Humidity Hair Hacks!

It's summertime and with summer heat comes the steamy humidity that can wreak havoc on any hair. Prevention is key when it comes to humidity and there are some tips, tricks and products that can make dealing with frizzy hair a (cool summer) breeze!

1. Wash less - condition more!
It is super important to keep your hair hydrated - washing your hair will strip the natural oils, and if you are experiencing frizzy hair - you hair is most likely dry! Smooth the cuticle of the hair by using deep conditioners, spray on conditioners, even dry conditioners! Wash your hair as infrequently as possible (2-3 times per week) but you can rinse and condition every day! With my curly hair and my love of a sweaty workout I need to rinse my hair everyday - and I follow with an awesome conditioner, a leave in conditioner, and a styling product.

 2. How moisture helps combat frizz
Moisture - specifically frizz busting conditioning products - help smooth the rough cuticle of your hair - which helps to contain and combat frizz! When you coat the shaft of the hair you allow the hair to relax and either succumb to the natural curl pattern (and have your curls hang beautifully!) or hang straight. When people bleach or color treat hair it lifts the cuticle and allows moisture to enter the shaft of the hair - much like a sponge - and BOOM - frizzy hair. Keep that cuticle cute by moisturizing!!

 3. How to dry your hair to reduce frizz

Use a specially designed towel - or what I use - an old t-shirt, to gently blot moisture from the hair. Think of your hair as a nest of bees - if you agitate the bees you will get stung with a bad hair day, you get more honey (good hair days!) if you are sweet to the bees, so make sure you are gentle when you are drying your hair! Blot, blot, blot!!!

 4. How to make heat styling frizz friendly!
PRODUCTS!!! It is so important to use the right products to make sure you are preparing your hair for heat styling! I love to use Amika and John Frida's Frizz Ease line on my curly and frizz prone clients - and I am a OUIDAD Devotee for myself. For heat styling make sure that you are conditioning, using a priming oil and spray to really coat your strands before you start blowing out and flat ironing! Here are my favorite products:

Amika Blockade Heat Defense Serum: Keeps your tresses safe in the face of heat danger!
Amika Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray: Volume, Body, Shine, and heat protection - what more do you need?

Frizz Ease Frizzy Hair Primer: Apply after your Leave in Conditioner to protect from frizz!
Frizz Ease Nourishing Leave in Conditioner: This is a must have every day leave in!
Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir: This leave hair 50% smoother, shiny and frizz free!

Ouidad: I use the entire Climate Control line - I would recommend using everything together as it works so well - but here are two additional products that I think are MUST HAVES:

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Restore + Revive Bi-Phase Spray: This does what I consider the impossible: allows me to get up in the morning, spray on my hair and go about my day with great hair. If you have curly hair, you know that getting up in the morning and going about your day without a complete restyling of your hair is a miracle (unless you are wearing a scarf or protective style). This stuff is MAGIC.

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel - Stronger Hold: I was a fan of the original formula of this gel, it was the first product that a curly girl could use that didn't make your hair crunchy and allowed your curls to hang properly.  This new version builds on the successful formula of the previous incarnation with extra hold power.

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Featherlite Styling Cream: This cream is amazing - it allows your curls to be truly touchable and soft. I have tried so many products trying to find one that will actually tame the frizz, help the curl pattern, and allow my hair to look like the hair of my dreams. This truly does that. Most amazing is that the texture of my hair with this product allows me to be able to twist my hair once it is applied and it truly holds - no frizzy ends! It's amazing!!

5. Protective hairstyles to reduce frizz and lock in moisture

If you really don't have time to style your hair - or if you want to give your hair a mini staycation on your head - a protective hairstyle is a great option. Coat your hair liberally with a leave in conditioner (or if your tresses are really in need of CPR use a heavy duty mask) and twist into braids, or another style to help protect from damage and seal in the treatment.  

If you have a question, ask a question!! xxx Huge Hugs!!

Alexis