The 16 Best Haircare Products to Transition Your Summer Hair into Fall
The products worth investing in – tried and tested by RAW Hair & Co.'s team of expert hairstylists.
Now that vacation season is ending, all those carefree days in sunny outdoors may have left your hair looking less than stellar. While summer is all about sun, beaches, and fun, the season’s most common environmental factors, such as sun rays, chlorine, and saltwater, cause unwanted frizz, dry hair, and breakage. These factors can cause permanent damage if unchecked, leaving your hair susceptible to becoming dull and brittle.
Additionally, color-treated hair can lose its vibrancy and richness, exposing unwanted tones and shifting its original hue. After the sun has dried it out, other factors that put unwanted stress on your strands include overwashing, excessive heat, and chemical damage. No need to stress— RAW Hair and Co.’s expert hairstylist team is here to tell you about the best products and application techniques to include in your haircare routine and bring your post-summer hair back to life to help you achieve the fall-ready look you deserve.
This hair care holy grail of haircare products has effective and restorative properties, and they’re also sustainable, always adhering to cruelty-free practices, ensuring maximum hair health without toxic or harmful chemicals.
Whether you’re looking for tousled waves or sleek styles this season, The RAW team is here to help you rescue your strands. Let’s dive in.
Frizz Be Gone!
Hot and humid summer weather can turn even the sleekest hair into a frizzy, flyaway mess. Humidity swells the hair shaft, and the outer layer of the hair lifts, allowing moisture to enter the hair shaft; hair appears puffy and out of control. In addition, extreme exposure to the sun’s harmful rays (calling all sun lovers!) can cause more damage to the hair’s cuticle, exacerbating the frizz and creating split ends, leaving your hair at risk of further damage and breakage. Using the finest products to fight frizz is the best way to healthy autumn hair.
Must-Haves For Your Frizz-Free Hair:
Manage those stubborn flyaways and baby hairs with Kevin Murphy’s Smooth.Again. Not only does it smell phenomenal, but it also tames your hair for hours with no oily finish. Complete your style by adding a few drops of Shu Uemura Essence Absolue. We highly recommend it if your hair texture is medium to coarse in density. Do you have fine-to-thin hair? Don’t worry; we’ve got you! Shu Uemura Tsuyu is a highly lightweight oil that speeds up the drying time and smooths out the hair without weighing it down.
“Spray 3-4 pumps onto your palms and distribute the product evenly from mid-shaft to the ends. Don’t spray directly into your hair!” – Etoile Farr.
Smooth.Again is a must-have for the RAW Team: “We like to use this not only in blowouts but for styling curly hair too!”
“When styling for a smooth blowout, I like to apply one to two pumps depending on hair density from roots to ends—apply more concentrated amounts to more frizz-prone areas. If you have textured or curly hair, apply 2-3 pumps all over. Also, focus on applying more to frizzy areas. This will create a cast on the hair allowing for less fly away and frizz.”– Stephen Jaime, Hair Stylist
Best Products for Frizzy Hair:
Kevin Murphy Smooth.Again (not available online)
- Provides long-lasting hydration to protect the hair
- Helps smooth and control frizz; for thick, coarse, and unruly hair
- Sulfate, paraben, and cruelty-free
- Nourishing, protective oil tames frizzy hair
- Recommended for medium to thick hair
- Re-balances the hair’s moisture level from mid-lengths to ends
- A light, weightless oil best suited for more delicate hair
- Tames frizzy hair, perfect for sleek blowouts and second-day looks
Goodbye Pool and Beach; Hello Fireplace and Cozy Indoors: Our Fall Hair Revival Plan
The sun, chlorine, and saltwater can damage your hair, causing it to feel dry and brittle, ultimately resulting in breakage. The sun is one of the greatest summer battles for your hair; it causes damage and discoloration, especially for those with color-treated hair. If you’re still sunbathing at the beach, lounging by the pool, or going for a jog on a hot Texas summer day, not having an expert-approved heat protectant can cause even the healthiest, most gorgeous of hair colors to appear faded, bleached, and brassy. It’s a girl’s worst nightmare; please don’t let it happen to you.
Chlorine is next in line for causing chemical changes to your hair; however, it’s essential to point out that chlorine isn’t the only chemical in pool water that’s wreaking havoc on your summer locks. Copper is used as an algaecide in pools to control the growth of bacteria, which, integrated with chlorine, can drastically alter your hair color, causing it to turn green.
Last but certainly not least, saltwater removes all moisture from your hair and scalp, which can be more harmful to your hair than you might think. Saltwater removes your hair’s water content and completely dehydrates it during the osmotic process. For example, a carrot shrivels up after sitting in salt water. So, to not let your hair shrink and break, consider grabbing these products sooner rather than later!
