If you love to explore the wilderness through camping or hiking trips, you may have faced the question of what to do with your hair in a setting where you don't have time or many resources to care for it . When Sopiadevita inquired in the Curly Q&A  about how to care for her hair when she is out on a camping trip, I knew she was in need of minimal products for long-term hair maintenance. If you're a curly with a busy lifestyle and little time to dedicate to your hair, this minimal regimen will help you out too. 

Question
​How to care for my hair in the wilderness? I am going on three-month camping expedition and will only have access to a shower/conditioner about once a month. I obviously don't need my hair to look nice, but I don't want to end up having to cut off my hair because of the knots. Any suggestions on something to bring or a habit to get into to keep my hair tame during this time? Thanks!

Answer
Your hair should not get in the way of the lifestyle you want to lead, no matter what you are doing! There are a few items, tips, and techniques that will make for an easier expedition, and since space is probably limited, bringing the right essentials will make for a better trip. So let’s get into some tips that will keep your hair looking great and knot-free with minimal effort or products.

Dry shampoo:  Dry shampoo can be a useful tool when you don't have many opportunities to wash your hair. It will help with the sweat, dirt, and bugs that you may encounter while out becoming one with nature in-between your hair washings.

Double up on the products:  Since space will probably be a factor, make sure to find products that can double up on duties, for example a cleanser that can be used on both your body and hair, or a leave-in conditioner that also has the hold of a styler or the slip of a detangler. Shampoo bars can be great for cleansing your body and hair at the same time and they last . A leave-in with amazing slip will be your best friend, as you want to deter knots. Kinky-Curly Knot Today is a great idea as it will give amazing slip and many use it as a styler.

Braids:  Keeping your hair in braids will keep the hair out of the way while preventing tangles. French braiding the hair with at least two on either side is good and tucking the ends up will help keep your hair out of the way. A braided updo, ponytail, or twists are all smart options. Since you are camping for such an extended time, bunning, twisting, or braiding your ponytail will prevent further knotting and dry ends.

Natural oils:  Bringing your favorite natural oil (a lighter one of course) may be a good way to keep hair from getting too dry or just to make your braided hair smoother and stay together. It can be a great sealant when you do wash your hair and condition and with the spirit of doubling up, oils (olive oil) are great for removing ticks and yes, I am a country girl so I know a few things about ticks.

Keep it covered:  Covering your hair with a scarf or a hat is a great option for protecting your hair as well. It will also keep your hair out of the way and out of your face. Baseball caps help with shielding hair from the sun and keeping hair covered and out of the way. This also helps to prevent damage from the extended sun exposure.
 
This article appeared on Naturally Curly

Dry camping without hookups often comes with many benefits that you don’t get when staying in a park. When you know how to live without water, sewer, and electric RV connections you can do things like:
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• Experience the independence of living off-grid
• Get away from crowds
• See the backcountry
• Experience peace and solitude

But unfortunately there’s a price to pay for escaping to dry camping destinations–mainly, shorter showers. When you’re trying to conserve water for more important things like cooking and drinking, regular hygiene habits like hair shampooing become less frequent.

For men and women with long hair, daily shampooing with fresh water is a non-critical activity that usually waits until a return to civilization.

Living with dirty hair is not a comfortable feeling for most of us. Lots of people don’t even like camping because it can mean skipping this important hygiene routine.
However in recent years a growing number of “No Poo” advocates have tried to convince us that we should always skip it.

Advocates and dermatologists alike agree that shampoos strip the scalp of healthy, beneficial oils that would normally dissipate into hair. If you suddenly stop shampooing, the oils build up in excess amounts and weigh your hair down.

Instead of following a daily routine of lather/rinse/repeat with store-bought shampoos, these hard-core no shampoo enthusiasts skip daily washing. They occasionally substitute shampoos with natural household products like apple cider vinegar or aloe vera and coconut oil recipes.

Going “No Poo” seems to make sense when you’re boondocking, but if you don’t like the thought of smelling like a salad, here are a couple of alternatives to keep your hair clean when dry camping.

Soak up hair oil with cornstarch 

Cornstarch is your best bet if you don’t like fragrance in your beauty products. This household pantry item will absorb excess hair oil for almost no cost at all.

Apply a light dusting of cornstarch directly to your dry hair’s roots using a disposable makeup brush, or shake it from a Parmesan cheese jar.

Although it works best on blonde hair, if you’re a brunette you can minimize the white residue it leaves behind by using a delicate touch to apply it, then vigorously massaging it into your scalp. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the cornstarch for added scent.

Clean hair with dry shampoo

Canned dry shampoo products are on store shelves everywhere. Like commercial shampoos they range in price from a few dollars to over $20.

The most common downside of these dry shampoo options is most are scented with some type of fragrance. If you’re sensitive to scents then always read dry shampoo reviews before you buy.


