Summer is all fun and games...until your hair decides it's had enough.
One day it's soft, shiny, and cooperating. The next it's frizzy, dry, tangled, smells like the community pool, and somehow manages to be greasy at the roots while feeling crunchy on the ends. Explain that one.
Thanks, summer.
Between the blazing sun, humidity that laughs at your styling efforts, chlorine, salt water, sweat, messy buns, baseball caps, and enough dry shampoo to earn its own parking space in your bathroom, your hair has officially been through the wringer.
Let's talk about why summer is so hard on your hair—and a few simple ways to help it survive until hoodie season.
Your hair doesn't have just one enemy during the summer...it has an entire lineup:
We all know the sun can do a number on our skin, but your hair doesn't get a free pass. Hours in the sun can dry out your strands, fade color, weaken the hair's natural proteins, and leave it looking dull instead of healthy and shiny.
Ah yes...the weather that makes your hair completely ignore every ounce of effort you put into styling it.
Straight hair suddenly develops "personality." Curly hair has a mind of its own. Frizz shows up uninvited, volume disappears where you want it, and somehow appears where you don't.
Nothing says summer like a day at the pool...except what chlorine leaves behind.
Chlorine strips away your hair's natural oils, leaving it dry, rough, tangled, and more prone to breakage. If you have lighter-colored hair, it can even leave behind that not-so-lovely green tint.
Those effortless beach waves look amazing...until it's time to run a brush through them.
Salt water pulls moisture from your hair, leaving it dry, tangled, and more likely to break. That carefree beach look can come with a not-so-carefree amount of damage.
Can we talk about the one nobody warns us about?
Between sweat, sunscreen, styling products, and the occasional "I'll wash it tomorrow," your scalp can end up with quite the buildup. The result? Greasy roots, flat hair, an itchy scalp, and hair that just feels...blah.
Your hair isn't beyond saving. It doesn't need an expensive salon intervention or a cabinet full of products you'll use exactly once.
A few simple habits, a handful of easy DIYs, and a few products that actually earn their keep can make a big difference. Let's help your hair survive summer without having to surrender to the messy bun until Labor Day.
Ready to show summer who's boss? Let's start with a few simple habits that make a big difference.
Summer is going to do what summer does. The goal isn't perfection—it's giving your hair a fighting chance.
A cute hat isn't just an accessory. It helps shield your hair (and your scalp) from hours of blazing sun. Bonus points if it also hides the fact that today is a dry shampoo day.
The best time to protect your hair is before you cannonball into the deep end.
Think of your hair like a sponge. If it's already hydrated before you hit the pool, it won't soak up nearly as much chlorinated water.
Even better? I've got a ridiculously simple DIY hair prep spray coming up that takes less than a minute to make and gives your hair a little extra backup before every pool day.
Trust me...you're going to want this one.
Whether you took a dip in the pool or the ocean, don't let chlorine or salt water hang out in your hair any longer than they have to. A quick rinse helps wash away what your hair definitely didn't invite.
It sounds backward, but washing your hair every single day can strip away the natural oils that are working hard to keep it healthy. If you can stretch an extra day between washes, your hair will probably thank you.
Sweat, sunscreen, dry shampoo, and styling products can build up quickly during the summer. If your roots are feeling greasy or your scalp is getting itchy, consider using a clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks to hit the reset button.
Summer steals moisture, so it's only fair that you put some back. Treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment once a week to help keep it soft, manageable, and less likely to resemble a tumbleweed.
Wet hair is at its weakest. Instead of attacking it with a brush like you're trying to win a wrestling match, grab a wide-tooth comb and gently work through tangles. Your hair—and your drain—will appreciate it.
Now for my favorite part...
You know I can't write a blog without throwing in a few easy DIYs. These take just a few minutes to make, smell amazing, and give your summer hair a little extra love without breaking the bank.
Here's what's currently taking up way too much space on my bathroom counter...
Do you need all of these? Absolutely not.
But if DIY isn't your thing—or you're simply looking for a few ready-to-go products that make life easier—these are the ones I reach for again and again during the summer.
After sweaty days, pool days, or whenever my hair just feels...blah, this is my reset button.
It gives my scalp a deep clean without leaving my hair feeling stripped or dry, making it the perfect way to hit the reset button after everything summer throws at it.
Summer has a way of leaving hair dry, tangled, and just plain cranky.
This conditioner helps bring moisture back where it's needed most, makes detangling so much easier, and leaves my hair feeling soft instead of crunchy.
If I could only keep one hair product on my bathroom counter all summer long, this would probably be it.
Just a few drops help smooth frizz, tame flyaways, add beautiful shine, and make dry ends look much happier. A little truly goes a long way.
I know...
It's made for skin.
But one of my favorite little summer hacks is lightly misting it onto the ends of my hair after a long day outside. The aloe and moisturizing ingredients help soften dry, tangled ends and make brushing through them much easier.
Sometimes the best tips are the ones that weren't in the directions. 😉
If you've made any of the DIY recipes in this blog, you've probably noticed Lavender makes more than one appearance.
There's a reason for that.
It finds its way into more of my DIY recipes than just about any other oil because it's incredibly versatile, leaves my hair feeling soft, and smells amazing.
Rosemary is another staple in my hair routine.
Whether I'm adding it to a hair mask, a pre-swim spray, or another DIY treatment, it's one of my favorite oils whenever my hair needs a little extra TLC.
💜 Not a DIY Person? I've Got You.
Let's be honest...
Some days we're mixing up homemade hair sprays. Other days we're just trying to get everyone out the door with matching shoes. If DIY isn't your thing, don't worry—I rounded up all of my favorite summer hair products in one easy wishlist.
The best part? It's completely customizable. Remove anything you don't want, add anything you do, and you're ready to go.
Because sometimes convenience wins...and that's okay too.
Summer is meant for cannonballs, beach trips, backyard barbecues, vacations, and making memories—not stressing over frizz, tangled hair, or ends that feel like straw.
Your hair is probably going to lose a few battles this summer...and that's okay.
A little prevention, a little extra moisture, and a few simple habits can go a long way toward keeping it healthy, happy, and ready for whatever adventure comes next.
Whether you choose the DIY route or prefer to grab a ready-made product, the goal is the same: spend less time fighting your hair and more time enjoying your summer.
What's your biggest summer hair battle?
☀️ Frizz?
🏊 Chlorine?
🌊 Beach tangles?
🥵 Humidity?
Or are you rocking the messy bun until September? 😆
I'd love to hear your best tips, funniest summer hair stories, or even the products you swear by. Drop them in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, I'd love to keep in touch.
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If social media is to be believed, summer is supposed to look effortless.
The gardens are perfectly weeded. Everyone is drinking gallons of water. The kids are making core memories. Dinner is healthy. The house is clean. And somehow there's still time to sit on the porch with a cute drink and watch the sunset.
Meanwhile, here in the real world, my garden is trying its best, my water bottle is mostly decorative by 4 PM, and the mosquitoes have once again decided I'm their favorite person.
And honestly? I'm okay with that.
The older I get, the less interested I am in doing things perfectly and the more interested I am in finding simple things that make life a little easier.
Take my garden, for example.
Every spring I convince myself this is the year I'm finally going to stay ahead of the weeds. I buy the flowers, plant the vegetables, and spend way too much time deciding where everything should go. For a few weeks it looks great. Then life gets busy, we get some rain, and suddenly I'm staring at weeds wondering where they all came from.
Last weekend I went outside planning to pull "just a few weeds." Three hours later I was still out there. My back was reminding me that I'm not twenty anymore, and Deep Relief became my best friend for the rest of the day.
I do have a few things that make gardening season more enjoyable though. Peppermint is one of my favorite oils to keep nearby on hot days. A little on the back of my neck before heading outside feels refreshing, especially when Maryland decides it's going to be ninety degrees before lunch. I also love running a diffuser with Citronella nearby while I'm working. The mosquitoes don't seem to appreciate it nearly as much as I do.
One thing I've enjoyed experimenting with over the years is adding a few drops of DiGize to my watering can. It might sound strange if you've never heard of it before, but many gardeners have incorporated it into their gardening routines as part of their efforts to support healthy soil and thriving plants.
My goal these days isn't a magazine-worthy garden. It's keeping the plants alive, growing a few things we can enjoy, and spending some time outside without turning it into another item on my to-do list.
Speaking of things that don't always go according to plan, let's talk about hydration.
Every summer I tell myself this is going to be the year I become one of those people who effortlessly drinks water all day long. You know the type. They carry a giant water bottle everywhere and somehow finish it multiple times before lunch.
I am not that person.
Every morning starts with good intentions. My water bottle is full. It's sitting right next to me. I genuinely believe today's the day. Then I get busy, answer emails, run errands, work outside, and suddenly it's late afternoon and I've somehow survived on iced coffee, pure determination, and about six sips of water.
I've learned I need all the help I can get. Adding Jade Lemon Vitality or Lime Vitality to my water makes a huge difference because plain water gets boring fast. Starting my day with NingXia Red has become one of those habits I rarely skip, and when I'm spending a lot of time outside, especially working in the garden, I'll often add electrolytes because some days water alone just doesn't seem to do the trick.
Am I perfect at it? Not even close.
Am I doing better than I was a few years ago? Most days.
I'll take the win.
Then there are the mosquitoes.
If you've followed me for any length of time, you know I've accepted that mosquitoes apparently find me irresistible. Ball games, cookouts, walks around the neighborhood, evenings on the porch—it doesn't matter. If there's a mosquito nearby, it will find me.
That's why Young Living's Insect Repellent lives in my bag all summer long. It's one of those products I don't think much about until I need it, and then I'm really glad I have it. The bottle is generously sized too, which is good because it seems to get used constantly this time of year.
For the DIY crowd, I also love making a simple outdoor spray with distilled water, witch hazel, Citronella, Geranium and Purification. It takes about two minutes to make and is easy to keep by the door before heading outside.
Another favorite trick is running a cordless diffuser with Citronella on the porch while we're sitting outside in the evenings.
It's simple, it smells nice, and anything that helps me enjoy summer without becoming a mosquito buffet is worth trying.
The funny thing about all of this is that none of these habits are complicated.
As I've gotten older, I've realized the wellness habits that stick aren't usually the fancy ones. They're the simple things you can repeat over and over again without having to think too hard about them.
For me, that looks like NingXia Red, drinking more water, getting some movement every day, using my daily oils, and taking a handful of supplements. Nothing groundbreaking. Nothing that would make for an exciting Instagram reel. Just a few habits that fit into my life.
Some days I do great. Some days I'm reheating the same cup of coffee for the third time and wondering how it's already time to make dinner.
That's life. And maybe that's my biggest summer reality check.
The garden doesn't have to be perfect. The wellness routine doesn't have to be perfect. I don't have to do summer perfectly.
I just want to enjoy it. Spend time with my family. Make some memories. Keep the plants alive. Stay mostly ahead of the weeds. And maybe, just maybe, finish my water before 4 PM.
If I can pull that off, I'm calling it a successful summer.
So tell me—what's your biggest summer reality check?
A Little Bonus for Making It to the End
If you've stuck with me through the hydration struggles, mosquito complaints, and garden confessions, you deserve a prize.
Unfortunately, all I have are recipes.
The good news is they're pretty good recipes.
Now I'd love to hear from you... What's one simple thing that makes your summer a little easier?
Before You Go...
Welcome to Keeping It Real with the EssentOILS, where wellness is practical, life is busy, and I believe you shouldn't have to read a novel to find a helpful tip.
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