Sun, Chlorine, and Saltwater—a Triple Threat to Your Tresses!
Protecting your hair with exceptional hair care products is the only way to give it a fighting chance. As such, we recommend using the right leave-in treatments. These first-rate products restore moisture, and purple pigmented shampoo conditioners or treatments neutralize any brassy tones that may come from too much sun exposure.
If you were relaxing on your vacation days at the beach and still want to carry that summer vibe into fall, Etoile Farr, RAW Hair & Co’s owner and color specialist recommends using R+Co Suncatcher. It is packed with vitamin C to aid in protecting against environmental aggressors. She also recommends pairing it with R+Co Dreamhouse to protect your hair against UV radiation, give it shine and enhance your hair’s natural waves. Both products are a dynamic duo that will help protect and nourish your tresses this fall season. Be sure to shake Dreamhouse well before using; let it dry, style, and wear it like it’s Fashion Week.
However, when you’re done with your summer break, it’s time to give your hair a little break. Etoile recommends R+Co Cool Wind to hydrate and balances your hair’s pH or the perfect leave-in cream by Reverie Milk to style when you want to let it air dry naturally. Additionally, you may consider wearing a scarf or hat when spending time in the sun for the next couple of cooler months.
“Any time you plan to be outside or in the sun, we recommend using one of these products layered with your everyday regimen” – Raw Hair & Co. Team.
Best Products for Hair Protection:
- A nourishing, protective leave-in conditioner
- It helps soften, detangle, and fight frizz
- Used on damp or dry hair
- Lightweight oils provide UV protection and shine
- It helps enhance color and accentuates natural waves
- Strengthen strands and brighten highlights
- pH perfect formula hydrates hair
- Tames, controls, and softens hair
- Controls frizz
- Repairs damage
- Softens and enhances shine
Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde Anti Brass Purple Shampoo
- Neutralizes unwanted brassy, yellow tones
- Smooths hair with a natural glow
Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde Complete Replenishing Conditioner
- Replenishes hair by intensely nourishing hair fibers
- Provides luxurious and healthy hair
Wish to Know How to Combat Heat and Chemical Damage?
The sun is not the only culprit responsible for unhealthy hair; chemical damage is just as guilty! As summer ends and fall begins, we all can’t help being excited about the season’s chilly temperatures. Speaking of feeling cool, what’s cooler than leaving the salon with a fresh new color? Whether thinking about going for a September Issue-worthy, warm red-brown, rich copper, toasted caramel, or auburn spice color shade, maintaining your hair healthy after such an intensive procedure is the cherry on top (or morning pumpkin spice latte). Make sure you are prepared for all the new looks and compliments you’re sure to get with your new look.
“Protect your investment and make that fresh out of the salon look last longer. R+Co Bleu Sleep masque is a great all-around product – all R+Co Bleu products are formulated with micro-encapsulated sugar molecules which help restore to virgin-like state hair – we love to use this for styling, leave-in, and leave-in night masque. A little goes a long way; watch this product transform your hair.”
– Stephen Jaime, Hair Stylist
Best Leave-in Treatments and Hair Masks for Damaged Hair:
Think of hair masks as a high-powered conditioner. They have similar benefits—like deep nourishment and strengthening hair—but are more intense and effective. Using them is as easy as replacing your conditioner after washing once a week.
- Leave-in repair treatment reduces breakage and controls frizz
- Helps restore, replenish, and repair damaged hair of all hair types
- Provides heat protection up to 200°F / 93°C
- Sulfate, paraben, and cruelty-free
- Weightless leave-in treatment oil for damaged and aging hair.
- Helps promote elasticity and increase shine
- Deeply nourishing and conditioning
- Offers heat protection up to 200°F / 93°C
R+Co Bleu De Luxe Reparative Masque
- Restores texture and strength of chemically compromised hair
- Delivers hydration while smoothing and detangling hair
- 79% Reduction of frizz
- 64% Less breakage
R+Co Bleu Sleep Masque Night Repair Serum
- Midnight magic repairs damaged hair while you sleep
- 84% Reduction of Frizz
- 86% Increase in Overnight Repair
- 64% Increase in Overnight Split End Repair
Start the New Season with Healthy, Radiant Hair!
As the fall season begins, the best way to embrace its cool essence is with a top-notch hair care regimen, strong hair care knowledge, and beautiful and healthy hair. No matter what type of hair you have or what your plans entail, you deserve to show off your tresses with confidence. By following these tips and upgrading to these expert-approved products, your gorgeous locks will never see a damaged or dull fall again!
