuticle to fortify and seal suffering strands. It’s a two-step treatment, so be sure to use both formulas right after shampooing!
Step 4: Seal Your Cuticles
Another treatment option we love for post-summer hair is unique to Colorproof: our beloved Cuticle Closer.
Formulated with Avocado Oil and Hydrogenated Castor Oil, this unique product seals and resurfaces the shaft of your hair follicles to add fluidity and tame frizz. It also adds gloss and slip – textures we’re all missing this time of year.
Cuticle Closer is a liquid rinse-out, so use it in the shower right after shampooing and conditioning. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes and enjoy your newly smooth strands!
Step 5: Color-Safe Shampoo
After making time for a treatment-filled wash day, make sure your regular, go-to shampoo is completely color-safe. With their drying, fade-inducing ingredients, non-color-safe formulas on post-summer hair will make your recovery harder than it needs to be!
With our 360-degree approach to color care, we’re proud to say that every single one of our shampoos (and the rest of our collection) addresses all color-fading issues.
All you need to worry about is choosing a hair goal! From Baobab Recovery Shampoo to Biorepair Thicken Shampoo, Moisture Shampoo to Smooth Shampoo, each of our cleansers elevates both your color vibrancy and your hair health.
Step 6: For Blondes, Tone
Hoping to correct a discolored blonde shade? Between swimming and sun exposure, you may want to consider adding purple products to your routine.
A good starting point is our Daily Blonde Shampoo and Daily Blonde Conditioner. They work together to brighten blonde, lightened, or silver hair by banishing brassiness and strengthening elasticity.
Or, if you love your current formulas, you can add a few dashes of our Blonde Toning Drops to your shampoo and/or conditioner!
Finally, you can focus on damage repair using our Weekly Blonde Masque instead. It restores luster and gloss, boosts hydration, and helps fight brassiness.
Step 7: Targeted Conditioning
No matter your preferred post-summer shampoo and conditioning treatment, your hair will also thank you for selecting a focused formula for regular conditioning. For example, color enthusiasts dealing with damage will love the Baobab Recovery Conditioner, while someone with flat hair will see stronger results using Volume Conditioner.
We have a ton of targeted, color-safe conditioners, including Moisture Conditioner, Smooth Conditioner, Curl Conditioner, and Biorepair® Thicken Conditioner. So, choose your favorite, and remember to condition every time you shower, even if you don’t shampoo!
Step 8: Daily Conditioning
Do you remember to condition daily, including non-hair wash days? If not, post-summer is the perfect time to start!
Our top recommendation for this is our Essential Leave-In spray. It works on both damp and dry hair, so it’s perfect for daily use.
Simply spritz it on your strands, don’t rinse, and brush and style as usual.
Step 9: Prioritize Heat Protectants
Another perk of the Essential Leave-In is its excellent heat protection properties – it shields against up to 450°F (230°C)!
Heat protection is always critical, but sensitive post-summer hair is especially at risk of further damage.
Luckily, a few of our favorite products offer the same heat protection, including:
- Plush Locks Leave-In Smooth
- Moisture Styling Crème
- Super Plump Whipped Mousse
- Lift It Mousse
- Biorepair Thicken Blow Dry Spray
- Volume Blow Dry Spray
Happy heat styling!
Step 10: If Needed, Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar
Finally, there is one DIY option we recommend: rinsing your hair with diluted apple cider vinegar. It can help restore pH balance and shine while removing buildup, even on color-treated hair! In fact, some people’s hair color appears more vibrant after an ACV rinse.
Before showering, mix five parts of water and one part of ACV in a cup or spray bottle. Apply it along your scalp, rub it in, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse it in the shower, complete your normal routine, and voila! You just gave your strands a much-needed reboot.
Cheers to a wonderful summer! Keep us posted on your post-summer hair rehab using the hashtag #ColorproofHair on Instagram and TikTok (@colorproofhair).
See you there.
Xx,
Colorproof