Going No Poo is a fantastic idea for your hair, but how do you No Poo beach hair correctly? For starters, all that sand and sea salt will definitely take its toll on your hair.
Spending time on the beach is a mainstay of a typical holiday. Swimming in the sea, and relaxing in the sun on the golden sand. Sun and sea salt however are damaging and drying to your hair. Keeping to your No Poo regime is more difficult, but totally possible. The trick is to keep your hair moisturized before you venture out.
Holidays in the sun are something to look forward to, but these No Poo beach tips will help you keep your hair looking amazing wherever you are.
No Poo Beach Tips
Sun and salt can dry out your hair, leaving it feeling brittle and difficult to manage.
No-one wants to give up their holiday just because they are worried about their hair, so I’ve put together a few tips for how you can enjoy your holiday without wrecking your hair at the same time.
Just in case you haven’t heard of the No Poo method before though, let me explain it briefly.
The No Poo movement has been growing in popularity for many decades.
Traditional shampoo with its silicons and sulfates is replaced by natural products to keep hair clean and healthy.
No matter what you use to wash your hair though, a trip to the beach can play absolute havoc with your tresses.
If you are about to head off to the sunshine, you might be worried that the seawater and your No Poo haircare regime do not mix, due to the following reasons:
1. Sand
This gets everywhere, especially into your hair.
Sand is coarse and can damage your hair when brushed out.
2. Salt Water
Salt water will remove the moisture from your hair.
Too much exposure to salt water can leave your hair feeling brittle.
3. Pollutants
Whilst you may think that being at the beach is all natural, a quick swim in the sea can actually result in all types of pollutants being left in your hair.
4. Sun
It is a well known fact that spending a long time in the sun can lead to bleaching. Like our skin, too much sun can be bad for our hair.
With all these difficulties in mind, you may think of giving No Poo at the beach a miss. All I can say at this point is “Don’t“.
Making sure that your hair is beach-ready though, is a sensible plan.
The tips below can help your hair stay clean, healthy, and strong, no matter how much time you spend soaking up the sun on the beach.
So How Do You Protect Your Hair From Seawater?
So you don’t get confused, I have separated my No Poo beach tips into the following groups:
- Before you go tips
- No Poo Tips for the beach
- Tips for when you get home (after your swim)
You can use any or all these tips to make your trip to the beach a less stressful occasion.
No Poo at the beach can be successful, it is just a case of finding which methods work best for you.
Keep reading to discover the best No Poo beach tips on the internet!
Before You Go Tips:
- Moisturize: A day or two before you go to the beach give your hair deep conditioning treatment. The idea is to make sure that your hair is so full of moisture that it cannot take up the salt from the seawater, or dry out too much from the sun.
- Oil: The night before try running a small amount of oil through your hair. Coconut oil in hair before beach outings can help. This will repel the water and keep the moisture within the hair. Be careful not to use too much oil though, the hot sun could make your scalp uncomfortable.
No Poo Tips For The Beach
- Drenching: Before going into the sea, drench your hair in fresh, preferably distilled, water. Make sure that your hair is fully saturated. This way less saltwater can penetrate and damage the hair from within.
- Braid: An easy way to keep the beach from harming your hair is to braid it when you get to the beach. When you braid your hair you make it much more difficult for the seawater to get in, and reduce the amount of hair exposed to the damaging rays of the sun.
- Wear A Swimming Cap: This is an easy one. If you are going into the water then make sure you wear a cap. Caps are beneficial since they keep almost all of the saltwater from getting to your hair, saving you a lot of hair problems in the future.
Tips For When You Get Home
- Rinsing: Rinsing is incredibly important to keeping your hair healthy and still being able to enjoy the beach. Thoroughly rinsing your hair will remove a great deal of sand and salt from your hair.
- Moisturize: Like you did before you went, using a moisturizing mask after your beach visit will help to keep your hair in tip top condition. You could try an apple sauce wash to get rid of any remaining pollutants.
Is Salt Water Good For Your Hair?
Although we try hard at the beach to make sure that saltwater does not play havoc with our hair, there are many ways in which saltwater can be beneficial.
