Summer Hair Color Tips and Tricks
Going in for a color change is never easy, especially when combatting sun, chlorine, and salt water. So we reached out to some of New York and Los Angeles’ biggest and busiest hair colorists, to give us some insight into what we need to know when coloring our hair for the summer.
MARIE ROBINSON AND MAGGIE CASTELLANOS Hair Colorists at Marie Robinson Salon New York
“This season people are wanting more brightness and dimension in their hair, while keeping the look very natural. Some frequent requests that we’ve been getting at the salon include Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Lily Aldridge and Jessica Biel.
You should always bring pictures of the look that you want. This will give your colorist a clear idea of the exact look you hope to achieve. We all might interpret verbal descriptions differently, so bringing in pictures is always your best bet to ensure that you leave happy.
We suggest girls stay away from going too platinum blonde in the summer months. Platinum hair is very vulnerable to summer elements — pools/chlorine may turn your hair green, and too much sun will oxidize your hair faster and dry it out. The maintenance of platinum hair is a huge commitment, particularly during the summer. If you’re dead set on doing it, just make sure you carefully consider all of these factors.
When going on a summer vacation, use a lot of conditioner and oils that will keep your hair intensively moisturized, and wear a hat if you’re afraid of your color becoming brassy. If you are very blonde, don’t get into chlorine water without covering your hair with a product that will protect it from turning green. ColoristCure is a great conditioning treatment that we always recommend our blonde clients use, especially during the summer months. It’s a unique blend of essential oils that helps improve hair’s strength and texture, while also protecting it from the damaging effects of chlorine, sea water, and oxidation”
CHERIN CHOI Hair Colorist at Ramirez Tran Salon Beverly Hills
“We are definitely still going lighter, but with lower maintenance hair color-moving away from an ombré and embracing more overall lightness.
[When coloring someone’s hair,] I really dig deep on their lifestyle and try to be realistic with them on their choices. I believe in longevity, and if you are a ‘wash and go’ person like me, the easier it is to maintain and the longer it lasts, the happier we will both be with the results. For the girl that can come see me every 4 weeks, I always give the green light to bleach and tone or do more adventurous color.
[For summer], UV protection for hair comes in many forms. I like spray-in options, like Oribe Foundation Mist. A good oil is always a must, and sulfate free, paraben free shampoo and conditioner- check out Inphenom!”
LORRI GODDARD Co-owner and colorist of Goddard + Bragg Salon Beverly Hills
“Summer means vacation or if you can’t get away, staycation hair. Beachy sun-kissed hair is usually the inspiration or super pops of bright fun color! Whether blonde, red or brunette, light reflective hair is a must and shiny hair is always on trend.
A summer trend I’m sick of seeing? Sad, fried ombré hair. Sad fried ends do nothing for our best summer hair, so make sure to get a great cut to refresh your shape, then your colorist can take you where you want to go.
When going on vacation…
Rinse out chlorine after swimming ASAP.
Put Coconut or jojoba oil on 1x a week for at least 1 hour.
Apply shampoo directly to this treatment BEFORE ADDING WATER (after you move shampoo around then add water lather up and rinse as usual). When shampooing, this keeps moisture in and removes excess oil best!
Do not sunbathe with chlorine in hair.
Wear a product with a sunscreen.
Wear a hat!”
KC CARHART Hair Colorist at Ramirez Tran Salon Beverly Hills
“Light and bright ends are still ruling the heads of most of my clients this summer, but now more sun kissed and natural looking than ombré. Prior to getting their hair colored, clients should stay away from the shampoo (coming in a little greasy is good), and if they’re planning on going much lighter or changing their look in a more than slight way, I always suggest getting a cut first to get the shape down and the dead ends off.
[Some of my] tips for maintaining color:
Use a concoction of oils to keep the hair healthy (I like coconut, jojoba, and a little vitamin E).
Other than that, I would never tell my clients to not do anything they want to do for the sake of their hair color- pool, ocean, whatever. Have fun and enjoy your vacation and if anything weird happens, we can fix it. Just keep it hydrated and healthy.”
