As summer draws closer, trips to the beach, pool or lake are likely on your agenda. As a summer lover, I try to spend as much time outside as possible once the days get longer. Exposure to heat, UV rays, chlorine and salt water can all take their toll on your hair.

But fear not, I have a few tips and recommendations for the best UV hair protection products to pamper your hair in the sun, wherever you spend your lazy days.

Prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause damage to the cuticle, the outermost layer of your hair strand. This can ultimately lead to dry, brittle hair that is vulnerable to breakage, frizz, dryness, split ends and discoloration. Basically everything we want to avoid.

We all tend to imagine beach days coming straight from the ocean, as our locks magically dry in a perfect mermaid wave. However, sun damage ruins this fairy tale for many of us, making the thought of dealing with hair before, during and after the beach very frightening. Fighting tangles, removing random bits of seaweed and preventatively combating frizzy and dry hair are becoming common challenges, especially for women with curly hair types.