Summer is a unique time for our hair…. it can can ravaged by the heat, by UV rays…and all we really want is easy care-free, manageable hair.

Here at Dedicated we took a look at some hair care products that we thought might help in the quest for summer perfect hair….and these were our favourites…in no particular order.

When you're jetsetting all over the world….or just roadtripping it for a weekend, hair can get dirtier quicker (I find no matter how short the plane journey, freshly washed and blow dried hair always looks dank and lifeless upon landing) so dry shampoo is a travel must have. With all the brands on the market now we tested quite a few. Tresemme are absolute genius' and have come up with a solution for both curly dry hair and straight oily hair. The Dry Shampoo ($5.49) sprays on and combs out, leaving your hair shiny, clean and smelling fresh for at least 24 hours. The Waterless Foam Shampoo for Curly/Dry hair ($5.49) is truly innovative, you apply the foam much like you would a mousse, but the foam is much lighter. It gives your hair a nice sheen, again leaving it looking fresh and clean, you can towel dry off any excess oil – but I didn't need to.

Another great 'dry shampoo' product is 'Shampowder' from Buttercream Cosmetics ($15.99), it comes in a variety of colours for all shades and is contained in a nifty brush applicator system. The powder sits in the tube handle of the brush and you simply tap the applicator to make the powder flow and then dust the posder onto your roots with the brush. Perfect for a quick greasy roots fix and even has a nice light fragrance, my only criticism would be that it did get a little messy, the powder didn't just end up on my head!

Keeping hair manageable for summer, especially for travel is essential and the most impressive product I used was the Liquid Keratin Starter Kit. Liquid Keratin works much like a Brazilian Blow Out, except it's cheaper and you can do it at home. Yayness.

There are quite a few steps and the very first application is a little complicated (I actually thoroughly messed up the first time – not reading the instructions properly and had to start again) You begin by washing your hair with the supplied shampoo (which smell a little chemically, but not overpowering or headache inducing) and then towel dry your hair. They call the next step 'Activating' the product, saturating your hair in the included spray, leaving for half an hour, blow drying (properly in sections) and then flat ironing. After 48 hours you then wash and condition the hair using the included products (they call this 'Neutralizing' the product) Then use the the Spray on 'Filling' conditioner and blow dry and style as you wish. This process is supposed to keep your hair frizz free and manageable for up to 30 days, but I did find as soon as I stopped using the additional products I lost the results, it should be noted that it did fade my coloured hair… which for me wasn't a bad thing as I don't have an expensive dye job and I don't hate my natural hair colour.

At $69 it's not a cheap purchase, but I would say it's worth it. My hair was shiny, stong, frizz free and easy to style the whole time I was using it, Mr Style told me, unprompted, that I had 'TV Hair' – think what you will!

Garnier Fructis make most of my favourite hair care products and they have two great 'frizz management' products, the Anti Frizz Serum and the Brilliantine Glistening Drops. Both are great for pre drying styling and for smoothing the frizz post drying. Both products come in under $7 and I usually purchase mine at my local Target. Bria also got to try Citre Shine Laminating Spray ($4.49) resulting in the glowing review below:

"I am usually skeptical of hair products. I am very low maintenance with my hair; I don't even wash it every day, much less blowdry, straighten or style it. Usually it's in a braid or a bun and left wavy. But for the sake of getting the most out of the Citre Shine Anti-Frizz Spray Laminator, I put a little more effort into my hair. I washed it, dried it, and then I raked through all of the tangles to straighten it.

After brushing and straightening, I followed the instructions: "Style hair. Hold 6-8 inches from head and lightly mist over finished style." And I was very impressed! Instead of feeling greasy like most hair products, Citre Shine went on light and didn't weigh down my hair. It has a nice, light citrus scent that isn't overpowering. And the bottle also says it protects hair against heat damage and environmental stressors, as well as taming frizz and treating split ends. For the first time in awhile, my hair looked pretty good!

It wasn't a hugely dramatic change, but my hair looked shinier, healthier and just more finished. It was a nice change from the normal wavy mess my hair usually is and I got compliments on it all day. I think it's safe to say that I'll be using Citre Shine more often in the future, as it was super easy to apply and the effects lasted all day. The anti-frizz formula will also definitely come in handy for the upcoming humid Michigan summers!" ~ Bria Berger

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If you're anything like me then dry hair is predictably part of summer (and part of winter too when I'm located in in a cold and windy climate) My new favourite product, which I discovered in Target whilst 'trying new things' for the purpose of this post, is 'Herbal Essences – Long Term Relationship – Leave in Conditioner and Split End Protector for Long Hair' – quite a mouthful but everything it says on the can. Work into damp hair before drying for soft and shiny hair, it smells great and works a treat. I also found it works really well on dry hair hair too, making the hair extra shiny and completely eliminating frizz. It's completely bargainous too ($3.49) which is always a bonus.

I also tried the Triple Nutrient Spray ($5.99) from Garnier Fructis – it works in much the same way but it spray on instead. It's a very oily product, and really should only be used on very dry hair, but if you have thirsty hair – do it! It'll work a treat!

One thing that is often forgotten in the summer time is that hair needs protecting from UV rays just as much as your skin does – especially colour treated hair. There are very few products on the market that cater to this however, and the ones that do don't come cheap. However, Victoria's Secret, of all places, makes a great spray on protector called 'VS So Sexy – Protect and Revive UV Shield Spray' ($14) it not only protects your hair but it made mine shiny too!

Lastly, beach hair can be fun…it's not all doom and gloom. There have been a few products over the years that I used to love to crack out in the summer to give me the perfect beach bum waves, from John Freida's Ocean Spray and Starlit Waves – both discontinued, to Sunsilks 'Waves of Envy'  – also recently discontinued (though I did find it available on Amazon here)

In searching for their replacement I tried both Garnier Fructis' 'Wonder Waves' ($4.29) and Rainwater Botanicals 'Dead Sea Salt Spray' ($9). The 'Wonder Waves' works well, but hair is left a little 'crisp' and feels quite styled, whereas the 'Dead Sea Salt Spray' leaves hair wavy and styled but soft and natural. An added bonus is that it's completely handmade, natural and affordable, it also leaves your hair smelling fresh and beachy – perfect for summer!

What product gets your hair through the summer? I'd love to hear in the comments!

By Kelsi Smith