The chill in the air is gone and now it is time for you to start sporting that beautiful natural hair of yours. However, between the pool parties and the muggy weather, you might eventually need some summer hair care tips to get you through the season. No worries. Lots of stunning ladies are sprucing up their manes despite the scorching conditions outside, and many of them have been kind enough to share their tricks with the rest of us.

In fact, summer hair care tips are not difficult to come by these days. Especially when it comes to natural hair, it seems as though everybody has an opinion on the matter. Still, some methods have been proven to be more effective and beneficial than others. Among the dozens of techniques out there, the following are probably the best seven tips you will find.

1. Keep it moist

Regardless of what you do to your hair, its moisture level matters the most. For a long time it was thought that too much moisture can make hair feel brittle, and some folks even believed it would make their hair dry. Well, the research has shown quite different results. Moisturized hair is actually happy and healthy hair.

What to do:

Bring along a spray bottle filled with high quality water. Every once in a while, spritz your locks and rub the water into your scalp. This will not only prevent excess dryness, but it will actually prevent your hair from falling out at the roots because it is too parched. Don’t forget to spray your hair and scalp a little more often when it is extremely hot outside.

2. Maintain a clean mane

Between the oils produced naturally by your body and the residue from the hair care products you use, your scalp can take a real beating in a very short time. Add some sweat and flakes of dry skin to the mix and you will definitely find yourself in need of some summer hair care tips before the seasons change. Don’t fret too much though; it turns out that the type of shampoo you use plays a huge role in how beautiful your natural hair appears.

What to do:

To combat the buildup, use a clarifying shampoo as often as possible. While it is never recommended to wash your hair every day, you should try to use high quality cleansers when you do. Opt for clarifying shampoos that are paraben free and your buildup blunders will become a thing of the past.

3. Lube it up

Remember that when you wash your hair with any kind of shampoo, clarifying or not, you are literally stripping those locks of the essential oils they need to thrive. At some point you will have to replace those oils, or else your hair will become unmanageable, untamed, and unattractive. Keep your mane moisturized and clean, but don’t forget to lube it back up every now and then.

What to do:

Add a little oil to your water bottle from Tip #1. For starters, try avocado or Argan oil. If you need something a bit more robust and want to seal in the moisture throughout the entire day, go for jojoba, almond, or castor oil. Shea butter is also an excellent choice, and it helps protect your hair from the harmful rays of the sun as well.

4. Leave it alone

Don’t try doing too much to your natural hair this season, even if you think you have found the best summer hair care tips in town. A good leave-in treatment can do wonders for your mane, and the right product can make a huge difference in your schedule. Leave your hair alone for a while and let it do what it does. After all, that’s the beauty of natural hair.

What to do:

At the end day, apply a high quality leave-in treatment to your sun-scorched hair. This will help cut back on the frizz while making things up top much more manageable, shiny, and soft. There are lots of great products out there, so take your time choosing the right one.

5. Delve deep

Giving your hair a chance to be alone and rest is terrific, but that doesn’t mean you want to ignore it altogether. Stunning natural hair requires the wearer to go deep – to use type-specific conditioning treatments at least once per month. However, it is usually a better idea to treat your hair to this experience more often than that.

What to do:

How often should you be doing a deep conditioning treatment on your hair during the summer? How does every other week sound? If you delve deep into the root of your mane to quench it from the inside out, you should be able to show off some fantastic hair well into the winter months.

6. Stop and chop

While growing out natural hair can be difficult, chopping off the dead ends is still highly recommended. In fact, cutting your hair actually stimulates more growth by sending the entire lock into shock. Even if it didn’t, a good haircut can still make your hair look and feel healthier than ever.

What to do:

Simple: stop waiting for your mane to maintain itself, and book an appointment with your beautician already.

7. Tell heat to beat it

You’re already exposing your hair to a lot of heat simply by venturing outside. Why would you cause further damage by using high temperature styling tools? Shrinkage is just a part of rocking natural locks. In fact, it is actually your hair’s defense against dumping valuable moisture it can’t afford to lose.

What to do:

There are lots of heat-free techniques and supporting products designed specifically to help you stretch your natural hair and make it longer. Try using one of them before frying your already sensitive mane.