Sun-Protective Products for Gray Hair

Seaweed Hair

Sun-Protective Products for Gray Hair

You know it when you feel it. Frazzled. Parched. Limp. Frizzy. Sun can do that to hair. UVA and UVB rays can damage hair from cuticle to cortex, as they literally break down the inner protein bonds. Fortunately, there are sun-protective products out there. But take a healthy dose of skepticism with you when you are tempted to buy a product that boasts of UV protection. Measurable UV protection is tricky. If a sunscreen is in a shampoo or conditioner, it’s going to wash right out the minute you take a dip. Sunscreen ingredients just do not adhere to hair, and you can’t tell how long your hair will be protected. Which is why the FDA does not let haircare products use an SPF number. (Some do, but it’s meaningless.) Others, if you read the fine print, say the SPF protects the scalp, not the hair.

Salt water and chlorine are no better for your hair. Allowed to build up, they make the ends appear more damaged, turn the hair dull (or even green!), and make styling a nightmare. But the best news is, there are good, after-sun shampoos and conditioners ready to get the gunk out. To moisturize and revitalize. To leave your locks very lustrous indeed. Don’t settle for Seaweed Hair this summer. You can find good products at any price-point, from luxury salon brands to those you can pick up at the drugstore. Just do something to give your hair the TLC it needs to survive the season, shine and manageability intact.

Kerastase Soleil

It’s a good line for detoxing hair from salt and chlorine, and providing deep moisturization for sun-damaged hair. You might want to try their Gelée Aqua Proof, or Crème UV Défense Active, with 2 UV filters, to “resist” exposure to sun, wind, chlorinated or salt water. After any exposure, be sure to wash hair (try Bain Après Soleil.) You’ll get a double bonus here, as it also soothes and calms sunburned scalp, and aids in detangling. The after-sun repair products, like Crème Richesse, Masque UV Défense Active, and Baume Nuit Après Soleil (yes you spray it on before bedtime and leave it on) are formulated with deep conditioning ceramides and Vitamin E derivatives to replenish the hair fiber, leave hair silky and shiny, and strengthen fried hair. Order from http://www.kerastase-usa.com/_en/_us/shop_products/soleil/index-sun_exposed.htm

Biolage Sunsorial

The first product I’d grab on my way to the beach or pool would be their Protective Hair Oil, which prevents the drying effects of the sun. Spray on pre-sun, and re-apply after swimming. Bonus: it leaves hair shiny and tangle-free, while adding moisture. You might prefer an oil-free version, like Protective Daily Mist, to leave hair feeling clean and natural. How much protection it gives from UV rays is debatable, but it does provide antioxidant protection and contains reparative ceramides for strength. There’s also a Protective Sun Gel in the lineup. Use this to create defined, high-shine wet looks at the beach. After you’ve subjected your hair to the worst nature can throw at it, go for Biolage Sunsorial’s After Sun Shampoo to remove salt and chlorine, or as they put it, “purify” the hair. It wouldn’t hurt to use their Sun Repair Treatment, for more serious “mending” in a mask-like formula. Want some? Find a Matrix salon near you at http://www.biolage.com/products/biolage/sunsorials/ or go to http://www.nextag.com/biolage-matrix-sunsorials/ for instant gratification.

Frédéric Fekkai

Last summer, the folks at Fekkai added to and expanded their Summer Hair collection. This summer, it seems to be renamed Marine Summerhair, a “limited edition.” The reason? Marine nutrients like Sea Algae, Sea Kelp Extract, Marine Peptides and Sea Water (yes, sea water!) are said to be deeply hydrating and protective against the elements. Guess kelp isn’t so bad after all, as long as your hair doesn’t look sea-weedy. You might want to try Marine Clean Detox Shampoo (to wash away chlorine, residue and impurities), formulated with their bevy of AquaNutrients. Follow with Beachcomber Leave-In Conditioner which features UV Protection (really?), an instant detangler that promises to boost moisture. Also in the lineup: Beach Waves (to create “surf-sexy texture”). Its sea kelp-enhanced formula blocks moisture loss, so those “tousled waves” won’t be frizzy waves. But if frizz still finds you out there, pick up Zero Humidity Frizz Control, a lightweight mist that blocks humidity and seals in hydration. Remember, frizzy hair is thirsty hair. Gotta have it? Go to http://www.fekkai.com/collection/marine-hair

What’s the takeaway from all this? You’ve got to treat summerhair with care. You’ve got to nourish it, cleanse it thoroughly to remove gunky residue after sun, sea, and saltwater, and you’ve got to add back some serious moisture. Religiously. But can you absolutely, without a doubt, protect it from the sun? The FDA doesn’t think so. Should you?

Some have advised mixing a body sunblock (SPF 25) with a cup of water, putting it in a spray bottle and spritizing periodically while you are out in the sun. Trouble is, SPF can build up on the hair right along with everything else. Then you’ve got to do a clarifying shampoo at least once a week. Clarifying shampoos work for chlorine, too, but when it really builds up, you better get to a salon where they can de-tox your hair. Figure on going every 4-8 weeks.

The best thing to do is really nip these problems in the bud. Come home, shampoo, treat. You don’t have to buy a special “sun” line of products. Look for ingredients like Panthenol, proteins (rice, wheat or silk to improve the protein bonds), jojoba oil (a natural moisturizer, to improve follicle health), and keratin. Lots of everyday shampoos and conditioners contain these ingredients.

Investigate Pantene’s Moisture Renewal and Anti-Frizz collections, with a high level of conditioning ingredients. Or John Frieda’s new Root Awakening line. On the premise that all hair problems begin at the scalp, this line helps to nourish, purify and strengthen both scalp and hair. I’d try the Strength Restoring Shampoo and Conditioner, because you do need to restore elasticity and strength to fried hair. Formulated with natural eucalyptus and peppermint oils, and Panthenol, it might be all your hair needs. That, plus a weekly deep conditioning treatment.

For the short term, grab a hat. A baseball cap, a wide-brimmed floppy beach hat. Did you know, most provide protection from virtually 100% of the sun’s harmful rays? That’s if you stick all your hair up under them. Won’t do a thing to help the hair hanging down.

And if your hair turns a little yellow, you know what to do. Go grab a blue shampoo! Occasionally. This is not something you want to use after every afternoon in the sun. Simply use it to refresh your shiny silver, without turning into a Beachy Blue-Hair.