Photography: Courtesy of Erika Krauze/@erika_krauze, Lizbeth Paek Vargas/@lizzvargashair, and Lizz Perez/@lizzd0eshair
Festival season is upon us—and with it comes the challenge of maintaining flawless hair amidst the humidity, dust, and long days in the summer heat. Whether your clients will be dancing under the sun or camping under the stars, these multi-day celebrations can take a toll on their strands—putting their hair’s resilience (and your styling expertise) to the test.
That’s why a carefully crafted haircare routine is just as important as the gorgeous festival styles you’ll create for them. Your clients will need the right products to help prep their hair, easy-to-pack hair refreshers, and post-event recovery essentials. From high-gloss treatments that make vivid colors pop to styling sticks that tame frizz in seconds, consider this your complete checklist for festival-ready hair before, during, and after the main event.
Photography: Courtesy of Tiffany M/@tiffanymhair
Pre-Festival Hair Prep
Festival hair prep should begin several weeks before your client sets foot on the festival grounds. To help prepare their locks for the event, it’s best to minimize heat styling and focus on deep conditioning treatments that strengthen and hydrate their strands. Clients who want to try out a bold fantasy shade or refresh their existing color should be booked at least 3-4 weeks before the event. Ahead, discover some of the pre-festival essentials to have stocked and ready.
UNITE 7Seconds Hair Masque
Hydration is a must leading up to outdoor festivals, and this deep conditioning treatment delivers on all fronts. Formulated with shea butter and vegetable proteins, it restores elasticity, strengthens strands, and leaves hair smoother and shinier in just 10 minutes.
Redken Acidic Color Gloss Activated Glass Gloss Treatment
This at-home professional strength glossing treatment by Redken is for clients who want hair so shiny that it catches the light in every selfie. The revolutionary formula deeply conditions hair while adding salon-quality, glass-like shine that lasts for up to three days.
Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color
Festival weekend is the perfect time to show off a fantasy-inspired shade with Pulp Riot’s vivid, semi-permanent formulas. Formulated with Anti-Overworking Technology, your clients will love these bold, trending hues, like Lava Lamp, Lilac, Nuclear, and Fireball.
Kenra Thermal Styling Spray 19
Kenra Professional’s iconic Thermal Styling Spray 19 helps protect hair from heat and styling damage up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit. It also adds firm hold, tames flyaways, and delivers humidity resistance—a must-have leading up to any festival celebration.
BaBylissPRO Style Switch
This new tool is a stylist’s dream for on-the-go versatility. With five interchangeable attachments, you can easily switch between sleek curls, waves, or texture with one streamlined styler—ideal for last-minute changes or touchups before hitting the festival grounds.
Festival Day Essentials
Once your clients arrive on site, it’s all about maintenance: keeping their hairstyles looking fresh and their strands protected—without needing a full-on glam tent.
amika Perk Up Plus Extended Clean Dry Shampoo
Besides comfortable shoes and sunscreen, dry shampoo is one of the most important items your clients can pack in their festival bags—like this lightweight mini from amika’s Perk Up collection. Perfect for refreshing second- and third-day hair on the go, it quickly absorbs excess oil, refreshes the roots, and leaves hair feeling clean without residue or buildup.
Aquage Beyond Shine Spray
From glitter eyeshadow to shimmering tinsel strands, festival season is all about bringing next-level shine. This ultra-fine mist delivers brilliant gloss, shine, and surface reflection to your strands, making it a festival staple for boosting your client's boho braids or space buns between sets.
Tiri Pro Mini Boar Bristle Hair Brush
Small but expertly crafted, this travel-size chrome brush detangles gently and promotes the natural distribution of hair oils for picture-perfect festival hair on the go.
DESIGNME Hold.Me Styling Stick
Humidity and wind are no match for this ultra-versatile styling stick from DESIGNME, which glides on clear to smooth flyaways and control frizz. Its compact size makes it perfect for quickly touching up festival updos, pixie cuts, slicked back ponytails, bangs, and braids.
Biolage Professional Hair Spa All-In-One Multi-Benefit Spray
This travel-sized, multitasking leave-in spray with coconut oil covers all your haircare basics over a long festival weekend. Spritz it onto your ends or all throughout your hair to instantly revive any hairstyle by adding hydration, smoothness, shine, and frizz control.
Pink Pewter Marbled Mini Claw Hair Clips
Functional and trendy, these marbled mini clips are great for keeping your hair in place while elevating any festival look. Try stashing a few in your festival bag for impromptu half-up styles or midday touch ups when temperatures are at their highest.
Lasio Professional Forget Me Not Travel Kit
This travel-friendly kit includes everything you need to refresh and revive hair during multi-day events, including a shampoo, conditioner, mask, serum, and volumizing hairspray.
Photography: Courtesy of Tiffany M/@tiffanymhair
Post-Festival Haircare Must-Haves
The music may be over, but your client’s strands will likely need a bit of TLC after the event. Following days of exposure to sun, sweat, and styling products, it’s time to repair, rehydrate, and reset with nourishing hair oils, repairing masks, and bonding serums.
L'Oréal Professionnel Absolute Repair Molecular Leave-In Mask
Try recommending this hair repair mask to clients who need to restore strength, elasticity, and movement to their strands. The patented system by L'Oréal Professionnel features the brand's peptides bonder and five amino acids to help repair the hair’s molecular structure.
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Oil
This highly concentrated hair oil formula is designed to improve the look and feel of hair on a molecular level. It works on two levels of the hair fiber to fight frizz and reduce split ends while enhancing shine and color vibrancy.
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate 24/7 Night & Day Serum
The latest addition to Redken’s beloved Acidic Bonding Concentrate range, this leave-in bonding serum works while you sleep to deliver long-lasting protection and repair. If your client’s hair is feeling dull and damaged after festival season, this formula is a must-have.
Maria Nila Structure Repair Shampoo and Conditioner
Once the festival dust settles, your client’s hair will need a deep cleanse—but it’s essential to choose the right shampoo and conditioner for the job. This pro-approved duo from Maria Nila is formulated with repairing algae extract to moisturize and strengthen the hair while delivering a fresh, clean feel.
Photography: Courtesy of Pati Rodriguez/@pati.rodrigz
Shop Festival Hair Essentials
Whether it’s a one-day event or a weekend-long marathon, these festival essentials ensure your client’s hair will be prepped and ready from the first set to the final encore.
Find your festival haircare and styling favorites at SalonCentric.com or at a SalonCentric store near you.
