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Holiday hair can have its perks – lived-in curls, salt-infused waves, wet-look buns and effortless plaits are just some of the go-to ‘effortless’ hairstyles that really come into their own when you’re on vacation. But while holiday hair can look the part, that’s not to say it comes without its issues. Yes, summer holidays can expose your hair to a plethora of damaging elements. As a result of exposure to high UV, humidity, chlorine and/or salt water, it’s somewhat expected for hair to turn dry, suffer breakage and become somewhat unruly while you’re relaxing on your summer vacay—but it needn’t be the case.
Throughout my years as a beauty editor, I have made it my mission to avoid holiday hair damage wherever possible, absorbing the best tips and tricks from every hair expert I have in my little black book. Here is the 10-step holiday hair checklist I swear by for keeping my lengths in tip-top condition while I’m away.
This is, hands down, the most important and effective step you can take to minimise holiday hair damage—but it’s also the one I’m worst at sticking to. Every expert out there tells me that having your hair trimmed before your holiday is one of the best things you can do to prevent breakage while you’re away. Getting rid of any split and weak ends before you hop on the plane means you’re far less likely to face longer term issues.
Why? For starters, if your strands are already split and weak, that damage can spread further up the hair shaft as it faces aggressors. This can lead to breakage, snapping and, inevitably, you need to have more than you might like, cut off the length when you return. Beyond that, broken and weak hair strands are more susceptible to water absorption and loss—meaning you’re far more likely to experience humidity-related frizz while away. So, in short, book in for that salon appointment stat.
Much like the skin on our bodies, UV rays can wreak havoc with our hair. Sunlight is made up of UVA and UVB rays.
Studies have shown that UVB rays can cause protein (predominantly, keratin) loss in the hair. Keratin is essentially the building block of our hair, making up the majority of its structure and strength. If your hair faces keratin loss, you can expect weaker hair fibres and breakage as a result.
And it’s not just UVB rays that cause issues. UVA rays are responsible for pigment and colour changes in the hair, which is why you might see lightening in colour. The more melanin (the thing that gives our hair colour) hair strands have, the more protected the inner cortex is from external aggressors and damage, which is the reason bleached hair and grey hair is more susceptible to sun damage.
Beyond just the hair, UV rays can also cause damage to the skin on our scalps, which can lead to burning, dryness and dandruff, while also increasing the risk of skin cancer. For these reasons, it is of utmost importance that you are protecting both your scalp and your hair by using specific hair-and-scalp-targeted SPF products.
Aveda Suncare Protective Hair Veil
Aveda Suncare Protective Hair Veil doesn’t just smell great and condition dry hair, but it also contains UV filters to aid in preventing sun-related hair and scalp damage. Apply to damp or dry hair before heading out into the sun.
Coola Daily Protect Scalpmist SPF30
Coola Daily Protect Scalpmist SPF30. While this SPF can be used on lengths for some conditioning protection, the targeted nozzle makes it exceptionally good for scalp application.
While UV protection products are great, it’s worth mentioning that the best way you can protect both strands and scalp from sun damage is by covering it up where possible. Hats and hair scarves are your best bet for mitigating any sun-related damage.
Beyond that, you might also want to consider your holiday styles before you go. Protective styles like braids and plaits are a great way to minimise friction and breakage in the heat—just be sure to keep any exposed areas of scalp well protected with SPF!
While extreme sun exposure can slightly lighten dark hair colours, with ample UV protection you likely won’t find this too troublesome. However, if like me your hair is bleached, you’ll need to take some precautions while on your summer holidays in order to keep things looking as they did before you left.
Bleached hair is more porous, meaning it both absorbs and loses moisture easily. This means it is more susceptible to dryness and brittleness, of course, but it also means that it is more susceptible to effects of chlorinated water. Chlorine exacerbates the issues of dryness in bleached hair, which in turn can cause strands to lose their glossy sheen. Beyond that, it can also alter the tone of your blonde. While chlorine itself can turn blonde lighter, other minerals used for pool maintenance (such as copper) can be responsible for turning the tone of fresh bleach yellow or green. My advice? Set aside some luggage allowance for purple-toned products to counteract any brassiness or menacing tone changes.
Charles Worthington Toning Shampoo
Charles Worthington Colourplex Toning Shampoo Ultra Violet is hands down, the best I have ever used. The purple pigment is intense, leaving blonde bright, cool and vibrant, but it also isn’t too drying on hair.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Purple Reviving Oil
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Purple Reviving Oil. While purple shampoos are notorious for not being the most nourishing of formulas, this leave-in oil helps to smooth and hydrate dry, frizzy lengths while toning blonde at the same time.
If hair colour changes don’t pose an issue for you, you still might want to pack a specialised shampoo for your holiday. Days spent at the beach and lounging poolside can result in build up of sand, salt, chlorine and SPF on the hair and scalp, which if left untouched, can lead to less than ideal hair results and scalp irritation. Be sure to pack a hardworking detox shampoo to cleanse all potential aggressors from scalp and strands.
Another shampoo option I like to keep in my stash for short getaways and festivals are waterless shampoos – taking up far less space and weight in my bag. Just mix the sheet or powder with water to get an effective, clarifying lather.
Ouai Detox Shampoo
Ouai Detox Shampoo is one of the rare detox shampoos that rids hair of any oil and build-up without drying out strands. In fact, it leaves lengths impressively glossy.
