I started noticing a difference as soon as the temperatures started rising into the 80’s. My hair had been behaving so well up to that point, and then frizz started kicking in. I started noticing more tangles and loose single-strand knots. By the time I got back from Las Vegas where the desert heat got to it, it was a done deal. I had summer hair. It is dry and crispy and in need of immediate CPR. I came back from Vegas with my hair on tumbleweed status.

Tumbleweed photo via Shutterstock

When I was in Vegas, I met with my friend Tamara Floyd of Natural Hair Rules – she has such beautiful hair! She’s got a few posts on the topic — 10 Tips for Moisturizing Natural Hair, and 10 Summer Tips for Natural Hair for starters!

I had to reach out to Tamara on the personal tip, because when we met up in Vegas her hair looked as glorious as ever. Meanwhile that desert heat was wreaking havoc on my hair and skin. Tamara’s tip was right on time. “Moisture, moisture, moisture… Las Vegas is as well-known for its dry heat and hard water. That’s why it’s always important to drink lots of water. Doing a quick spritz and seal before bed re-hydrates your hair and scalp after a day in desert heat. I make a moisturizing mist that consists of distilled water, aloe vera juice and any oil of my choice. When it comes to dealing with hard water, you may find that you have to clarify with apple cider vinegar or a shampoo like Kinky-Curly Come Clean more often. This rids your hair of hard water minerals and helps it absorb moisture easily,” she explained.

The combination of dry heat, extreme temperatures and hard water did a number on me, so when I got back to Chicago I really needed to up the ante in terms of penetrative moisture. Here’s exactly what I used when I got home and had full access to my complete arsenal of products. This is my hair moisture regimen and a few tips that may help you if you’re on tumbleweed status too!

#1 – You need to pre-poo – I’ve been using lots of oils to give my hair moisture and shine. Upon my return I used Josie Maran’s Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment – the little capsules it comes in are small, so I used two of them to saturate my hair. It’s a decent lightweight oil treatment and I love self-heating products but I think I’m going to have to follow up with a deeper pre-poo treatment later this week. My hair truly adores a pre-poo with coconut oil, and I’ve had great results with Wen Intensive Treatment Oil, Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment, and Ojon Damage Reverse Hair Restorative Treatment.

#2 – Choose the right shampoo & conditioner – To rectify crispy summer hair, you need a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner combo – nothing that will strip the natural oils from your hair. Gentle cleansing and lots of conditioning. I LOVE the Thank God I’m Natural line of products – Chris-Tia Donaldson truly created a stellar line of deeply moisturizing hair products that work beautifully for my texture. Her Moisture Rich Sulfate Free shampoo and Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner gave my hair the TLC it needed. I gently detangled with my Ouidad Double Detangler comb and my hair felt great.

#3 – Layer your styling products – All of the best tips on dry natural hair begin with using a water-based moisturizing spritz, and my latest favorite has been LRC Shake & Go – it’s such a great, lightweight spray on leave-in hair conditioner! I then added a heavier cream based product like Oyin Boing or Hair Dew, or Curls Whipped Cream.

#4 – Seal your ends, and show your scalp some love – my homegirl Felicia Leatherwood encouraged me to massage my scalp with castor oil every few days, so I definitely did that and also used it to seal my ends after applying my styling products. My latest go-to is Sunny Isle Jamaican Organic Pimento Oil with Black Castor Oil.

My hair’s back on the mend post-Vegas – I’ve been drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated since my return as well. This will basically be my summer hair regimen – lots of moisture and low manipulation.

How does your hair regimen change in the summer? What are your favorite products for that extra hair TLC? Share with me!

COMMENTS

Kimmy says:

June 20, 2014, 7:12 pm

Those Josie Maran Hot Oil capsules look interesting. Think they might work for my hair, thanks for bringing them to my attention. :)

Resa says:

June 21, 2014, 12:27 am

Living in Israel this desert heat also does serious damage to my hair and the hardest part is there aren't any of these natural hair brands available here so I spend a lot importing them. But one thing they are rich in is oils so I do have fun with my variety of oils. I stopped using shampoo totally as I found it dried out my hair so I use terressentials mud wash to cleanse and de tangle. Pre-poo I drench my hair with olive oil and keep it in a cap overnight and then spritz with vinegar to begin the first cleanse. Then every other wash I do a deep treatment with coconut oil and Anita Grant's deep conditioning mud bars. For sealing in moisture I towel dry my hair after washing and using olive oil or any oil of my choice do some chunky twists to let my hair air dry over 2 days before styling which may be smaller twists or a blow out (which I reserve for very special occasions so I do it maybe once every 3-4mths).

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June 28, 2014, 11:19 pm

Thanks for the moisture tips right now I mix glycerin, olive oil, castor oil, joba oil with water, and spray at night. I'm thinking of trying the tgin

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July 6, 2014, 4:41 pm

I'm so sorry you had to experience what I go through on a daily basis. This Vegas heat is a constant battle for my tresses and I know moisture inside and out is the key. It's really a shame, but I carry with me a spritz bottle made up of the things my hair loves because the minute I step out in this desert heat it sucks up any and all moisture I have. It's always a fighting battle and any help or suggestions would greatly appreciated.

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I also used a lot of oils, but actually I don't like them. Good points though !!.

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