Why specialised beach hair care is so important?
As much as we love the beach and the sea breeze, our hair reacts after each vacation spent on or in the salty water the same way. It dries out, looses shine and the ends split. I end up tying my hair up in a knot to just simply hide it. What I always dreamed of are shiny curls in the sun set light. So what is the best hair care for divers, surfers, swimmers and all other watersports and beach enthusiasts? What are the best products to protect the hair from salt water?
Science behind the hair
Our hair structure is composed by the hair root or bulb inside the scalp and the hair fibre. The root is the part responsible for hair growth. The hair fibre is the visible keratin rich fine structure we call hair. These are the ones exposed to the elements of nature like salt, water, wind and UV-light. The hair fibre is comprised of an inner core and an “outer” skin built by scales-like structures, the cuticle layer, which protects the inside from those elements, including water swelling. And this is why hair care and the choice of the right hair product for watersports enthusiasts is so important.
Credit – Juanma Clemente-Alloza
How does salt water damage occur?
In healthy and strong looking hair, the hair fibre core is hydrophobic, meaning that it does not take on too much water too quick. When damaged by sun, heat or chemical substances, this cuticle layer becomes less tight and porous, allowing the influx of damaging substances to the core - like water and salt. When filled up with water, the core swells, the cuticle scales cannot expand and are forced to stand up, thus the cuticle layer is becoming more porous and starts loosing the structure. It looses elasticity and form, starts breaking and looses shine.
How to protect the hair from salt water damage?
What is the best hair care product for divers and surfers? Those who suffer so dramatically exposed to nature’s elements. What is the best hair protection against the saltwater and the sun? Taking into account the detailed hair structures, hair oil is definitely on the top of the list. Hair oil is capable of entering the hairs inner core, restoring that hydrophobic (water-repelling) property while providing nutrients and at the same time coating the outer cuticle layer of the hair fibre, repelling water.
Which is the best oil for hair care?
Not every oil is performing to our satisfaction. As a general rule, saturated and monosaturated oils have the ability to penetrate into the hair because of a compact molecular structure. Polyunsaturated oils in fact, do not penetrate into the hair because of more open and spread out structure. Thus we depend on their fatty acids and triglyceride composition. Hair oils will penetrate or coat in different ways, leaving our hair well nourished or greasy and heavy. It is the right balance of the oil blend that will give you the optimal hair protection in salt water. The best natural oils are those rich in various components like vitamins and polyphenols. These substances are key for providing the optimal nutrients to repair the damaged hairs outer structure, bringing back elasticity, shine and volume to your summer curls.
How does Li Lé Blue Watersports Hair Care work?
Li Lé Blue Watersports hair oil has been specifically designed for this purpose:. To protect and repair your hair from the damage caused by water, salt, wind and sun. The unique blend of several natural oils and plant extracts is rich in Vitamin E and Phenols. This is the sustainable beach hair care product that doesn’t get washed away, it remains on your hair throughout your water activities. We kept our oil formula simple without perfume or preservatives and used ecological oils to give you the best result. Coral reef integrity and safety of aquatic life are at our core and we are proud of Li Lé Blue Watersports Hair Care being Reef Friendly Certified.
Resources:
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