Me and Michelle from NaturallyCurly.com!

Summer time: Not only is the livin’ easy, but the water’s warm and I like to dive right on in!  Unfortunately for many curlies out there, the thought of swimming makes their curls want to shrivel up and crawl back into their scalp.  Upon going natural a couple years ago, I thought this way too.

 

“Why on earth would I ruin this awesome twist out by going into ocean?”

 

“Um, did you not just see me do my hair this morning?  Do NOT splash me.”

 

“Oh no thanks, chlorine will just ruin my hair.  I know it.”

 

Eventually I discovered that one of the best parts of wearing my hair natural is that I can swim, dive, and soak without worrying about my damaging my hair.  The key is in how you prepare for swimming and care for your curls afterwards!  Chlorine, saltwater, and sun CAN be super harsh on your curls, well all hair for that matter, but they don’t have to be.

Me at the NYC Curly Pool Party last year!

Last year, NaturallyCurly hosted the first ever Curly Pool Party in New York.  The concept was born because I wanted to create a space that would allow curlies to learn from the experts about swimming and summertime hair care.  The event was such a success that we brought it back for a second year, this time hitting up the Sunshine State (check out the full recap here!)

Ouidad Team at the Curly Pool Party this year

Ouidad, an awesome resource for summertime hair care products and tips, was involved with both of the Curly Pool Party events.  Not only are their stylists are extremely knowledgeable about how to manage curls in heat and humidity, but they also have a full line of products formulated to deal with the elements of the summer months.  The Floridian curlies were all over the Ouidad booth, getting to know the products and learning how to do fun summery up-do’s and the signature Rake’n’Shake Technique.

 

Here are a few of my favorite swimming and summer tips for you:

 

• Protect before you swim: Rather than diving into the pool with a head of dry styled hair, I take the extra step to wet my curls and smooth on a rich conditioner.  This way, my hair absorbs more of the water + conditioner before the chlorine.  Try the Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner.
• Sunscreen your hair too! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of the damaging effects UV rays can have on your skin AND hair.  Especially now that I have color treated hair, I like to take the extra step to screen my curls from harmful sun rays.  Try the Ouidad Sun & Sport Leave In Conditioner.
• Get rid of the bad stuff: Once you’re out of the pool, lake or ocean you have to make sure that your hair is totally free and clean of any super drying chlorine or salt water.  Low-poo’s and no-poo’s certainly have their time and place, but post-swimming is not one of them.  Try Ouidad Water Works Shampoo to gently cleanse your hair of chlorine, salt water as well as product build up- all of which can cause major dryness and frizz!
• Condition Condition Condition: An active lifestyle and cleansing regimen can leave your curls a bit thirsty.  Make sure to amp up your deep conditioning regimen to give them the hydration they need to thrive!  Try Ouidad Deep Treatment to give your curls a quick dose of the moisture they’re craving.
• Worry free styling!: Once your all cleansed, condition and ready to go, there’s one last summer time hurdle to over come: humidity!  It’s every curly’s worst nightmare to leave the house with perfect curls only to have them frizz right on up!  Try Ouidad Climate Control Gel that will sculpt your curls and leave them frizz free even in the stickiest months!

Check out this great video demonstrating a post-pool styling technique:

 

 

So there you have it!  See you in the pool!