Protect Your Hair Color From Sun Damage With These Products
It’s pretty obvious when your skin has had too much fun in the sun: It’s hot to the touch, probably turning red, and often dry and irritated. But when hair is in the danger zone, you won’t know until it’s too late. Just like the skin, UV rays can wreak havoc on hair. Your hair color can turn shades that are anything but salon-worthy and locks will lose hydration, shine and movement. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all summer locked indoors. There are plenty of sprays, serums, stylers and treatments—packed with sun filters, moisturizers, keratin and vitamins—to keep your color looking fresh and your hair healthy. Oh, and wearing a hat is always a good idea. These are the best products that will protect your hair color from sun damage.
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Infinite Color Hold Dual-Use Serum
Natural UV filters, specifically red raspberry leaf oil and sunflower seed oil, help reduce oxidative color damage while hydrating strands. This twofer can be used as a leave-in treatment to prevent frizz and increase shine, or added to conditioner to use it as a color recharging mask. $34, ulta.com
Sun Bum 3-in-1 Leave In
Talk about a triple threat! Simply spray this leave-in onto either wet or dry hair to detangle, condition and protect. The vegan blend contains sunflower seed oil, coconut oil and quinoa protein to prevent color fade, keep frizz under control and prevent split ends. Besides keeping strands safe from UV rays, it also smells like a vacation. $14.99, amazon.com
Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray
UV rays, pollution and other stressors are no match for this blend of antioxidants that neutralize those dangers. It’ll prevent color fade and brassiness as well as split ends and damage. You can also spritz it onto wet hair to detangle and prevent thermal damage before you heat style. Moroccanoil’s ArganID takes center stage to repair and seal hair. $28, sephora.com
Aveda Sun-Care Protective Hair Veil
Spritz this UV-defense mist on before a day outside to keep hair safe from color fade, damage and dryness for up to 16 hours. The delicate tropical scent, with organic neroli and ylang-ylang essences, will have you sniffing for more. Wintergreen and cinnamon bark oils serve as natural UVA/UVB filters while green tea extract, certified organic sunflower seed oil and vitamin E guard strands from free radicals. The multitasker also works as a conditioner and detangler with organic shea butter, coconut and palm oils. $35.88, amazon.com
Klorane Sun Radiance Protective Oil
A day at the pool is amazing for your mental health—but not for your hair. Chlorine is one of the worst offenders when it comes to brassiness, which is where this spray oil comes in. Powered by ylang-ylang wax, the waterproof formula also prevents damage from UV rays, salt and sand. $18, amazon.com
Kérastase Soleil Masque Après-Soleil
After a long day al fresco, rejuvenate your locks with this lightweight mask that will moisturize and nourish hair. It absorbs UV rays to cut down on damage, plus it contains coconut water for hydration and vitamin E to cut down on damage and breakage from salt and chlorine. Designed to work on all hair types, it’ll leave strands smooth and shiny. $62, sephora.com
Drybar Hot Toddy Heat Protectant Mist
This Heat Protectant Mist isn’t just for your styling tools—it also safeguards strands from the sun with UV shields to stop color fade and dryness in its tracks. It protects hair color from sun damage and from heat up to a whopping 450°F/232°C while adding shine. Heat-activated rice protein strengthens, marula oil fights frizz and fire tulip extract guards against heat and restores locks. $27, sephora.com
Oribe Power Drops Color Preservation Booster
Everyone knows the healing powers of antioxidants and this serum is chock full of them, starting with a 2 percent vitamin C complex to prevent color fade and discoloration. Quinoa protein strengthens hair to stop breakage and boost shine, while bioflavonoids preserve color by blocking UV rays. $58, dermstore.com
Rita Hazan Lock + Block Protective Spray
Rita Hazan is the queen of color—she is, after all, the woman who made Beyoncé blonde—so of course she knows how to preserve your hair hue. This spray does it all, from blocking UV rays to fighting frizz to nourishing with vitamins and antioxidants. Spritz it on from roots to ends and your scalp and locks will thank you. $26, amazon.com
Living Proof Restore Instant Protection
A day at the beach is a lot more relaxing when you don’t have to worry about your highlights turning orange. Spray this on and rest assured that the UV absorbers are doing their job to stop your strands from getting brassy. Living Proof’s Healthy Hair Molecule adds sheen and helps hair look polished, protecting hair color from sun damage as well as other elements. It also works as a heat protectant for styling tools. $28, amazon.com
Coola Organic Scalp & Hair Sunscreen Mist
The scalp is one of the most common places people forget to apply sunscreen. That might have something to do with the fact that slathering sunscreen along your scalp can be tricky, but not with this sunscreen mist. It has SPF 30 to keep skin safe, since your scalp is just as sensitive to the sun as the rest of your body. It’s waterproof for up to 80 minutes and prevents color fade with UV protectors like monoi oil and vitamin B5. $26, amazon.com
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