Joi Dreams Salon

natural hair care tips

STORY BY JOI DREAMS + LIESEL SCHMIDT

We all know that skin needs sunscreen on sunny days, but what about hair? Summer heat and humidity can wreak havoc on tresses and the intensity of the sun can dry it out. Rather than have your hair turn into your arch-nemesis over your summer vacay, we’ve got some helpful tips from salon and haircare expert, Joi Dreams, of Joi Dreams Salon. “Those beauties rocking their naturally curly hair have a lovehate relationship with summer,” says Dreams. To help the love affair hold strong through the summer, Dreams recommends weekly moisturizing treatments and using the correct moisturizing conditioner for the appropriate hair texture. Love a life hack? Dreams has some great homemade treatments. For thin hair, she recommends mixing a ripe banana with 1/4 cup of jojoba oil and one teaspoon of vitamin E oil. Shampoo hair once, towel dry, apply treatment from root to ends, comb through and cover your hair with a plastic cap or wrap. Dampen a towel and place the towel in the microwave to warm it, place it on the hair and when the towel cools, repeat this process for 20 minutes. Rinse the treatment out thoroughly, shampoo and apply a cream rinse or light conditioner. Then rinse and style as usual. For medium to thick hair, mix a ripe avocado with 1/4 cup of olive oil, one teaspoon of vitamin E oil and one tablespoon of castor oil. Then, follow the same process as described for thin hair.

“Many ladies like to co-wash, but many conditioners leave a build-up on the hair that hinders your tresses from being at their best,” Dreams says. “Co-washing two consecutive days and then shampooing helps to reduce build-up on hair and also the dandruff and product build-up that many people suffer.” Hitting the pool? Here’s a tip you’ll definitely want to take: “Apply a thick conditioner to your hair prior to getting into a chlorine pool,” Dreams says. “After you get out, rinse your hair well and apply apple cider vinegar to your hair. This helps to gently (and naturally) clarify your hair. Rinse out the apple cider vinegar well, then shampoo hair twice with a moisturizing shampoo and follow with a conditioner. Do not allow the chlorine to dry into your hair or neglect to shampoo right after swimming. Chlorine build-up will change the texture of your hair, making it brittle and lifeless.” If you’re spending a lot of time out in the sun, Dreams advises wearing a hat. “Hair can also be burned by the sun,” she notes. Braids are a great way to keep hair in check, but Dreams warns against keeping braids in longer than two months. To keep braids looking their best, she says, “Use Sea Breeze to cleanse in between the braids or place a stocking cap or mesh cap over the braids and rinse them thoroughly. Spray a light leave-in conditioner on your scalp and braids, then allow to air dry.” Color-treated hair is also at risk during summer. “If you bleach or use a high lift color on your hair, get a treatment monthly,” Dreams says. “The sun can and will dry out your hair and cause it to become brittle and fragile. We recommend chemical treatments such as WellaPlex and Olaplex. Both treatments are best applied in a salon.”