Biker Babe Essentials: Must-Know Tips and Must-Have Products for An Active Lifestyle with Natural Hair
Thus far in this Biker Babe series, we’ve talked about skin protection and personal hygiene as a girl that rides bikes and lives an active, outdoor lifestyle. Let’s get to what sits at the very top!
(The top of your head at least, not the top of the list in order of importance because baby, those ‘pits not stinking and that skin not shriveling prematurely is pretty darn important.. but yeah.. let’s get into hair!)
Biker Babe’s Guide to Beating Helmet Hair: Tips for Maintaining Healthy Hair While Living the Bike Life
Living the bike life in L.A. comes with its own set of perks—scenic rides, endless sunshine, and the freedom to explore. But for us girls who bike regularly, there’s one challenge we all face: helmet hair. Whether you're commuting to work, biking for exercise, or just enjoying the breezy coastal trails, maintaining healthy, stylish hair while wearing a helmet is tricky. And it’s not just about looking good after a ride—it’s about protecting your hair’s long-term health and avoiding the damage that can come from the constant friction, sweat, and environmental factors that come with an active lifestyle.
Related: Why Skin Protection Matters as a Bike Rider | aroundLA
In this post, we’ll dive into how you can keep your hair looking polished, fresh, and healthy while riding around L.A., from choosing the right styles to using products that nourish and protect. Plus, I’ll be highlighting some must-have products from the Protective Styles by Angela x Cantu line—perfect for those of us with textured hair who need both style and care.
Helmet Hair Hazards & Their Impact on Hair Health:
Let’s start with the reality of what helmet hair can do to your tresses. Whether it’s the constant friction of your hair against the helmet or the moisture build-up from sweat, wearing a helmet daily can lead to several hair issues, especially for girls with textured hair:
Friction and Breakage: Constant rubbing of your hair against your helmet’s interior can lead to split ends, breakage, and thinning, particularly along the edges and crown. Over time, this can seriously impact the health and length of your hair.
Moisture and Build-Up: For those of us with textured hair, sweat combined with environmental pollutants and product build-up can lead to a dry, itchy scalp and dull-looking hair. Without proper cleansing and conditioning, this can cause breakage, irritation, and even scalp infections.
Environmental Damage: Living and biking in L.A. means your hair is exposed to intense sun, wind, and pollution, all of which can dry out your hair and make it more prone to damage.
To combat these issues, it’s important to focus on protective styling, proper cleansing, and the right haircare routine.
Maintaining a Clean & Polished Look Post-Ride:
No one wants to hop off their bike only to have flat, frizzy, or unkempt hair. Here are a few tips for keeping your hair looking neat and stylish even after a ride:
Choose Low-Maintenance Styles: When biking, opt for hairstyles that can withstand being under a helmet without losing their shape. Low buns, braids, and sleek ponytails work well. These styles not only protect your hair from friction but also make it easier to touch up your look once you take your helmet off.
Use a Silk or Satin Liner: Adding a silk or satin scarf underneath your helmet can reduce friction and help keep your style intact. It’s a simple trick that prevents frizz and keeps your hair smooth.
Quick Refreshers for Post-Ride Touch-Ups: Keep a travel-size spray of Cantu Protective Styles Hair Freshener in your bag. This lightweight mist is formulated with deodorizers and essential oils that neutralize any odors trapped in your hair from sweat or pollution. A few spritzes post-ride, and you’re ready to meet friends or run errands without worrying about helmet hair.
Are we seeing a theme here with this Biker Babe series? You want to maintain the skin, the body within the skin, and now the hair that tops the skin on your head. We may be girls that rides bikes, go on hikes, run with run clubs, and everything else under the sun; does that mean we have to put our feminine aura on the back burner or forget about it and play like dirty little boys on the playground not caring what’s on our shirt or under our nails?! No ma’am. She’s a rider — she’s cute, she’s fun, she’s fit. We prioritize health and enjoyment, while we’re also going to look good doing it! No need to be scruffy, sweetie.
Long-Term Hair Health While Biking and Exercising:
While it’s important to keep your hair looking great on the go, long-term hair health should be a priority. Here’s how you can maintain your hair’s integrity while living an active lifestyle:
Protective Styles Are Your Best Friend: For girls with textured hair, styles like braids, twists, and wigs can be lifesavers. Not only do they reduce daily manipulation and breakage, but they also shield your natural hair from the elements. The Cantu Protective Styles Conditioning Detangler is perfect for maintaining your natural hair when taking down these styles, as it provides superior slip to gently remove tangles and add moisture.
Cleansing Is Key: Sweat and environmental pollutants can clog your scalp and lead to dryness and irritation if not addressed regularly. The Cantu Protective Styles Hair Bath is an excellent cleansing shampoo formulated with apple cider vinegar to nourish and cleanse without stripping your hair of moisture. Regularly clarifying your scalp is essential, especially if you’re frequently active outdoors.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize: Keeping your scalp and hair moisturized is critical, particularly if you’re dealing with friction from helmets or gear. The Cantu Protective Styles Scalp Daily Oil Drop Hair Treatment, infused with tea tree and peppermint oils, is great for soothing an itchy scalp while promoting hair growth. Use it daily to maintain scalp health and prevent dryness.
Ethnic Hair Care & Active Lifestyles:
For those of us with textured or ethnic hair, maintaining an active lifestyle requires more than just rinsing our hair after a workout. Unlike straight hair types, washing and restyling every day isn’t practical, so finding the right balance is key.
