In a perfect world, you’d be able to wash your hair and walk out the door knowing your hair will dry perfectly. Unfortunately, the world isn’t perfect and air drying your locks can mean you’re left with a frizzy, staticky mess. While we can’t guarantee you a perfect world, we’re sure our tips on how to properly air dry hair will leave you with flawless, heat-free locks every time.
Use a moisturizing shampoo.
Most people stay away from air drying their hair for one reason: frizz. Humidity usually gets the blame for causing frizzy hair, but ultimately it comes down to one thing: your hair is lacking moisture. Frizz happens when your locks are dehydrated and they begin to seek moisture from their surrounding environment. This is why frizz is usually most noticeable when it’s humid outside. Your dry locks do their best to soak up the moisture from the air, causing your strands to swell with temporary moisture and appear frizzy.
To help minimize the appearance of frizz, make sure your hair is as moisturized as possible. Ensure your hair is receiving the proper moisture during the first step of your air dry routine by swapping out your regular shampoo for a moisturizing formula.
Detangle your hair in the shower.
Your hair often feels most fragile when it’s wet—and that’s because it is. Because of that, many people prefer to wait until their locks are dry to detangle their mane. Unfortunately, the unnecessary roughness typically associated with detangling hair can be a major problem for your mane. Gently detangling your hair while it is still wet allows you to remove all of the knots without risking frizzy, staticky hair.
Gently eliminate excess water.
Roughly towel drying your hair is often another mistake we often see. Instead, we recommend gently squeezing the excess water out of your hair before you move on to styling. Using your hands to gently release the water will help your locks look and feel smooth.
Pick the right products.
Like most styles, the right products can make or break your ‘do. Choosing the right products is even more important when you’re air drying your hair, as you don’t have hot tools to help you achieve your look. The right products will help your hair look moisturized and shiny while minimizing the look of frizz.
We’ve rounded up the best air dry products in the L’Oréal portfolio of brands.
Add texture and volume.
You don’t use heat to dry your hair just because it’s fast. Hot tools can also add much-needed texture and volume to your ‘do. Fortunately, there are a few ways to add texture and volume to your style without heat.
After you’ve applied your styling products, scrunch your strands to create texture. If your hair lacks volume, apply a volumizing product directly to your roots Alternatively, you can use double prong hair clips to clip sections of your hair up at the roots. Allow the clips to remain in your hair until your mane is completely dry.
Leave it alone.
This is may be the most important step in your air dry journey. Once you’ve washed, combed, and styled your hair, don’t touch it until it dries completely. Touching your hair before it’s dry can cause your strands to lose their shape and even lead to unnecessary frizz. If you can resist the temptation to touch your locks, you’ll be rewarded with perfectly air dried locks.
