If you’re a beach bum like me, you laugh at the assumption that Black women don’t like to get their hair wet. Because truthfully, even when I relaxed my hair, I didn’t think twice about jumping in the water and channeling The Little Mermaid for a day. I’ve come to the realization that -aside from the large percent of women who just don’t want to ruin their ‘do- a lot of women don’t want to get their hair wet because they are terrified of the effects of chlorine, or don’t know how to care for it.
For a long time, I was def. in that majority. I still remember the summers when I would spray my hair with lemon juice, then lay out at the beach for hours, only to return home with dry, orange hair- and not a clue what to do with it. Now that I’m hair focused, I know the do’s and don’ts of prepping my hair for the beach or pool, and I’m so happy that my two first loves- the water and my curls- can finally coexist!
Look me in my face~ I ain’t got no worries.
Don’t:
Leave home without a layer of PROTECTION in your hair.
Do:
Wet your hair and saturate it with your favorite conditioner. This is the ONLY thing that stands between that God awful chlorine and your precious tresses. My favorite combination is a thick conditioner and olive oil because it gives me the opportunity to pre-poo while I enjoy the sun! Use the combination that works best for your hair, but you really can’t go wrong here.
Examples:
Rinse out Condish+oil = Heaven
Leave in condish+ oil= Happy Hair
Leave in condish= On point
Don’t:
Worry! That extra layer of protection in your hair is going to make all the difference when you go to wash your hair, just you wait and see.
Do:
Dive, dunk, splash, repeat. Enjoy yourself.
Just enjoying the sun sans the water? You’ll still want to keep your hair moisturized and protected from the sun. Try wearing a sun hat, beanie, or wrap (perfect for disguising a pre-poo session) or filling a spray bottle with equal parts water and conditioner, and spraying periodically to feed your thirsty curls!
“Write your worries in the sand, and let the water wash them away.” ~ Unknown