The last thing I want to do is blast my hair with a super-hot blow-dryer when the mercury rises, which is why I've been twisting my damp locks into a braided 'do and experimenting with beachy waves lately. The low-maintenance hairstyle keeps me cool and, thanks to the John Frieda Beach Blonde line, is super-easy to achieve sans heated styling tools. In fact, you can think of Beach Blonde as a complete summer haircare system. 4 products, no fuss—not bad!
As with John Frieda's other haircare lines, the desired style starts in the shower. The John Frieda Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo ($10.99 on sale for $6.99 at London Drugs) is designed to gently cleanse thirsty, damaged locks with its mild, low pH formula without weighing strands down. Then comes the John Frieda Beach Blonde Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner ($10.99 on sale for $6.99 at London Drugs), a conditioner that smoothes and detangles just as promised. I love the invigorating minty scents of the shampoo and conditioner while in the shower. Both formulas are very lightweight, designed to merely clean, detangle, and texturize hair rather than adding major moisture, shine, or frizz control.
Next, I spritz the coconut- and salt-scented John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Salt Spray ($10.99 on sale for $6.99 at London Drugs) through towel-dried locks and proceed to French-braid the hair on both sides of my head, twisting the ends into a looped ponytail or bun at the back. I'll leave it like that for 6-12+ hours while my hair dries, and when I take out the elastic and unravel the braids, voilà: beach wave babe.
There are several tricks to making the salt spray work well on thick, coarse Asian hair like my own, I've learned through trial and error:
1. Spritz in damp rather than perfectly dry hair; the latter will just make your hair a puffy, crunchy mess.
2. Don't take out your braided 'do prematurely so the waves can really set. (Bonus: you'll stay cool with your hair up during the day and have beachy waves just in time for evening.)
3. A few more spritzes of salt spray after you unravel the 'do will also help keep the wave in place.
4. Your second-day hair after using the salt spray will most likely feel like a dry, crunchy, frizzy mess. (Back into the braided updo it goes.)
5. Thick, coarse Asian hair is prone to dryness and salt spray only worsens the problem. Thankfully, the line also includes the John Frieda Beach Blonde Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque ($10.99 on sale for $6.99 at London Drugs). I use this masque every other shampoo to resuscitate parched ends, applying right after conditioning and rinsing at the end of my shower.
The bottles seem to contain just enough product to last the season, and I adore how cheerful the blues and greens look in my shower and medicine cabinet. What's more, at around $10 or under per product, it's a fun foray into a new haircare regimen that won't break the bank. So what are you waiting for? You don't have to be a blonde to discover for yourself that Beach Blondes have more fun in the summer.
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