How To Protect Your Hair From Sweat After Exercise

Keeping your hair clean and fresh can be a challenge when exercising is also up there on your list of priorities. It can be difficult to know how often to wash your hair between workouts, which hairstyles are least damaging and how to stop your hair from becoming greasy after a tough workout. Sweat can take a toll on your hair, leading to a build-up of salt on your scalp and resulting in dryness and irritation.

Protecting your hair during and after exercise is key to maintaining its health and vitality. Even if you’re skipping shampoo, rinsing your hair post-workout helps remove sweat while hydrating your strands with a gentle co-wash or conditioner. Leave-in conditioners or anti-frizz serums are a great pre-workout precaution to lock in moisture and minimise damage. When you’re short on time, a quick spritz of refreshing scalp spray or dry shampoo can work wonders to absorb sweat and keep your hair feeling fresh and clean. 

Is Sweat Good For Your Hair?

While sweat itself isn’t harmful to your hair, it can still affect it. Sweat contains natural salts and minerals that can be beneficial in small amounts and are useful in helping to cleanse the scalp of excess oil. However, if sweaty hair is left unwashed, the sweat can cause dryness, irritation, and even clog your hair follicles. But it is possible to maintain healthy hair if you are regularly exercising! We recommend rinsing your hair after your workout to ensure your scalp is clean while incorporating hydrating products into your hair care routine to prevent the drying effects of sweat while keeping your hair strong and shiny.

What Is The Best Hairstyle For During Workouts?

The aim of a good workout hairstyle is to keep your hair out of your face in a way that causes minimal or no damage. For long hair, a high ponytail, braid, or bun works well to keep strands out of your face and reduce tangling. Shorter hair may benefit from sweat-absorbing headbands or clips to hold hair in place. We suggest avoiding tight hairstyles that pull on your scalp, as these can cause breakage over time. Silk or satin hair ties are gentler on your hair compared to elastic bands, and will reduce the friction between the hair tie and your hair, meaning less breakage.

Top Products & Styling Tips For Managing Sweaty Hair

Managing sweaty hair starts with choosing the right products. Dry shampoos are a lifesaver for soaking up sweat and refreshing your roots post-workout, and also work well as a pre-workout preventative to absorb any excess sweat. Lightweight leave-in conditioners and oils can help to combat dryness, as well as styling gels or creams with anti-humidity properties to keep frizz at bay. Post-exercise, use a wide-tooth comb to detangle without causing breakage and consider blow-drying your roots on a cool setting to remove excess moisture. If you prefer to wash your hair following a sweaty workout, the ‘no poo’ method or a co-wash could be the right choice for your haircare and workout routine.

The ‘No Poo’ Method & Co-Washing

The ‘no poo’ method or co-washing is the process of washing your hair without shampoo and just using a conditioner. The idea of this is to avoid shampoo to ensure the natural oils stay in your hair and keep it nourished and healthy. Shampoo can remove a lot of the natural oils from your hair, so for those who exercise regularly, washing your hair after every workout can result in your hair becoming dried out. This method often recommends using just water, baking soda or apple cider vinegar to clean the dirt from your hair, while keeping the good oils intact. The method then recommends using normal conditioner to ensure the hair is nourished and tangle-free. This is a good choice for those who are struggling with sweaty hair and want to keep their hair clean after workouts.

The Workout Proof Haircare Routine

We’ve put together the ideal hair care routine for pre-, mid- and post-workout to combat the struggles of sweaty hair!

Pre-Workout Haircare Tips

• Apply dry shampoo before your workout to absorb any excess moisture and minimise the moisture that stays in your hair following exercise.
• A secure hairstyle will also help to keep hair off sweatier areas such as the neck and forehead.
• Utilising anti-humidity products will also help to reduce any frizz as you sweat.

Mid-Workout Haircare Tips

• During your workout, it is beneficial to avoid caps, but utilise sweatbands/headbands or similar hair accessories that can absorb some of the sweat from your hairline.
• Avoid touching your hair as much as possible too! This can transfer the natural oils from your skin to your hair and increase the chances of your hair becoming greasy afterwards.

Post-Workout Haircare Tips

• If you have time in your post-workout routine, a ‘no poo’ or co-wash will remove any dirt from your hair without stripping it of the healthy oils that nourish it.
• If you're strapped for time, you can use a wet cloth around the hairline to refresh the areas that usually produce the most sweat.
• Use a hairdryer on a cool setting to dry off the roots of your hair post-workout, teamed with a lightweight hair oil or hair serum on the ends to lock in hydration.
• Using dry shampoo on the roots can help to absorb any remaining moisture from your locks and also give your scalp that fresh clean feeling.