Summer Hair Care : How to Protect Your Hair & Scalp from Sun, Sea, Chlorine and Hard Water
Updated 24th June 2026
When summer arrives, we’re usually so good at protecting our skin with SPF, but our hair and scalp often get completely forgotten.
Your hair might not burn in the same way your skin does, but it can still be damaged by UV rays, heat, salt water, chlorine and even the water you wash it with on holiday. If you’ve ever come back from a week away and thought, “Why does my hair feel dry, dull, knotty or a completely different colour?” this is why.
In this summer hair care guide, I’ll be covering:
How UV rays can damage the hair shaft and fade your colour
Why salt water and chlorine can leave your hair feeling dry, brittle and knotty
How hard water and mineral build-up can make your hair feel dull, coated or never properly clean
Why your scalp needs protection too, especially your parting, hairline and crown
What to use if your scalp feels itchy or irritated on holiday
How to manage frizz when your hair feels out of control in the heat or humidity
My favourite summer hair essentials, including UV protection, scalp SPF, clarifying shampoo, scalp scrub, frizz products and shower filter recommendations
The in-salon treatments I recommend before your holiday, including Hair Botox for smoother, more manageable hair
And if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll have heard me say this before: a week in the sun without hair protection can be the equivalent of a year’s worth of straightening on your hair.
So, let’s talk about what actually happens to your hair in the summer — and how to protect it properly.
How does sun exposure affect the hair?
The sun emits ultraviolet radiation, better known as UV rays. These include UVA and UVB, and both can affect the hair in different ways.
UVA rays penetrate deeper into the hair shaft and can affect the cortex, which is where the hair’s strength, structure and colour live. This is one of the reasons your colour can fade, go warmer, feel dull or lose its tone after sun exposure.
UVB rays mainly affect the outer layer of the hair, known as the cuticle. When the cuticle becomes damaged, the hair can feel rough, dry, frizzy and harder to manage.
What damage can summer cause to the hair?
1. Protein breakdown
Your hair is made mainly from keratin, a type of protein. UV exposure can weaken this protein structure, leaving the hair more brittle, fragile and prone to breakage.
2. Loss of moisture and natural oils
Sun, heat, salt water and chlorine can all strip the hair of its natural oils. This leaves the hair feeling dry, rough and more likely to tangle.
3. Colour fading
If you have colour-treated hair, especially blondes, coppers, brunettes with glosses, balayage or highlights, UV exposure can speed up colour fading and tonal changes.
4. Scalp sensitivity
Your scalp is skin too. It can burn, become irritated, feel tight, flaky or itchy, especially if you already have a scalp condition such as psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, sensitivity or inflammation.
Don’t forget chlorine, salt water and hard water
It’s not just the sun we need to think about.
Chlorine
Chlorine from swimming pools can leave the hair feeling dry, brittle and coated. On blondes, it can sometimes contribute to unwanted green or dull tones, especially if there is also mineral build-up on the hair.
Salt water
Sea water can make the hair feel lovely and beachy at first, but salt draws moisture out of the hair. This can leave it dehydrated, knotty and more fragile, especially if your hair is coloured, lightened or naturally dry.
Hard water and minerals
Hard water contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals can build up on the hair over time, leaving it feeling dull, heavy, rough, dry or like your products are no longer working properly.
If you live in or travel to a hard water area, this can affect your hair and scalp more than you realise — especially if your hair is blonde, coloured, fine, curly, fragile or already dry.
This is where products like Hello Klean shower head and Chelating Shampoos can be a good option to look into. A shower filter may help reduce things like chlorine, heavy metals and impurities in the water, which can be helpful for hair and scalp health. I’d also recommend using a clarifying or chelating shampoo occasionally if you feel like your hair has a build-up of minerals, chlorine or product.
My top tips for protecting your hair in summer
1. Wear a hat or scarf
A breathable hat or scarf gives your hair and scalp a physical barrier from the sun. This is especially important if your parting burns easily or if you have scalp sensitivity.
I always recommend breathable hats for anyone with ongoing scalp conditions. Vitamin D is lovely, but our scalps don’t always love direct heat and UV exposure.
2. Use UV protection on your hair
Look for leave-in sprays, milks or serums that contain UV filters. These help protect the hair from sun damage, dryness and colour fading.
3. Protect your scalp with SPF
Your scalp needs protection too, especially your parting, hairline, crown and any areas where the hair is finer. A scalp SPF spray is a great option because it is lighter and easier to apply than normal sun cream.
