IGK Just Dropped Waterproof Mascara For Your Hair & You're Going To Use It All Summer

We've all been counting down to warmer days packed with pool parties (and the pool-float selfies that come with them), BBQs (calories and all), and beach days (which mostly include you napping on a towel for hours on end. Sounds glorious doesn't it?), but we tend to forget how hard summer can be on our hair. Between the sunshine, chlorine, and salt water, our strands don't stand a chance. It's all fun and games until your hair gets dehydrated. I've tried limiting the amount of damage I do to my hair over the warmest months of the year but trying DIY hacks and Googling how to protect your hair from pool water is a full-time job.

Well, it used to be a full-time job. Now, IGK (you know the hair brand with all the super cool products and even cooler packaging), just launched a brand new product that keeps your hair safe and shiny all summer long. The press release sent from the brand says, "wet hair is weak hair, and this water-resistant formula acts as a swim cap for your hair, sealing the cuticle and protecting it from wind, water, sweat, and UV rays." Score!

The limited-edition product, cleverly named Blocked, is packed with a blend of natural water-resistant waxes that create an invisible layer of coating on the surface of your hair. The coating protects each strand to keep all of summer's harsh elements out, including those icky pool chemicals. It's even packed with balm mint extract that prevents your hair color from fading. Can somebody have a pool party already?

What's so bad about sunshine, salt water, and chlorine, you ask? It might all sound relatively harmless, but it's actually all terrible for your hair. Here's how the all wreak havoc on your sensitive strands.

UV rays are just as hard on your hair as they are on your skin.

You already keep your face and body protected with layers of SPF (please tell me you do!), but when it comes to hair, everyone forgets to bring protection. UV rays penetrate your strands and make them weak and brittle, not to mention break down your color if your hair is treated.

Chlorine is every blonde girl's nightmare.

Chlorine strips away natural oils and leaves hair dry and brittle, which leads to split ends and crunchy textures. The long-term damage sucks, but the short-term damage looks just as bad. Chlorine's bleaching effects also change the color of your hair, especially if you're blonde.

Salt water is no walk on the beach.

Salt water has dehydrating effects, which means a day swimming in the ocean can leave your hair seriously parched and weak. Even detangling should be approached with caution, as to not risk futher breakage.

So instead of hitting the beach in a swim cap or trying any weird summer-hair hacks you find on Pinterest, apply a small amount of IGK's Blocked Water-Resistant Hair Shield ($29; sephora.com) to wet or dry hair beginning at the hairline and comb through the ends to distribute. And just like that, your hair is protected for hours of sunshine, a day's worth of chlorine and a vacation's worth of salt water.

IGK Blocked Water-Resistant Hair Shield, $29, Sephora

In case you're wondering where the idea for such a product came from (aside from the need to protect yourself from the elements), IGK was inspired by waterproof mascara, and how it coats your lashes on land and in water.

Get ready for long days packed with pool parties and beach volleyball, because they're coming! But now, the best part is you won't have to worry about coming home with split ends, brassy highlights, and crunchy beach hair.