Indeed, saltwater assists with detoxing the skin, treating wounds, and reducing swelling, among several other benefits.
Is Saltwater Good For Your Hair?
But Is Saltwater Good For Your Hair? Overexposing your hair to saltwater can cause havoc.
The water content of your hair makes it stretchy, moisturized, and elastic the same as it does to your skin.
Your hair can get dehydrated and dry, similar to your skin or other body parts, if it loses a lot of moisture.
Is Saltwater Good for Your Hair
Since the ocean has high amounts of salt, it’s osmotic, implying that it drains water your hair.
The outcome is parched, dry, and fragile locks. The hair gets dull, rough feeling, and tangled and can be difficult to brush or comb out.
For colored hair, damage by salt water will cause it to have a hard surface.
When you shampoo the hair, you might notice that it takes more time to blow-dry. You may also get issues getting your curl, locks, or holding a style.
In its worst form, damage from saltwater will make the hair ends to split before it starts breaking. To keep saltwater from harming your strands, here are expert-recommended tips when you leave the seashore.
Use a pre-shampoo conditioning treatment to wash your hair.
For example, Philip Kingsley Elasticize – availalbe here, or utilize a pre-sun and swimming product such as Swimcap. This will help in moderating the summer elements rigors and stops the color of your hair from fading after getting exposed to the sun.
Preventing the Effects of Saltwater
- Leave-in conditioner is an absolute necessity to keep the hair soft and moist and to harden it to prevent saltwater from damaging it. Search for a spray formula that you can hurl in your seashore sack and re-apply for the day.
- To assist in shielding your scalp from UV beams, utilize a defensive hair cream containing SPF on top of your hair and your part. Another straightforward yet viable technique is to soak a Q-tip consisting of broad-spectrum sunscreen and directly utilize it to the part line. It’s imperative before taking off to the seashore since it will enable it to absorb and give full protection and coverage.
- For a post-sea shore DIY treatment, you can prepare a hair veil that’s made from buttermilk and lukewarm honey. The honey restores shine and moisture, while the buttermilk soothes dry locks, making them silky.
- For significant dampness, moisture-boost can focus on split endings, whisk two eggs, a couple of olive oil tablespoons, 2 ounces of water that’s purified, and a half piece of ripe avocado. Work the blend into the hair using your fingertips, and leave it for 10 minutes and afterward wash out.
Is Saltwater Good For Your Hair?
Swimming in the sea gives various advantages to your mental and physical prosperity. But for hair, it’s a double-edged sword, as this exceptionally relies upon your hair kind and present state of your strands.
The effect of salt in ocean water isn’t as white and black. While there are benefits of swimming in ocean water, you should protect your hair from brittleness and dryness.
Effects of saltwater on hair
Seawater, beside the real water, contains Chloride, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Sulfate, and different components. Our hair is made of keratin protein strands that are cross-linked into a three-dimensional system.
The network is formed through the creation of covalent bonds among adjacent cysteine residues. Salt, which is made of magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, which are both in seawater, forms additional cross-links inside your hair?
Cons of Saltwater On Hair
1. Dehydration of hair
The salt is hygroscopic; thus, it pulls more water to the hair creating more salt crystals. But this procedure wicks away the moisture inside your hair strands, making it brittle and dry. It also reduces the cross-links among cysteine bonds.
2. Extreme dryness for chemically-treated hair
For hair that’s dyed, bleached, or whose structure is chemically altered, saltwater can worsen the condition.
It’s because cross-links already strip the hair strands, and nutrients inside hair strands are artificially altered. The hygroscopic features of salt-water more so carry the much-needed moisture from hair.
Pros of Saltwater On Hair
1. Extra Body & Hair Fullness
The crystals in salt water can increase the size of your hair. However, it dries them, and lifting the hair cuticle makes it vulnerable to moisture loss.
2. Your Scalp Absorbs Nutrients
Ocean water contains some of the nutrients needed by the body.
One of them is magnesium that reinforces your neurological system and has a calming effect. The nutrient is likewise absorbed via the skin, making the sea plunge not just healthy but also enjoyable.
