The Beauty Essential Your Beach Bag Is Missing
January 20 | 4 minute read
Words by Christie Sinclair
Originally published on May 23
We’ll admit, we initially scoffed at the thought of another tube rolling around gathering sand in the bottom of our beach bags. However, after spending a blissful two weeks OOO at the beach over the holiday period, all we wanted to do was drown our hair in a mask.
It’s genius, really. You may not notice it right away, but a few weeks or months spent in and out of the sun and salt water can damage the healthiest strands, stripping out natural oils and leaving it dry and brittle. While using a hair mask once or twice a week will help repair lost moisture, applying one before you hit the sand – leaving it in and then reapplying while you’re there – will make all the difference to your hair’s health.
If you’re spending hundreds every six weeks bleaching or colouring your hair, don’t even think about hitting the beach without some form of extra protection for your head (hat included). Any form of lightening leaves it more susceptible to damage, split ends and dryness as it is – add in UV rays and salt water and you've created the perfect conditions for breakage and split ends.
Kerastase’s Nutritive Hair Mask range is one of the best on the market for helping to revive dry, damaged hair. With formulas for Dry Fine Hair or Dry Thick Hair, it seals cuticles, detangles and leaves hair so shiny it looks luminous. Use a generous amount on damp hair between dips and leave on for as long as it takes you to get through a chapter of your beach read (5 mins max).
Some formulas include ingredients that offer sun protection for hair. For instance, Hair Rituel by Sisley’s Regenerating Hair Care Mask contains zinc, copper, vitamin C and ceramides to help reduce colour fading that occurs from UV rays. 3MoreInches LifeSaver UV Leave-in Treatment was designed for beachgoers (hence the handy pump bottle), offering UV protection and hydrolysed cashmere amino acids to repair and hydrate brittle and broken strands.
Aveda’s Sun Care Protective Hair Veil is the one you want if you’re planning on spending the day in and out of the water. It provides a lightweight, water-resistant 16-hour protective film over hair, shielding it against colour fading and sun damage. Translation? This will ensure you won’t emerge from the water looking like a hot mess.
We probably don’t have to tell you about Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Mask but this list wouldn’t be complete without it! Converts of this mask love it for keeping their hair glistening and strong while they’re battering it with sunscreen, chlorine, sun, salt water, late nights etc, etc. Sustainably sourced Mirsalehi Honey is the not-so-secret ingredient that serves up shine and moisture in spades. Leave the big tub on your top shelf and toss the travel size in your beach bag to slather on your locks languorously whenever you desire.
Lastly, when there’s no time to wash between beach and dinner, pop the Crown Affair Leave In Conditioner on your ends to avoid post beach knots and crunch. Plus, it smells so divine, it won’t matter if you left your fragrance at home.
