Sun, Sea & Sun cream

So, it’s holiday season, the time when we all want to get a bit of sun, sea, general relaxation and partying in!

The UK weather may not be as glorious as Marbella but we all tend to flock out into the sun as soon as those clouds give even just an inch, and considering lockdown is lifting, the beaches, pubs gardens and parks etc. are all accessible again. This means that you may well get those infuriating colour change and fading issues! It is important that you get clued up on why this happens, how to prevent it, and if it’s too late, how to correct it!

The Sun Cream Issue

We are all know that sun cream can stain your clothes so you need to be aware that it can affect your hair extensions too. Blondes will be affected the most as it will turn the hair pink or orange (you may have seen on shows like Love Island)! Darker hair can be affected to by turning orange or brighten but blondes are much more susceptible!

The Science Bit

If your hair isn’t tied up and comes into contact with sun cream soaked skin, which is then exposed to UV light, it causes a process known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The hair cells break down and require electron particles to form a new cell structure. So, when you go into water or shower the electron particles in the minerals like copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, lead and silica attach to hair cell (sun cream basically creates a space for minerals attach) – thus creating green/pink/orange discolouration!
Sun cream’s 2 main ingredients that cause the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) process are:

• Avebenzone (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) - an oil-soluble ingredient used in sunscreen products to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays
• Octocrylene - A stabiliser to prevent Avebenzone degrade in light.

The Mineral Effect…

Copper – Discolours hair, green tinge on blonde hair, dark hair becomes darker, loss of shine, hard barrier

Iron – Turns hair darker, loss of shine, prevents chemical processing, unwanted red/orange brassy tones, brittle damaged hair.

Magnesium – Dry, damaged.

Calcium – Build up causes hard barrier, dandruff, hair loss/breakage

Lead – Dryness, build-up, prevents chemical processing

Silica – Dryness, dandruff, hair loss.

The Water Problem

Water in general can cause discolouration but pool water is much worse, and this is due to the chlorine that is added to it (the chemical put into water with the aim of keeping it clean). This strips the hair of oils and moisture, which leaves it dry, brittle and exposed to the minerals, with copper in particular being the main offender in pool water, giving that unwanted green tinge to your hair.
Pool water isn’t the only guilty party, shower water can create issues on holiday too as the water filtration systems in hotels/villas/cruise ships add lots of minerals to the water, including all those mentioned before. 

The Protection Method

You beach bound beauties should tie that hair up and keep it covered. By tying it up you are keeping it away from the sun lotion applied to your skin and out of the way when it comes to pool time. Keeping it covered will protect your luscious locks from the glaring sun and it’s UV rays. Let your hair down for a full-on glamour showcase for the evening (if lotion free) but keep it up and chic during the day. Always remember when you have that lotion on though, even when brushing your hair, it can mean it will come into contact.

The Colour Correction Section

Enjoy your holiday in the best way, knowing that you are protecting your skin as well as your hair, but if you have any mishaps then check out our Malibu C range for any of your colour correction conundrums!