Below are the top positives for sea salt on your hair.
You may notice other benefits not listed here when you spend a day or two at the beach (source 1,2,3):
Exfoliating
Sea salt can be a wonderful exfoliator for your scalp. It can help remove the dead skin cells and leave your scalp clean and ready to grow new hair.
Stimulating
The exfoliating nature of salt can stimulate the scalp, improving circulation and aiding hair growth.
Antibacterial
Sea salt has antibacterial properties that can improve scalp health, whilst also helping to reduce dandruff and skin infections.
Nutrition
There are many vitamins and minerals in seawater that can help to nourish your hair, helping it to look and feel at its best.
Grease Removal
Salt is brilliant for removing oils from your hair, so is beneficial for those who have a heavy oil load on their hair.
Volume
Sea salt can boost the volume of your hair, giving it an instant ‘oomph‘.
Is Salt Water Bad For Your Hair?
Saltwater in your hair can be beneficial to a point. However, like everything else, too much can also be a bad thing.
Below are the main ways in which saltwater can be bad for your hair, in varying ways:
- Drying: Salt can draw out the moisture from your hair, leaving it feeling dry.
- Brittle: Hair that has lost its moisture owing to too much salt can become brittle and prone to breakage.
- Frizz: If the moisture in your hair is removed, and the cuticles are damaged, then you are likely to suffer from increased levels of frizz.
- Porous: Salt water can damage the cuticle leaving your hair more porous.
- Dull: Salt water can be very exfoliating, potentially causing damage to the hair shaft which can leave your hair looking dull and limp.
- Strips Oil: Salt water will strip the oils from your hair, leaving each hair strand open to further damage, whilst also reducing the moisture levels.
- Color: Salt water can alter the color of your hair, blondes may go lighter, especially with sun damage, but colored hair can be significantly affected by the salt water.
A few short dips in the sea where your hair gets only partially wet will probably not affect your hair too much.
If you’re planning to spend hours in the sea though it is a good idea to try to protect your hair as much as possible (source 1).
Should You Wash Salt Water Out Of Your Hair?
Even though an amount of salt water can be good for your hair, it is always better to rinse your hair after being in the sea.
Can you leave salt water in your hair overnight?
In short, because of its drying nature, it is unlikely to be a good option to leave saltwater in your hair overnight, even if your hair is greasy.
Should you wash your hair after swimming in the ocean?
The answer is yes!
Whilst the salt in sea water can be beneficial, unfortunately there are many pollutants that are also in the water that you don’t want sitting in your hair or on your scalp for long.
Does Salt Water Cause Hair Loss?
Saltwater can cause hair loss if you leave the saltwater to sit on your hair for too long, or too frequently.
This is because the salt will draw out the moisture leaving your hair feeling dry and brittle, and prone to loss.
What To Put In Your Hair After Swimming In The Ocean?
Hair care after beach trips is similar to No Poo’ing after a trip to the swimming pool.
Firstly, make sure you rinse out your hair thoroughly to remove the salt and any other pollutants.
Secondly, use a honey or aloe containing hair mask to replenish your hairs moisture, and make sure that you never brush your hair whilst it is still wet.
Thirdly, to detangle your hair either use your fingers, or a wide toothed comb.
How To Control Frizzy Hair At The Beach
Oil is how to control curly hair at the beach.
Moisturize your hair the day before your trip, and on the morning of your beach journey you should run a small amount of coconut oil through your hair.
Make sure that you focus on the ends of your hair as these are the sections that are likely to be the most dry.
Conclusion
Going to the beach should be an enjoyable experience. One where you do not have to worry about what to do with your hair, or deal with the consequences later.
If this sounds like the holiday you are looking for, make sure you follow all my No Poo beach tips to make your dream, a reality!
Planning your hair care regime to add extra moiturizer before and after your trip, and protecting it with oil during your holiday are the main priorities.
Related Questions
No Poo And Swimming Pools
No Poo and chlorine are a difficult combination. There are ways to make sure your hair stays healthy even if you swim regularly. Drenching and rinsing are ways to ensure chlorine is kept to a minimum.