
Yes, maintaining healthy and shiny locks on vacation is no mean feat, but we can help you do it.
With some simple pre-holiday prep and a few straightforward on-vacation haircare tips (that we promise won’t interfere with your plans), you’ll have the sleekest, tamest tresses of any summer getaway yet.
Prep Your Hair Before You Leave

Want to know how to keep your hair healthy on vacation? You’ll need a good base to start with. Luckily, you can do plenty to ready your locks before you even step foot on the plane.
- Keep up with weekly conditioning treatments. Moisturized hair stands the best chance of holding up against the drying effects of salt water, chlorine, and sand. Plus, it’ll fare much better in high humidity. So don’t skimp on the hair masks – and definitely don’t skip the conditioner!
- Use a heat protectant. This isn’t just a pre-vacation tip, you should always protect your hair before heat styling. However, if you’re guilty of skipping this step from time to time (like we all are), change your ways in the lead-up to your vacation. Those tresses are about to be exposed to enough heat from constant sunshine. Don’t stress them out further with straighteners, blow dryers, and curling wands and no heat protection spray.
- Go for a trim. You should do this regularly anyway (preferably every 6-8 weeks), but definitely book in for a trim before your vacation. Freshen up your existing cut and have any split ends removed. After all, you can’t maintain healthy shiny hair if it’s not there in the first place.
Pro tip: if you can’t stand to lose any of your lengths before traveling, ask your stylist for a ‘dusting’ instead.
This simple technique removes split ends from the entirety of the hair, rather than just trimming off the ends. It’ll make your hair look and feel instantly sleeker, but you can keep the long hair you worked so hard to grow for your trip.
Beach Vacation Hair Tips

Planning a getaway that mainly involves relaxing on the sand and swimming in the sea? Make room in your luggage for a few haircare essentials to keep your hair in check.
Pack A Deeply Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner
Number one on your packing list for healthy holiday hair? A great shampoo and conditioner capable of standing up to soaring temperatures.
Look out for highly nourishing formulas with ingredients like aloe vera, coconut oil, argan oil, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C. These ingredients will protect and moisturize the hair giving it all it needs to thrive without weighing it down.
Rinse/Wet Your Hair Before Swimming In Chlorinated Or Salt Water
If you only follow one of our vacation haircare tips this summer, let it be this one. Before diving into the pool or swimming in the sea, soak your locks in the shower first.
Why? Think of your hair like a sponge, it can only soak up so much water.
If the water your hair soaks up is full of salt or chlorine, a chemical known to strip the hair of moisture, you’ll end up with frizzy brittle locks in no time. If you take a moment to wet the hair before the pool instead, your strands won’t have the capacity to absorb these harmful substances.
Also, notice we recommend a rinse and not a wash.
Washing the hair temporarily strips it of natural oils that coat and protect against environmental factors like chlorine and salt. So, forgo shampoo before a dip and simply rinse your locks with clean, lukewarm water instead.
This tip is especially important for those with bleached locks which can be on the drier side to begin with!
Treat Your Hair To A Moisturizing Mask
We know you want to get out and enjoy the sun sea and sand, but treating your tresses to a mask or two on vacation is well worth it. You won’t need to set much time aside for an easy treatment like this either.
Simply apply the mask as directed, and use a wide-tooth comb to distribute it evenly. Then, loosely tie your hair back, preferably with a silk hair tie or scrunchie to prevent any pulling or drag.
Let it work its magic whilst you get ready for the day – or even relax by the pool. Your stressed, possibly dried-out, post-beach locks will thank you for it and quickly drink up all of that glorious moisture.
Always Wear A Hat
Another reason our hair becomes unruly on warm weather vacations? Overexposure to UV rays from the sun.
To combat this and protect your scalp from burning, which is equally if not more important, wear a hat as much as possible when spending time outside. If/when you can’t, try to stay in the shade during peak sun hours. That’s usually between 10 am and 4 pm.
Oh, and if you have colored hair, it’s even more beneficial. Hats will prevent those harmful UV rays from fading your color faster.
Apply A Heat Defense Spray
Handy for more than just heat styling, your go-to heat protection spray will also help defend your locks against the sun.
Spritz it all over dry or damp hair, then comb the product through your locks for even coverage before you step outside.
How To Take Care Of Your Hair After A Beach Day

As for our post-beach hair care tips, we’re all about bringing back the moisture we lost to the sea. The good news? These tips are so simple you’ll barely even notice a change from your regular haircare routine.
Rinse Your Hair Thoroughly
This tip is for a post-beach day but goes for pool swimming too. Since both salt water and chlorine are extremely drying to your hair, the key is to prevent your locks from fully absorbing either.
Start by thoroughly, and we mean thoroughly, rinsing your hair through with clean water. Use your fingertips to massage your scalp and release any build-up there, then run the water through your lengths to clean them too.
This will get your hair fully ready for shampoo and conditioner.
Massage Your Scalp
After a flight, a dip in the pool, a swim in the sea, or all of the above, your scalp will be pretty stressed out and dry.
So, when washing and rinsing your hair on vacation, give yourself a scalp massage. This will improve blood flow to the area and promote the natural oils within your hair follicles to emerge and rehydrate your hair.
Use A Comb Instead Of A Brush
Pulling and stretching wet hair is a bad idea, especially when on vacation. With extra humidity, more sun exposure, and plenty of salt or chlorine coating the hair, it can leave your lengths feeling dry and brittle.
Brush from the ends to the roots and use a wide-tooth comb to limit drag. This will prevent your delicate strands from stretching and snapping in their most vulnerable state.
How To Style Your Hair On Vacation

To keep your hair happy and healthy in warmer, often more humid climates, opt for styles that won’t put too much stress on your tresses. You’ve spent too much time prepping and maintaining to ruin all your hard work now!
Embrace Your Natural Hair Texture
One of our favorite ways to style hair on vacation is to, well, not style it. Forget all the fuss (definitely forget the heat tools) and simply embrace your natural waves or curls after a beach day.
Rinse out any salt or chlorine of course, then simply add a few pumps of lightweight hair serum to tame your tresses before dinner by the water.
If you want something a little more elevated, try adding a couple of small, loose braids throughout the hair or a couple at the front to frame your face.
Opt For Gentle Styles
If your hair tends to get a little wild on vacation, don’t worry, you’re not alone. High humidity can cause hair to frizz out and look much more, let’s say, voluminous than usual.
If that’s not your vibe, try taming your locks with a silk headband or a simple three-strand braid. This gentle braiding technique is much kinder on your hair, plus, it looks effortlessly pretty.
A chic low ponytail also works perfectly for both day and night. Use a soft silk hair tie to secure the hair in place without damaging your ends.