Hey, Curlies!
I just came back from a beach vacation and wanted to share my natural hair care routine. I decided to not wear a traditional protective style (braids, twists, etc.) and rock my own hair to the beach.
This was something I thought long and hard about. Wearing box braids for my vacation was an option, but then I remembered this so I opted out. Also, I wouldn’t be able to properly wash the saltwater out with any other protective style.
I also decided I wasn’t going to make my hair the center of my vacation. After all, I was on vacation. I didn’t want to worry about anything.
How I wore my hair to the beach
About four days before I left, I washed and conditioned my hair using DIY products from Make It Classy. I then twisted my hair and wore it that way for a few days.
The first day of vacation I untwisted my hair because I wanted a fun look. Of course, the beach was in our plans later in the day, but there were other things to do before we hit the sand.
During my first visit to the beach, my hair experienced just a few sprinkles of water, so I didn’t bother washing it all over again. It still looked great.
By day two, I was carefree and did not care if my hair tasted a little ocean water. That night, I did wash and condition my hair during my normal shower time. I let it air dry into a wash n go style with no other products but conditioner. Day three was the exact same.
By the way, I had a lot of people ask about my swim suit. It snagged it at Target.
By the time I arrived back home, my hair was ready for a deep condition (skipped the shampoo this time). I used Make It Classy’s Loyal Leah DIY Clay Mask and the Herbal Ebony DIY Hair Rinse to really restore my curls.
From there, I was able to blow out my hair using the tension method and wear a braidout.
The best part about this beach vacation is that I really didn’t give my hair a second thought. I focused on relaxing and having fun.
Here’s my advice
If you plan on wearing any sort of protective style (box braids, twists, etc.) with added hair, here is my recommendation. Get those styles installed weeks in advance of your vacation. That way it will be closer to the time for you to remove them and your hair can get a proper wash. It is nearly impossible to remove all of the dirt from your hair when washing in a protective style.
You do not want the ocean’s saltwater to stay locked under your braids for weeks after you leave the beach. It is very drying and can cause major issues.
Now that I’ve shared my beach hair care routine, I want to hear all about yours! Tell me about it in the comments.
PS: Don’t forget to check out our Summer Beauty Series full of beauty and wellness tips for the summer season!
