After a relaxing summer vacation with lots of sun and sea water, the hair often feels dull and lifeless. It is difficult to comb and with split tips, rising higher and higher over time. Ultimately, only a haircut helps. In order to effectively prevent this frequent care problem, it is important to know the causes to avoid them beforehand.
The most common causes of split ends
The most common causes of split ends
- Chemical hair treatments
Chemical hair colors as well as perms and bleaching damage the hair structure sustainably. The open cuticle layer of the porous hair fiber promotes dry, brittle and fringy hair, prone to breakage and split ends. Instead of chemical hair coloring, better prefer plant hair colors for a lively, natural color and additional volume.
- Aggressive surfactants in shampoos
The quality of surfactants is decisive for the care properties of a shampoo. Conventional shampoos are based on skin-irritating, drying-out surfactants such as sodium laureth sulfate. They destroy the healthy hair fiber’s protective lipid layer, irritating and dehydrating the scalp. After a longtime application of such shampoos, your dull hair will tend to breakage and split ends. Unfortunately, aggressive surfactants have also become established in certified organic shampoos - for cost reasons alone. Sodium Coco Sulfate, main surfactant in nearly all organic shampoos is of natural origin, nevertheless known as irritating sensitive skin, dehydrating, making hair brittle and prone to split ends as well.
- Problematic ingredients like silicones and quats
Most conventional shampoos, conditioners and hair treatments contain silicones and / or quats (quaternary / quaternary ammonium compounds / QAVs). These mineral oil products envelop the hair fiber like a film for easier combing, a smooth and shiny look - at first. With longtime application, however, silicones and quats seal the hair surface with the well-known build-up effect. Urgently needed care substances don’t get to the swollen, damaged hair fiber. In addition, silicones and quats are not biodegradable. After showering, they reach the groundwater via wastewater, accumulating in our ecosystem.
- Heat applications
Grant your hair a break from straightening and curling irons as well as hair dryers as often as possible. Excessive heat is pure hair stress and a real tip killer. Extreme heat roughens the cuticle’s surface, promoting brittle and frizzy hair. Consequently better let your hair air dry, as often as possible.
- External environmental influences
In summer, intensive UV sun radiation, chlorine and salt water are hair-damaging factors. In winter it is the constant change between dry heating air inside and wet, cold outside temperatures as a risk for hair breakage and split ends.
- Gentle hair wash
Opt for a shampoo with really gentle surfactants like wash-active amino acids, the mildest and highest-quality vegetable surfactants. They are optimally skin-compatible, protective against hair breakage and split ends, strengthening the hair structure for more resilience. We recommend the Schizandra Berry organic repair shampoo for damaged hair or the Sea Buckthorn Chia Organic Shampoo for dry hair. After shampooing, avoid violent rubbing with a towel. Instead, squeeze your damp hair gently out and then comb very carefully - if necessary with a portion of organic conditioner in the difficult-to-comb hair lengths and tips.
- Emulsifier-free hair conditioner without questionable ingredients
In rebuilding the natural protective hair layer, a rich conditioner without emulsifiers has proven to be most effective. Organic hair treatments without drying emulsifiers have a particularly intensive effect as leave-on - provided they have 100% recommendable and high-quality ingredients. Generally, we advise to check all your care products with the codecheck app for questionable ingredients – just to be sure.
- Special hair care for deep moisturizing and natural hair shine
For extra deep care, apply a nourishing hair oil. The Antistatic Hair Oil with herbal repair complex, with cold-pressed macadamia, babassu and jojoba oil, protects hair tips from moisture loss, soothing the roughened cuticle for supple and shiny hair. The Organic Argan Hair Wax is not only versatile for individual styling. It also offers natural UV protection, providing a lively hair structure, flexible hold and a shiny finish. To prevent split ends, we recommend kneading the Organic Argan Hair Wax sparingly into the hair tips.
- Regular hair cut
Last but not least, the hair tips should be cut regularly. Hair that has not been cut for a long time becomes thinner, porous and with increasing length prone to split ends. Since the hair usually grows about one centimeter per month, you should have the tips trimmed at least every 3 months. No matter what hair type you are: With these hair care tips against split ends, your hair should soon become healthier, split-free and noticeably more powerful.