Focus on Weekly or Biweekly Cleanses: Depending on your level of activity, aim for a thorough cleanse once or twice a week. The Cantu Protective Styles Hair Bath is ideal for these in-between cleansing sessions, followed by a leave-in conditioner to replenish lost moisture.
Layer Your Products: After washing, layer your products to lock in moisture. Start with a leave-in conditioner, followed by an oil (like the Daily Oil Drops in the Protective Styles by Angela line) to seal in hydration, and finish with a styling cream to define and protect your style (or the foam from Angela’s collection). If you’re rocking a protective style like braids, the Cantu Protective Styles Braiding & Twisting Gel is perfect for keeping your edges slicked down and your style in place.
Product Spotlight: Protective Styles by Angela x Cantu
This new line from Cantu, co-developed with celebrity stylist Angela Stevens, is perfect for bikers and active girls who need products that cater to both natural hair and extensions. Here’s a quick rundown of the must-have products for maintaining healthy hair while living an active lifestyle:
Cantu Protective Styles Hair Bath: A cleansing shampoo with apple cider vinegar to nourish and relieve an itchy scalp while removing harsh chemicals from hair strands.
Cantu Protective Styles Conditioning Detangler: A 2-in-1 conditioner that softens and detangles both natural hair and extensions, perfect for protective style maintenance.
Cantu Protective Styles Hair Freshener: A deodorizing spray that neutralizes odors and leaves hair smelling fresh and clean.
Cantu Protective Styles Scalp Daily Oil Drops: A blend of tea tree, peppermint, and avocado oils designed to hydrate and soothe your scalp.
Cantu Protective Styles Set & Refresh Foam: A styling foam that refreshes braids, lays down edges, and keeps styles neat between shampoos.
Cantu Protective Styles Braiding & Twisting Gel: A firm, non-greasy gel perfect for setting protective styles and retwisting locs.
Angela Styles and Cantu knocked it out of the park with this one, taking the guess-work out and making it convenient and to-the-point for consumers. They’re holding your hand, walking you directly through protective style maintenance and hair care with this Protective Styles by Angela collection. These products not only keep your hair looking fresh day-to-day, from what I’ve seen, but because a hair care expert that values hair health is at the helm, the emphasis is also to protect the hair from the long-term wear and tear that comes with an active lifestyle.
(Please know that Cantu isn’t paying me and you don’t have to get these products from them — the same idea is surely available from other brands — Cantu only happened to come to my mind as I was drafting this post about maintaining hair with an active lifestyle because I’m cool with the expert hairstylist that collaborated with Cantu to create this protective styles hair care collection. She, the hairstylist, Angela, doesn’t know that I’m writing this either and I received no sort of incentive nor encouragement from her nor the brand, Cantu, to pen this post; it simply made sense. Cantu, Bantu, Wantu, whatever, child, get a well-formulated set of products from whomever; the part that matters is keeping your hair and scalp clean and moisturized… and slick, if you’re like me; definitely not a neccessity, your girl though, I need me a good setting mousse and gripping gel to make this clean and moisturized hair nice and neat.)
While at Essence Fest in New Orleans this summer, I had to pop into the PDC Brands installation to see my girl Angela, creator of Cantu’s Protective Styles by Angela hair care collection. (Yeah, my product spotlight for this biker babe post is a bit bias.. I adore this little hard-working woman!)
Full disclosure: I do not own Cantu’s Protective Styles by Angela collection, nor have I ever tried the products on my own hair. I do, however, trust Angela as an expert hair stylist and her hands-on contribution to formulating this line of hair products for protective styles. Also, I’ve watched plenty of video reviews of others using the Protective Styles by Angela hair care products and everyone can’t be lying, right?! I want y’all, my Riders, to know that we keep it all the way honest over here at around LA with TK; when I’m writing a product review on an item I’ve received from the brand for free, I will disclose that information, as well as if I’m receiving compensation to advertise a product. I neverrrrrr want to be one of those fabricating ol’ TikTok shop girlies talking about, “OMG guys, you HAVE to buy this,” knowing good and well they don’t even love it like that… girl.
I’m only letting y’all know what I find to be logical.
Final Tips: Preserving Both Style and Health
For lasting hair health, it’s important to combine the right products with smart maintenance practices:
Nighttime Protection: Wrap your hair in a satin scarf or bonnet before bed to preserve your style and prevent friction from your pillowcase.
Gentle Handling: When removing helmets or gear, be gentle to avoid pulling or snagging your hair.
Hydration Is Key: Keep your hair and scalp hydrated, especially if you’re out in the sun often. Layer your products and use hydrating mists like the Cantu Hair Freshener for quick moisture boosts.
These tips apply not just to bike riding but to all sports and outdoor activities, whether you’re a runner, hiker, or yogi. And while this post is focused on my girls, guys can take note too—there’s no excuse for letting your hair and scalp suffer just because you’re living an active life!
Here at aroundLAwithTK, we know that living the bike life means staying stylish and fresh even while being active. For more tips and inspiration for girls that bike around L.A. (or wherever you are), be sure to subscribe to our email list and follow @aroundLAwithTK on Instagram. There’s always something new to discover about riding practices, bike-friendly spots, and how to look great doing it. Other publications have readers, on aroundLAwithTK, we have riders. You’re cute, you’re fun, you’re fit — thank you for being here, Rider.
Note: While I don’t mind spending hours preparing and sharing helpful information with no promise of compensation, I could use a mean oat milk chai tea latte to help me get through the next writing session; if you’d like it to be your treat, my Venmo is @tekeyakrystal.
