For years, one Greek beauty writer believed she had to wash her hair immediately after every swim in the sea. This summer she tried the opposite, washing it every other day instead, and to her surprise, nothing went wrong. Her hair, she said, looked great.
There is an almost automatic summer ritual: get out of the sea, shower, and wash your hair to rinse away the salt. This year, though, she decided to loosen that routine.
She stopped washing her hair every day after the beach, letting it dry naturally and washing it only every other day. She said she saw no damage, no split ends, and no dryness or dullness from skipping a nightly wash. If anything, the opposite happened.
Salt as a natural styling product
She described sea salt as working almost like a natural texturizing spray. Her hair gained more volume, its natural movement became more pronounced, and it created the undone, beachy look people usually try to achieve with styling products.
Instead of straightening her hair or trying to smooth it completely, she let it air dry. A little salt, some natural texture, and a quick twist or a few loose strands were enough for a summer hairstyle, she said. For the first time, she treated the salt not as something that had to be rinsed out right away but as part of the style itself.
Why washing every other day suited her better
Washing hair daily, especially in summer, can become tiring, she said, pointing to the combination of sea water, sweat, sunscreen and constant drying that makes for a routine that is not necessary for everyone.
Leaving a day between washes was, for her, far more practical. She still rinses her body after the sea and looks after her scalp as needed, but no longer feels a full hair wash is required after every swim.
She was careful to add that the habit worked for her but is not a rule for everyone. People with hair that is especially dry, colour-treated or damaged, or scalps that are easily irritated, may need a different approach, she said.
