Summer is officially here, and I don’t know about you but my hair can already feel it. Between the chlorine, the humidity, the sun and the tangles from wearing it natural, this mane of mine needs all the pampering it can get. Here’s how I keep my hair growing healthy and strong in these dog days of summer. 

I’m half black so my hair is very curly and pretty coarse, but summer hair damage doesn’t discriminate. Here are the five biggest heavy hitters in the summertime and how to combat them for your healthiest and strongest hair yet.

1. The Sun. The sun isn’t just out for our skin, friends. The sun is super drying and can be held responsible for everything from lackluster color to breakage. Wear a hat to protect your hair from long days out on the water to scorchers at the splash pad. Then, help recover with a great hair perfector. I just recently started using this one after all the hype and I have to say that the hype is warranted, one hundred percent. My hair feels fantastic. I leave it on for about 6 hours and my hair feels noticeably stronger after.

2. Frizz. Do I even need to explain this one? Summer frizz is no.joke. Especially here in Texas! I actually spent the entire summer after Oshiolema was born with straight up crunchy frizzy Monica in Bermuda hair. I couldn’t get it together and I just didn’t know what to do. I tried out a new frizz serum at the end of that summer and almost burst into tears when I saw how well it worked. I’ve used this frizz protector every time I style my hair since that summer and will never look back! Implementing a whole frizz routine can be a great line of defense as well.

3. Tangles. The tangle struggle is reeeeal pretty much every day for me, but I go long stretches without straightening my hair in the warmer months and can often pay for it in the form of knots. I’m so excited to share a tangle tackler like I’ve never experienced with any other product in my life. Are you ready? This spray has become a favorite of my four sisters and countless friends. It’s absolute magic. I had my first and last experience with extensions for my wedding and lets just say on our honeymoon when those extensions were met with endless swimming in Fiji and a complicated braid in Bora Bora, the worlds largest knot was invented. I couldn’t comb through it. O couldn’t comb through it. I cried real tears and my hair remained a matted mess til’ I showed up at the salon, they sprayed this on it and within seconds I could see my scalp again. Best. Stuff. Ever. I never let myself run out. A wide tooth comb is also a non-negotiable for me.

4. Air Conditioning. It has hit 100 every day here for the past few days which means the AC is blasting at all times. This feels fantastic and all, but man does it dry out our hair. The best thing we can do to protect our hair from dry air conditioning and other drying agents like saltwater and chlorine is to regularly deep condition our hair. Scalp treatments like this one as well as hydrating masks like this crowd favorite are like that crucial spa day for healthy hair.

5. Over Washing. With the sweat and chlorine of summer, there’s a strong temptation to over wash our hair and strip it of nutrients it needs. It certainly depends on hair type, but if I wash my hair more than two times a week (maximum) I’ll start to see a huge turn for the worse. Your best friends this summer will be a salt spray for great texture, a lightweight but effective dry shampoo and the best shower cap I’ve ever tried in my life. For real, guys, it’s been a year since I made the switch and haven’t had so much as a drop of water sneak in my shower cap since. This may not be important to some people, but if you struggle with frizzy edges like me, you know what I mean!

And lastly, for my curly girls, be sure to use products that are curl specific. They may be a bit more pricey but using products rich with oils and butters meant exactly for your texture will make all the difference in the end. Here are some of my favorites: