The humidity of the Middle East can result in a six month stretch of “bad hair day”. But help is on the way, naturally. Image via Perfecto Insecto
When I think of summer, one of the first ideas that pops into my head is the beach, followed very closely by the thought “Oh no, but my hair…”. For as long as I can remember, I have had a battle with my hair to try to tame the thick, semi-curls – a battle which each summer here in the Middle East, I have consistently lost, until recently.
The logic behind the frizz problem of the summer months is that the when the hair is lacking in moisture, it absorbs it from the air making your hair revert to almost literally standing on end. What you need to do, is to provide your hair with the moisture it needs so that it doesn’t absorb it from the summer air. (Which in some Middle East cities like Amman and Cairo, comes with a lot of smoggy air pollution too!)
While gels and creams do help, they are not the ideal answer. There are other ways to deal with the never-ending summer months, more naturally. One of the simplest steps to take, is getting your hair styled, specifically, into a layered haircut. This will create dimensions and textures that emphasise your curls, which is especially effective with long hair, since the weight of your hair will prevent it from puffing up too much.
The look of tame curls you can achieve with a little layering
Image via Paul Somers
With a good hair cut you are halfway there, but we all know that this is not always enough. Any hair serum with silicone is a good product to use, but if you are looking for a natural method there are other options. The easiest step is to rinse your hair with cold water after shampooing, which lessens the ability of your hair to absorb the moisture in the air.
If you want something more active, you can massage a mixture of equal parts olive oil, mayonnaise and egg yolk (also great in shakshuka) into your scalp, and cover your head with a plastic cap for 15 minutes before rinsing it off and shampooing. This acts as a natural conditioning mask.
A sweeter smell?
To give your hair a nicer aroma than mayonnaise, try honey. It is not just a natural sweetener, honey has many other uses in healing; it also adds shine, while keeping in the moisture to prevent that ever persistent frizz.
How? Just dissolve a spoon of honey into 3 glasses of warm water and pour it over clean hair. You can leave this mixture in, just pat it dry and style as usual.
Now the summer doesn’t have to be dreaded and the beach is not longer a place to avoid (unless you are trying to wade through oil spill balls collecting on the Red Sea shore of Egypt). Try out some of these easy steps and you will notice how quickly a “bad hair day” can be a thing of the past – even with the humidity.
Read more green tips for summer:
RECIPE: Eco-Sexy Summer Solstice Lip Balm (Natural)
Sage Advice on Natural Deodorants (7 Tips)