4. Wet your hair before swimming
Before going into the pool or sea, rinse your hair with clean water first. Hair is like a sponge, so if it absorbs fresh water first, it may absorb less chlorine or salt water.
5. Apply a leave-in conditioner before swimming
A leave-in conditioner or protective hair milk can act like a little barrier on the hair before you go into the sea or pool.
6. Rinse your hair after swimming
After swimming, rinse your hair as soon as you can. This helps remove salt, chlorine and minerals before they sit on the hair for too long.
7. Use a treatment mask
Summer hair needs moisture. Use a conditioning mask once or twice a week to help restore softness, shine and elasticity.
8. Clarify when needed
If your hair feels coated, dull, heavy, dry even after conditioning, or your blonde has gone a bit strange in tone, you may need a clarifying or chelating shampoo to remove mineral or chlorine build-up. * Tip when on holiday and swimming every day use a shampoo like Solu everyday followed by your usual one.
Frizzy hair on holiday? We’ve got you
Hair Botox is a smoothing, conditioning treatment that helps to reduce frizz, soften the hair, improve shine and make your hair much easier to manage. It is perfect to have If your hair becomes frizzy, fluffy or feels completely out of control as soon as the weather gets warmer, humidity is probably not your best friend.
Summer heat, humidity, sun exposure, salt water and chlorine can all make the hair swell, feel rough and lose its smoothness — especially if your hair is naturally textured, coloured, lightened, dry or porous.
This is where our in-salon Hair Botox treatment at Thriv salon can honestly save the day.
before a holiday if you want your hair to feel smoother, less reactive to humidity and easier to style while you’re away.
If you know your hair usually goes wild on holiday, book your Hair Botox treatment before you go.
Book your Hair Botox treatment here
For at-home holiday frizz support, I also love:
Amika Frizz-Free products Great for helping to smooth the hair and keep frizz under control.
Amika Hydro Rush Leave-In Conditioner A lovely leave-in option for dry, frizzy or dehydrated hair that needs extra moisture and softness.
Davines OI Oil Perfect for adding shine, smoothing the ends and giving the hair that soft, polished holiday finish. A little goes a long way.
My favourite summer hair essentials
These are my go-to products and tools for protecting hair and scalp on holiday:
Davines SU Hair Milk A lovely UV protection spray for the hair. It is hydrating and works especially well on medium to thick hair types. Apply before sun exposure and reapply throughout the day.
COOLA Scalp & Hair SPF Spray Perfect for protecting the scalp, parting and hairline. It is lightweight and especially useful for fine to medium hair types, but really, everyone should be thinking about scalp SPF.
This is my favourite shampoo for that proper post-summer or post-swim cleanse. It helps remove build-up from styling products, chlorine, salt water and hard water minerals that can leave the hair feeling dull, coated or heavy. I wouldn’t use it every wash, but it is perfect when your hair needs a fresh reset.
*For blondes i recommended Davines Chelating Shampoo
Manta Hair Brush This is so soft and gentle on the hair, especially when your hair is wet, knotty or fragile from swimming. Always brush from the ends upwards to avoid snapping the hair.
Hello Klean Shower Filter A good option if you are concerned about chlorine, minerals, hard water or your hair feeling dry and coated after washing. This can be especially useful if you live in a hard water area or travel often.
If you suffer with an itchy scalp on holiday, or you feel like your hair never gets properly clean, a good salicylic scalp scrub can help remove dead skin cells, excess oil, product build-up and anything sitting on the scalp that may be causing irritation. This is best if you don’t have a scalp condition that you’re already aware of. If you do have a scalp condition and you’re unsure what to use, just DM me and I can advise you properly.
How to use them on holiday
Apply your UV hair protection and scalp SPF before going into the sun, just like you would with your skin SPF.
Reapply a couple of times throughout the day, especially after swimming. Brush gently through the hair from ends to roots with your Manta brush to distribute the product and prevent tangling.
After swimming, rinse your hair where possible, then apply your leave-in protection again.
Simple, but it makes such a difference.
Final thoughts
Protecting your hair from the sun is just as important as protecting your skin. UV rays, chlorine, salt water, hard water and mineral build-up can all affect the condition, colour and feel of your hair.
With a few simple steps ,scalp SPF, UV hair protection, rinsing after swimming, regular treatments and being mindful of your water , you can keep your hair and scalp feeling healthy all summer.
So next time you pack your sunscreen, don’t forget your hair and scalp too.
Here’s to happy hair, healthy scalps and rosé season.
Tiffany x
References
Journal of Cosmetic Science
International Journal of Cosmetic Science
