VACATION ESSENTIALS FOR NATURAL HAIR
Bahamas, 2013
With the sun high in the sky and summer well underway, it’s extremely important to protect our curls at all times especially when on vacation. Vacation is a time for relaxation– whether you’re lounging by the pool or catching some sun at the beach– and nobody wants to spend copious amounts of time on their hair. Here are my vacation essentials that allow me to protect my hair before and after playing in the sun!
Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoos are great for removing buildup on the hair while providing you with a clean slate. However, they are also great for removing salt and chlorine from the hair, which can cause dryness and breakage. Now that I have blonde highlights, it is extremely important that I take all precautions when caring for my hair. Blonde is a hard color to take care of– it’s high maintenance and requires lots of moisture– so it is imperative that I remove any deposits from my hair that may cause dryness. I always bring a clarifying shampoo on vacation because I plan on spending lots of time in the water (I love the Caribbean waters, lol) and I need to keep my hair as healthy and protected as possible. My favorite clarifying shampoos are the Ouidad Superfruit Renewal Clarifying Cream Shampoo (beautybar.com, $18) and the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Threat Invigorating Shampoo (target.com, $6.39). The Ouidad shampoo is super creamy so it nourishes your hair while effectively removing the buildup, and the Giovanni shampoo is very refreshing and does tingle a bit, which I like.
Lots of Conditioner
It’s super important to have conditioner for several reasons as well. You’ll need to condition your hair after washing it (for moisture and softness), it’s great for creating a protective layer from the salt or chlorine water, and it works well as a shaving cream! I always condition my hair after washing to add moisture and prevent dryness. I don’t have time to really deep condition while on vacation, so I’ll condition my hair with Aussie Moist (walmart.com, $2.97), shower, and then rinse my hair with cool water. I also like to use conditioner to create a barrier against the salt and or chlorinated water. I’ll wet my hair in the morning (this helps your hair soak up the tap water rather than the salt or chlorinated water) and apply my conditioner. I like to let it dry for a bit then I apply my John Frieda Original Formula Frizz Ease Serum. This is the last part of the barrier that seals the hair and keeps out a good amount of salt/chlorinated water.
I also use conditioner to shave my legs. I find that the shave is a lot smoother than it would be with shaving cream. This also cuts out one more item during packing since conditioner can serve multiple purposes.
Leave-in Conditioner
Leave-in conditioner is extremely important as well. Our hair needs moisture and it’s important to provide that necessary moisture during vacation. I like to carry an inexpensive leave-in conditioner on vacation so there’s no issue about how much I use during that time. Plus, it’ll be super easy for me to replace it once I get home since the price isn’t steep.
My favorite leave-in conditioners are the EDEN BodyWorks All Natural Coconut Shea Leave-in Conditioner (walmart.com, $8.47), Kinky Curly Knot Today (target.com, $12), and the Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner (beautybar.com, $23). These are great for providing ample moisture and I can definitely get a week’s worth of use out of the bottle. I’ll even have some to bring home!
UV Protection & Extras
Protecting my hair from UV rays while playing in the sun is just as important as protecting my hair after. I love the Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer(bumbleandbumble.com, $26) because it’s perfect for protecting the hair from heat damage. It can be used for heat styling, but it can also be used on the daily to protect your strands from UV rays. It’s a mist and I usually spray it in my hair on wash day, but I spray my hair on the daily for extra protection. It’s super light and smells amazing. It’s also great for me because my hair is color treated and we all know color treated hair needs all the protection it can get!
I love to bring hair gel on vacation (preferably eco styler gel because it’s inexpensive and has multiple uses– it lays the edges and can be used for wash & gos and other styles) as well as tons of bobby pins for various styles (updos & frohawks) and hair elastics for puffs and buns. I like to have enough options (in case I have extra time) so that I can style my hair as desired.
The products mentioned work for me during my getaways as they allow me to protect my hair while playing in the sun and treating it afterwards. It would be great to deep condition, but they are enough to hold me over until I get home to my steamer and hooded dryer, lol.
Until next time, Ashley, xo.