3. Blood Flow Stimulant & Exfoliation
The saltwater crystals fill in as a phenomenal exfoliator for the scalp. They stop building up products, and also they stimulate blood flow when the scalp is massaged with a salt scrub.
4. Anti-Fungal Properties
Saltwater can help in eliminating dandruff, whereby saltwater has anti-fungal features.
5. Grease Remover & Natural Shampoo
If you have an oily scalp, then ocean water can assist you with stripping extra sebum and heavy oils. Ocean water takes away additional oils on your tresses and smoothens them.
Verdict
Is saltwater good for your hair? As discussed above, the answer is two-fold. To keep your hair from drying because of the ocean and seawater exposure, put a leave-in conditioner before strolling on the seashore.
This will cover your hair strands and forestall the salt from carrying away moisture. Then again, you can utilize grape seed oil to serve the same purpose. The option has no chemicals, including silicones, which the leave-in conditioner might have.
What should you do?
For a post-sea shore DIY treatment, you can knead your scalp using your fingers to utilize small salt crystals as a natural exfoliator to your scalp.
Then follow up with buttermilk and homemade honey mask, or an avocado + olive oil + egg mask.
Therapeutic Hair Benefits of Salt Water
Discover the 10 best jojoba oils for hair here.
Swimming
Most people abstain from swimming in the sea in dread that the water will harm their hair.
With everybody hoping to keep cool this mid-year, hitting the seashores and taking a dunk in the smashing waves is both enjoyable and invigorating.
While chlorine utilized in pools can be unfavorable to hair, many trusts that the saltwater is awful for hair also, but the genuine truth is it is actually the inverse.
Reasons to consider Salt Water
The majority of people from cold, dry, and even tropical areas come to realize their belief regarding hair about seawater is wrong.
Saltwater is generally therapeutic due to the vast concentration of vitamins and minerals.
Coming into contact with salt water enables these minerals and vitamins to get assimilated into the scalp and body skin.
This enacts an antibiotic effect which cures major health issues from psoriasis to acne and promotes circulation while encouraging hair growth and scalp function.
Keeping Your Hair Healthy With Sea Water
If you live close to the sea, to benefit from the saltwater, all you’ve to do is to go swimming. Each time you enter the water, your hair and scalp assimilate the sound minerals.
It also soothes your dry, flaky, and itchy scalp and assists in boosting healthy hair growth.
After swimming in salty water, you just need to rinse with fresh water. That way, you’ll avert building up of salts as you keep your hair strong and shiny.
For dyed, dry, or damaged hair, you’re advised to cover your hair in coconut oil before swimming. The aim is to keep away from extra drying.
What if you don’t have a nearby ocean?
If you don’t dwell next to an ocean or sea, you can buy saltwater to boost the wellbeing of your hair.
You may buy over-the-counter saltwater spray within most stores or even make one at home. You simply spritz it onto wet hair before styling. Besides giving you enjoyment and beachy texture, the spray will boost your scalp’s health.
If you’ve thinning hair and you’re staying away from the seashore and saltwater benefits, you should take care of it. If you’re finding challenges, there’re experts to assist you with finding the ideal answer to address your needs.
Helping your Hair
The supplements present in saltwater are good at breaking the natural oils that are found in hair. So if you have excessively slick hair, saltwater can aid in keeping the oils in hair balanced.
By opening up the hair cuticle, the color in hair will fade and thus a simple way to reduce the hair color.
While saltwater is dehydrating and leaves you feeling dry, you shouldn’t stop to get some of the benefits as mentioned earlier.
For maximum benefits:
- Use plain water to rinse hair before taking a dunk in the sea;
- Utilize a leave-in conditioner when setting off for the seashore and after;
- Use SPF hair products to shield your strands from hurtful sunbeams;
Is Saltwater Good For Your Hair? While there are challenges, you can’t miss the saltwater benefits, as explained above.
The good thing is most saltwater sources are natural and are easily accessible.
Read our 10 step guide to protecting your hair from damage here!