This article first appeared on RV Life

If you are an outdoorsy girl, you understand the struggle that is camping hair. I mean, it does not matter how much you love camping, no one likes waking up and sporting hair that looks like it hasn’t been washed or combed in a month. And unfortunately for me, I was not blessed with hair that looks good when it hasn’t been washed. My hair will take a sharp dive into rat’s nest after the first 20 hours of not having a shower, so camping is a challenge. However, I love camping more than most things in this life, so I have developed some of my own little tricks for taming the mane into looking photo ready. Here are 5 ways to deal with your hair when camping.

1. Braid it

I taught myself how to braid out of pure necessity. If you are on day three of camping, braid your hair; it looks cute and effortless while keeping your greasy locks cleverly hidden. However, if you have thin hair like me, and braids don’t look all that great, you should still pick up this skill. Braid your hair at night, so you wake up with some curls and body to work with instead of lifeless flat hair.

2. Water

Now, please don’t be stupid and wet your hair if you are in a cold region, but this tip has saved me many a time. If you have hair that dries decently well, consider damping it a little in the morning to give it a revitalization. No, I don’t think you should dunk your head in water, unless its 80 degrees, then go for it, but a little water can go a long way. I have scooped handfuls of water out of clear streams and even used extra heated water from coffee in the mornings to give my hair some love.

3. Hats

There is not much to say about this one. Find a hat that you love, that looks good on you, and bring it. Figure out several ways to wear your hair with the hat, so you can use it more than one day without getting bored of it.

4. Dry shampoo

Some people think dry shampoo on a camping trip is high maintenance, but honestly, those people can kiss it. I buy travel or sample size bottles of dry shampoo and pack them with me on every camping trip, even on my backpacking trips. To me, it’s one hundred percent worth the tiny amount of weight and space to have hair I can work with in the mornings. There are plenty of easy ways to deal with your hair when camping.

5. Wear it up

This is very different from the braids and here’s why… I want you to wear your hair up the first day, and every night. The less your hair is down, the less grease and grime it collects, and when you wear it up in a twisted bun at night, you are more likely to wake up with better-looking hair. This is also a way of telling you to not wear a hat too soon. Unless you have crazy good hair, there is no coming back from hat head, so delay putting a hat on as long as possible.
 This article first appeared on Society19

Warmer weather is finally coming, and we all can’t wait to soak up the sun—but forgetting to protect your head can leave you scrambling to figure out how to treat a sunburned scalp.

While aloe will do the trick to treat your burn, it can get messy and greasy in your hair—so we’ve compiled a list of other treatments you can do at home to sooth your itching, burning scalp.

Wash Away

When it comes to washing your hair, you’ll want to ditch your normal volumizing or color-safe shampoo for a few days and instead opt for a exfoliating shampoo or mask while your scalp is still healing.  Your head is desperate for moisture at the moment, and this is a great way to give it the hydration it needs while also helping to get rid of flakes. Speaking of flakes, while the dead skin may resemble dandruff, it should definitely not be treated like so. Avoid dandruff shampoos at all costs, as the chemicals in them might irritate your scalp even more.

At Home Remedies

Some of the quickest ways to relieve the burn can be found right in your kitchen.
Within the first 24 hours of getting burned, whip up a quick Green Tea Rinse for your hair by steeping two Green Tea bags and cooling them to lukewarm in the fridge.  Once you’ve shampooed, soak your hair in the tea for five minutes before rinsing. The antioxidants found in green tea will be ultra soothing to your scalp and help to alleviate the sting.

Another option? Apple Cider Vinegar. Celebrities already claim it to be a miracle worker for the rest of your body, so it’s no surprise that the acid found in it will also help relieve your scalp.  Mix one part Apple Cider Vinegar and one part water to create a mixture to be used after you shampoo and condition your hair.

The last, and probably weirdest, at home remedy to use is 2% milk. The trick, used by dermatologists to treat chemical burns, is to soak a washcloth in ice cold milk and apply it to the scalp for up to five minutes.  The enzymes and proteins found in milk promote healing, and the cold temperature will help reduce inflammation.

Avoid the Itch

Just like the skin on your body, your scalp is inevitably going to start to itch and peel. While it’s gross on your body, it’s even worse on your scalp because the dead skin will get stuck in your hair and start to resemble dandruff—and nobody wants that. As tempting as it is to scratch and pick at your head until it’s all gone, this is actually the worst thing you can do.  Itching will only inflame the already sensitive skin and your fingernails could even cause an infection. Keep your hands away from your head as much as possible and do your best to let your scalp heal on its own.

Simple Style

We already have a red, peeling scalp (cute, right?) and don’t want to make matters worse by styling our hair incorrectly. Absolutely do not use heat tools near your roots (i.e. a blow dryer!) as it’ll only lead to more irritation and a longer healing process. If you can’t go a day without your blow dryer, limit the use to only your ends. But remember, there are plenty of ways out there to style your hair without heat and still look amazing. Another way to look cute and still protect your scalp is to switch up your part. The ‘90s Hair Flip is back in style, so play around with your look until you find the perfect part to hide your burn.

This article first appeared on Stylecaster