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If there is one thing we at Allure have in common with your dermatologist, it's that we will never (ever) stop reminding you about the importance of wearing SPF daily. What many people don't know about sun protection, though, is that sunscreen application shouldn't just stop at the hairline. Your scalp — though it may be covered by your hair — and your hair itself are both at risk for UVA/UVB damage.
"UV rays can make hair brittle and appear frayed," says New York City board-certified dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla. "Sunlight is drying and can lighten hair simply from exposure, [and] your scalp, like any other skin on the body, is susceptible to skin cancer."
To protect the scalp, Mariwalla prefers chemical blockers (like avobenzone) because they don't leave a white cast. New York City board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, on the other hand, recommends looking for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on labels. "These are physical blockers, and the key is to rub the sunscreen into the scalp, not to just spray it on the roots," she says.
Antioxidants and plant-derived oils can also prove helpful in protecting and calming the scalp and skin from the sun's harmful rays. "Antioxidants will scavenge free radicals caused by UV damage and can help prevent the damage that can lead to skin cancer," says Mariwalla. One oil in particular that can help: sunflower seed oil. "It contains fatty acids that can help the dryness associated with hair exposed to harsh sun conditions," she adds.
Below are 17 products that help protect your skin, scalp, and hair from sun damage.
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You can always rely on a good hair powder to sop up any sunny-day sweat, but you can rely on a great powder to also protect your scalp from UV damage. Ulta Beauty's own Mineral Hair & Scalp Powder SPF 45 provides broad-spectrum protection right at your roots, so any skin that's especially exposed up there — your part in particular — gets a good grease-absorbing dose of sunscreen. Just shake it on and blend it in with either your fingers or a hairbrush.
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The entire Kérastase Soleil collection was formulated to fight back against the harm done by some of summer's biggest hair offenders, like chlorine and saltwater. But it's the line Huile Sirene that really goes to town on stopping sun damage. The sprayable oil helps absorb UV rays instead of letting them all get through to your hair, and the formula features coconut water and vitamin E in order to provide antioxidant-packed moisture that won't leave hair looking greasy.
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Hair color is one of the most obvious victims of UV damage, fading at the first sign of prolonged sun exposure. However, this collaboration, DP Hue x Kristin Cavallari Sun & City Mist, is making it easier to fight for your shade's vibrancy but making it harder for the sun to make a harsh impact on your hair. To do this, it relies heavily on raspberry seed extract, which puts up its dukes against UV rays and pollution while offering replenishing moisture.
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Meet one of the most overachieving dry shampoos on the market. In addition to the rice starch that so many dry shampoos use to do their freshening-up duties, Chi Vibes Wake + Fake Soothing Dry Shampoo goes above and beyond with scalp-soothing aloe and white tea, which provides protection against sun damage with some of the most potent antioxidant power in the ingredient game. That means instant and long-term benefits every time you give it a spritz.
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Weightless and non-greasy, Aveda's Sun Care Protective Hair Veil contains UV filters obtained from wintergreen and cinnamon bark oils that help hinder the hair-drying effects of the sun. It's also infused with nourishing ingredients like green tea extract, shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E, which condition the hair and make strands look shiny, soft, and smooth.
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In addition to nourishing fruit extracts from Australia — including vitamin C-rich kakadu plum — Kevin Murphy's Un.Tangled Leave-In Conditioner contains added heat protection that shields hair from damage caused by hot tools and the sun. Every spritz leaves hair smelling like a tropical vacation, which is a much-needed treat during a summer spent indoors.
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Ouai's Heat Protection Spray not only safeguards your hair from heat damage, it adds shine and subtle volume, too. It contains a blend of prickly pear extract, jojoba oil, glycerin, and castor oil — all of which nourish the hair and help further protect it from the elements.
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Sun Bum's new Protecting Scalp & Hair Mist SPF 30 relies on chemical blockers like homosalate, avobenzone, and octisalate to shelter hair from the sun's damaging rays. Additionally, it's formulated with glycerin and sunflower seed oil to minimize static and nourish the hair so it doesn't dry out. The sunscreen's slim nozzle makes it super easy to spritz along your part, as well as hard-to-reach areas on the scalp.
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While the avobenzone and other chemical blockers in the Coola Organic Scalp & Hair Mist work to protect the scalp and hair from UV damage, plant-derived extracts (soybean and palm) condition and give each strand lightweight hydration.
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Good Dye Young, the hair brand founded by Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams, is all about vibrant color, so it makes sense the company would launch a product to protect your hair from color-fading foes. And your hair will benefit from this priming spray in ways that go beyond keeping your color fresh. The UV protection is an all-around bonus and the added aloe is full of antioxidant-powered vitamins your hair needs to stand up to free-radical damage.
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The Pure Mist, part of Frederic Fekkai's first 95 percent natural collection of hair-care products, is proof of just how useful botanical oils and extracts can be in defending hair from UV damage. This formula relies on coconut and jojoba oils, as well as aloe and shea butter, to not only keep hair safer in the sun but also to protect it from heat-damaging tools.
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Along with smoothing frizz, Rita Hazan's Lock and Block Protective Spray completely coats strands with UV-damage-preventing antioxidants (vitamins A and E) and hair-softening panthenol. This stuff protects your color and will keep your style in place, too.
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Formulated with sunflower extract, Moroccanoil's Protect and Prevent lightweight spray keeps your hair color from oxidizing and leaves it smelling like Moroccanoil's signature tropical, argan oil-based scent. Plus, you can use this to detangle, which is great after spending time in the beach's winds and waves.
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Packed with grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, and safflower oil, Bumble and Bumble's Bb. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer is an all-in-one lotion that smooths frizz and protects hair from both UV (using avobenzone and octinoxate) and heat damage. Use on damp hair to style, or use on dry hair to refresh while adding that extra sun barrier.
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With a short list of ingredients, this mist uses only the essentials — UV blockers (octinoxate) and plant-derived oils (sesame and castor) to nurture hair and scalp on sunny days. Use René Furterer Solaire Protective Summer Oil on damp or dry hair and reapply as your heart desires.
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Los Angeles hairstylist Eric Leonardos keeps Clarins Broad Spectrum Care Oil Spray in his beach bag. "It protects your hair with SPF 30 UV sun filters, it's water- and sweat-resistant, and leaves no greasy feeling," he says. "I love using it all over the body as well, and it cuts down on the items you need to pack in your bag."
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Rahua expands its beloved hydration line with a detangling leave-in spray that also works as a barrier to the sun's harmful rays hitting your crown. Morete (buriti) oil, a botanical oil extracted from a plant called the moriche palm, works as a natural source of UV protection. And if that weren't enough, the spray smells like delicious tropical candy.
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