Rehab Shampoo Sheets
Rehab Shampoo Sheets are ideal for short breaks. Formulated with rosemary oil, they cleanse hair without being overly drying.
As we have already addressed, both UV rays and chlorine can turn hair dry and susceptible to damage and frizz as a result of increased porosity. It is therefore important that you are conditioning and nourishing hair at a deep level in order to keep things as healthy and smooth as possible. Look towards deep treatment masks while you’re on holiday in a bid to keep hair smooth, glossy and strong. While you might not want to take a big pot away with you for a week, I’d recommend decanting one or two uses worth of product into a travel pot.
Philip Kingsley Lemon & Bergamot
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Sicilian Lemon & Bergamot is one of the most effective I have ever used. Apply to hair before you shampoo and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. It delivers deep hydration and gives hair a more ‘elastic’ feeling to prevent brittleness and breakage. Plus, the citrus scent delivers all of the summer vibes.
Davines NouNou Hair Mask
Davines NouNou Hair Mask. If your hair is particularly dry as a result of over-processing or is more prone to dryness due to its natural curl pattern, this mask will be for you. Filled with softening butters and nourishing oils, it makes for the perfect deep treatment.
As a result of the battering hair can take while on holiday, nourishing wash-off products often aren’t enough to keep dryness and humidity-related frizz at bay. When hair is wet, it is at its most vulnerable due to the opening up of the hair cuticle, so leave-in products are key while abroad in sunnier climates. Look towards serums and oils that should be applied to the lengths in order to help restore and repair broken hair bonds, strengthening and smoothing the hair fibre as they work.
Garnier Hair Honey Repairing Serum
Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Honey Repairing Serum is one of the hardest working products in my holiday hair bag. It has a thick, honey-like consistency but leaves hair glossy, soft and free of any stickiness, minimising the appearance of split ends and breakage as it works. Plus, it doubles up as a heat protector, so it’s a real all-rounder.
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil comes in handy on those trips when I haven’t managed to get into the salon for a trim beforehand. When my hair is in a particularly bad way, this is the treatment I lean on most. It contains nourishing and softening oils to smooth the cuticle and soften hair, but it is also formulated with K18’s peptide technology to strengthen hair at a very deep level. Oh, and much like the Garnier serum, it also contains heat protection.
If your hair is long, bleached, dry or curly/coily, you’re likely going to want to pack a leave-in conditioner for those days spent by the pool or at the beach. As we’ve already touched upon, hair is particularly fragile when it is wet, meaning it is in a perpetual state of vulnerability while you’re on holiday. Wind, water and salt can also make hair knotty, intensifying that risk of breakage and damage even more. Keeping a leave-in conditioning spray or detangler in your beach bag is advised. Just mist through hair once you’re out of the water and brush it through straight away. If you’re wearing your hair in protective braids, a leave-in conditioning spray should also be applied straight after a post-swim rinse.
Color Wow Money Mist
Color Wow Money Mist is one of my go-tos for detangling. It contains a patented amino complex to reduce the risk of breakage and leaves hair suitably soft and glossy.
Cantu Detangler
Cantu Protective Styles Conditioning Detangler is great for removing braids post-holiday, but it also acts as a great leave-in conditioner after swimming.
While a leave-in conditioner can help detangle holiday hair, if you really want to minimise the risk of breakage and split ends while brushing, you’ll need a brush specifically designed for wet hair. These brushes and combs are designed to reduce tugging, and therefore snapping and breaking. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at how easy brushing your hair through can be by making this simple upgrade.
Wet Brush Original Detangler
Wet Brush Original Detangler. I have tried every detangling hair brush under the sun, and I can confirm that the original Wet Brush is the best out there.
Tangle Teezer Wide Tooth Comb
Wet Brush Original Detangler I have tried every detangling hair brush under the sun, and I can confirm that the original Wet Brush is the best out there.
The best piece of advice experts have offered me when it comes to holiday hair styling is to keep things simple and lean into your natural texture. Ideally, you should avoid heat styling as much as possible, as your hair is already in a fragile state. While wearing your hair up in buns, ponytails and plaits are great options, I appreciate that sometimes you do want to wear your hair down when on holiday. I keep a mini salt spray in my bag to help amplify my natural texture and lean into that ‘effortless’ holiday hair look.
Having said this, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pack a heat styler in my case on every summer holiday I’ve ever been on. Sometimes the humidity is just too much, and hair does require heat to achieve your desired result. While it’s not advisable to be heat styling your hair every day on holiday, using a heated styler every now and again isn’t the worst thing, providing you take precautions. For starters, it is absolutely imperative you apply a heat protectant (which you should already have in your kit if you’ve made the right oil and serum choices from point #7). Beyond heat protection, it’s recommended you also opt for a styler that prioritises protection and minimal damage with a soft, easy glide, rather than stylers that champion extreme heat and hair clamping and tugging in order to achieve results.
Sundaze Sea Spray
Hair By Sam McKnight Sundaze Sea Spray. This handbag-sized salt spray is formulated with pro-vitamin B5 and sunflower extract to deliver just the right amount of texture without matting hair and leaving it sticky.
KEEO Genius Styler
KEEO Genius Styler. The KEEO Genius is the holiday hairstyler of choice. It protects the health of the hair with its Protective Air Gap and contoured plates, resulting in less sizzle, 50% less tension and a healthier-looking shine. You can use it to straighten, wave or curl – saving you from having to pack multiple tools.
