I love summer, but there is no question it’s harder on my hair than any other season. I drive a convertible so my carefully toned highlights are subjected to the sun for hours a day, as well as the dirt and grime of the city. If I swim in a pool – chorine. If I swim in an ocean – salt. There is always something. So it’s more important than ever to care for the hair we spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a lot of money on. So, what to do? Do as I say.

Clean that hair:

I am sure to use moisturizing shampoos at all times. My favourites, from high to low:

Kerastase Cristalliste ($37 CAN, 250ml) – fancy schmancy salon brand, moisturizes and uses a bit of silicone for slip and shine. It smells clean and leaves my hair smooth as silk. LOVE!

ICON India Oil Shampoo ($21 CAN, 250ml) – probably my all time favourite hydrating line and brand. Nothing has made my hair softer. Also, has a lovely rich scent. Don’t buy without sniffing – I love it, but it might not be for everyone.

Dermorganic Daily Conditioning Shampoo ($17 CAN, 350ml) – I don’t love this because it is organic. I love it because it pampers my hair, makes it shiny, soft and smell amazing. One of the best “green” hair products I’ve used.

Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo ( $6-7 CAN, 355ml) I love working for Dove, because I have a true love for Dove products. This shampoo smells yummy and clean, rinses out beautifully with no tangles, and leaves my hair silky. It does contain some silicones, but they seem to be water soluble, as I don’t get any build up with Dove Daily Moisture. Best value hair products out there!

Now you have to deep condition that hair!  I love:

Kerastaste Cristalliste Masque Cristal ($58 CAN, 200ml) – I can’t imagine not having this.  I’d never used until recently but it makes my hair so soft and well behaved. Expensive, but if your hair is thick, coarse and processed, it’s totally worth it. Works beautifully with the Cristalliste Shampoo and Serum.

Klorane Mask With Mango Butter ($24, 150ml) – The Klorane Mask with Mango Butter sinks right in and left my hair tangle free , with super soft locks that were easy to comb. Love. Ithink this is hard to find in Canada now, easy to find in the US in drugstores.

Dermorganic Masque Hair Repair ( $17 CAN, 350ml) – I really love the Dermorganic line of hair care. This masque is as wonderful as the shampoo, and dry hair drinks it up like crazy. Smells great and is effective at helping improve dry brittle hair. Also good for those with sensitivities.

Dove Nourishing Oil Daily Treatment Conditioner ( $7-8 CAN, 236ml) – It says “Daily” but don’t be fooled, this Dove Treatment is heavy duty and wraps your hair in silky goodness. Excellent for very dry hair, and smells pretty. Gets rid of pouf.

After showering, wrap you hair in a towel, very gently. The less friction and rubbing you subject your hair to, the better. Every time we rub it, even brush it vigorously, we are roughing up the cuticle of the hair, making it voluminous, stretches it and makes it porous. So the hair sucks up any moisture in the air and “poufs” out. So. Comb gently, and if your hair is long and/or thick, you should use the Goody Quik Style Comb.

Now it’s time to apply your leave-in treatments. These are my favourite frizz fighters:

Aroma M Camellia Hair Oil  ($65 USD, 40ml) – The ultimate treat for your hair! Maria of Aroma M uses the finest oils, including the oil favoured by Geishas, to offer the finest healing and conditioning out there. This is NOT a serum aka silicone treatment, meaning the shine and softness you get when you use this is your actual hair. Apply when damp, then rejoice. If I apply on dry hair, within an hour, my hair has literally absorbed every drop. Will never be without.

Kerastase Cristalliste Serum ($42 CAN, 30ml) – Yes, this is pretty much the Cadillac of hair serums, but worth every penny. If was only to purchase one Kerastase product for no frizz and soft hair, this serum would be it. One or two pumps of this miracle in a bottle ensures silky smooth flowing hair that looks almost like the computer generated hair in the Pantene ads  (you know the ones I mean).  Yes, it has silicone, but just enough to make your hair silky, and it washes out easily. This is a finishing product to be used after conditioning products.

ICON India Healing Spray ( $31 CAN, 250ml) – Simply the best leave in conditioner I have ever used. It is heavy, so if your hair is fine, you’d have to use very little. I would apply this after using Aroma M oil, and before using Kerastase Cristalliste Serum.

Live Clean Professional Damage Restoring Spray ($8, 150ml) – This is one the best leave-in treatments around, and the price is amazing. I love this whole line from Live Clean. The Damage Restoring Spray quenches your hair with moisturizing goodness, as well as smelling delicious. This product is also perfect for finer hair, or hair that is easily weighed down.

Dove Style + Care Frizz-Proof Cream-Serum ( $6-7 CAN, 98ml) – This is a neat hybrid of a styling cream to tame hair, along with some anti frizz properties. A little goes a long way, as there is some silicone in this, and your hair will be smooth as silk. Also easy to use a small amount on dry hair that needs a little calming or polish.

So now that you have done everything you can to calm that mane, style away! I like to use a blow dryer on the crown of my hair – bangs, and maybe six to seven pieces on the top – with a small round brush to encourage waves, and let them blend into my own natural waves. Or, blow dry the bangs, and use a curling rod on the crown.  I do not blow dry or straighten my hair in humid weather – there is no point. My hair will slowly but surely start to drink in the moisture in the air and POUF  it’s straight and frizzy from all the brushing during the blow dry. Better to leave it alone as much as possible and work WITH our natural hair texture. I like to wash my hair in the evening and let it dry overnight, so I can style it in the morning. Then, with some Batiste in hand, I can go four or five days between shampoos. Yeah, that’s right.

I now use the Bio Ionic Powerlight dryer (purchased from my stylist) as it really helps elminate frizz and speeds up drying time: