No matter your hair type, your hair is at the mercy of environmental factors, such as humidity and wind. But curly hair types are extra vulnerable, especially when it comes to humidity! Women with natural curls best know that. Humidity is equivalent to a hot mess of hair! But when you cannot avoid humidity, it is crucial to arm yourself with the best curly hair products to ensure a smooth finish.
How Does Humidity Affect Curly Hair?
Before you discover what products to use on your curly hair to manage frizz and humidity, let’s start by understanding how humidity affects your curls.
Humidity refers to the moisture level in the air. When there is high humidity, it means there are more microscopic water droplets in the air. But curls need moisture, so why do you have to worry about that?
Humid conditions can make your curls a hot, frizzy mess. While it isn’t visible to the naked eye, each hair strand consists of multiple thin layers. The outermost layer is called the cuticle. The cuticle layer serves as a protective barrier for your hair. If you have healthy and strong curls, your cuticle will open up to allow moisture in and then close up after it has all the moisture it needs. Generally speaking, you won’t have to worry about humidity if your curls are healthy.
But if you have unhealthy curls or a high porosity level, the cuticle layer will open up due to high humidity and remain lifted. Therefore, even if the curly hair strand absorbs plenty of moisture, it loses it just as quickly. You end up with dry and straw-like hair that looks frizzy.
Best Curly Hair Products to Manage Frizz
Understanding the effects of humidity on curly hair helps you to determine what products to combat frizz.
1. Frizz-Fighting Shampoo
There is a reason why there's an aisle dedicated to hair products alone! You have many options available, especially with shampoo. Each hair type and hair condition requires a unique formula. Consider this when choosing the best shampoo for curly hair to avoid frizz due to humidity.
Naturally curly hair can benefit from shampoo that contains coconut oil, aloe vera, and other natural oils. These ingredients nourish your curly hair and withstand humid weather conditions. It also boosts hair strength to easily fight frizz over time.
2. Deep Conditioner
Frizz is an indicator of dry and dehydrated hair. You should look at frizzy curls in humid weather as a sign that your curls need hydration.
A deep conditioning treatment is the best solution for this. A deep conditioner can provide maximum hydration to your strands and restore the cuticle layer. Therefore, your hair can absorb moisture and lock it in, making it more resilient against humidity.
Choose a deep conditioning treatment that can penetrate the hair shaft to ensure that you can nourish it from within.
3. Hair & Scalp Oil
Once you have introduced moisture to your curls, make sure you lock that moisture in. The best way is to lightly coat your strands with oil. Using oil not only provides a protective layer for your curls but it also keeps away excess moisture. Your curls need this to fight frizz during days of high humidity.
Ideally, you should choose a lightweight oil for your curls if you want to manage frizz and fight humidity. Avoid heavy oils that make your strands feel greasy or weigh your curls down.
4. Leave-in Conditioner
A deep conditioning treatment is recommended for a weekly treatment for curly hair types. For your daily routine, apply a leave-in conditioner for curls after washing.
It's an essential step if you are serious about fighting frizz. A leave-in conditioner delivers extra moisture to fight frizz all day long. Using this product, you can be confident in dealing with any climate conditions.
5. Rich Cleanser
A rich cleanser is another must-have product to manage frizz in curly hair. Choose a gentle cleanser formula to repair and restore your curly hair strands.
As mentioned, damaged curly hair is more vulnerable to frizz caused by humidity because the outermost cuticle layer remains lifted. A rich cleanser is an excellent product to restore the health and vitality of your strands, especially the cuticle layer. Therefore, using this product as part of your hair care routine can make it less vulnerable to humidity and frizz.
6. Hair Butter
If you’re worried about managing frizz on curly hair, incorporate hair butter into your daily hair care routine. Choose a hair butter made from organic ingredients to gently care for your curls. It moisturises your strands with natural oils that leave them hydrated, soft, and manageable. When you use this product regularly, it will help your hair better manage frizz caused by humidity.
Additional Hair Care Tips
Investing in the best curly hair products to manage frizz caused by humidity is only one part of the equation. You should tweak your hair care routine to ensure your curly hair remains resilient against high humid conditions and you won’t have to deal with frizz.
For example, ensure your curly hair is dry before going out on days of high humidity. Waiting for your hair to dry ensures that the hair shaft is closed and prevents absorption of excess moisture in your strands. If not, your strands will separate and result in frizzy hair.
Also, when drying your hair, avoid using a terry towel. Switch to using cotton towels instead. This material can absorb excess moisture from your hair, allowing it to dry quickly. The fibres in a cotton towel are more gentle on your curly hair. It won’t rough up the outermost cuticle layers and expose them to damage. It’s time to ditch the terry towel and use cotton instead.
These tips can make it easier to manage your frizz even during high humidity. Use this information to say goodbye to the dreaded frizz fest and say hello to healthier, smoother curly hair!