No matter what your hair type, most of us are prone to at least little frizz when the temperatures heat up and the humidity inevitably ticks up with higher temperatures and more plentiful precipitation. Those with porous hair (often highlighted, chemically treated or naturally lighter hair) are even more prone to frizzy hair when the humidity spikes and a consistent frizz reduction regimen can really help.
These are the hair types that really have to go the extra mile in fighting the summertime frizzies. The good news is there are actually some great natural, minimally time consuming and inexpensive ways to have better hair all summer long no matter what the weather is doing outside.
Many anti frizz products sold commercially are loaded with silicones and temporary coating agents. They often times weigh the hair down, or make it look dull or dry. This defeats the purpose of improving the appearance of frizz, so the strategies recommended below help address frizz without creating these other two undesired side effects.
Coconut oil soak
Periodically, up to once a week, try a coconut oil soak. You can pair it with one of your favorite essential oils like lemongrass or citrus oils to rev shine up more since citrus oils help with porosity and increase shine. Simply melt down solid coconut oil, enough for your length of hair, add your essential oils, and distribute throughout washed, wet but wrung out hair.
Allow the oil mixture to soak for about a half hour then wash it out and condition the hair as usual. Coconut oil is excellent for reducing hair porosity. Its medium chain fatty acids can really penetrate the individual strands without coating them too much or weighing them down. It’s also excellent for scalp health. When you reduce porosity, you reduce the amount of pores the humidity has to enter the shaft and expand the hair, creating frizz and promoting unruliness.
Apple cider vinegar rinse
Apple cider vinegar is also an excellent natural frizz fighter. Its natural acidity and enzymes smooth the outer cuticle of the hair, making it a flatter surface and helping to seal any porous areas that may attract all that extra humidity.
Simply dilute organic apple cider vinegar with water using about a half and half ratio, or ¾ ACV to ¼ water ratio, and rinse before you shampoo. The ACV allows your hair to not only be shinier and more resilient, but it also gentle cleanses the hair of any buildup which can make hair appear dull. Your hair should feel “squeaky” clean after the rinse and shampoo, and your conditioner will penetrate much better, more effectively sealing off the cuticle for even more humidity and frizz resistance.
Cold water rinse
In addition to using an ACV rinse before shampooing, try also rinsing with a final shot of cold water after you’ve washed and conditioned your hair. Cold water works as an additional sealant, helping to smooth and close off the pores in the hair shaft as well as increasing shine.
Blast with a cold shot of air
When blow drying, try sealing off the hair with a cold shot (most dryers have a cold setting), after the hair is completely dry. This helps to “set” the hair and prevent future frizz from forming. And again, it helps to increase the shine.
While we’re talking about hair dryers…
The type of hair dryer you choose can really determine whether you have a good, frizz free hair day or not as well. You may pay more, but a high quality ionic high wattage hair dryer, can last for years and pays off in the better results and frizz control.
Ionic dryers use a technology where negative ions flow from the nozzle, which breaks down the positive ions in the water soaking the hair, in turn decreasing the time it takes to blow the hair dry. This decreases the chances that frizz will form, and decreases the amount of time you’re subjecting your hair to heat.
Higher wattage means more blowing power, which also decreases the reliance on heat for drying. Since repeated high heat and chemical treatments can increase porosity and rough up the cuticle, it’s a huge benefit to have a drying tool that gets the job done in a much shorter amount of time with the added benefits of sealing off the shaft and protecting it against moisture.
Danna Norek founded AuraSensory.com, which offers a popular Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo and Deep Hydration Conditioner with absolutely no parabens, artificial colors or scents, or other hormone-disrupting and toxic chemicals.
