Beat the Heat: Five Simple Steps to Great Looking Air-Dried Hair
Sleeves are getting shorter and days are getting longer. No doubt about it, it’s warming up fast. And no one wants to sweat under hot hair dryers and flat irons in sunny, muggy weather. So we’re here to help give you an alternative: letting your hair air dry. So if you're ready to break up with your blow dryer this spring and summer, read on for the secrets to great air-dried styling.
First off, why do people use hot tools anyway?
Understanding the benefits of blow drying is key when making the switch to air drying your hair. When used properly, hot tools work to smooth the outer cuticle of the hair, increasing manageability, control, and above all, shine. Everyday wear and tear disturbs this protective outer later. Showering, sunbathing, and even snuggling your pillow can contribute to roughing up the cuticle. Translation: dull, dry, rough-looking frizz. When used responsibly, heat styling can smooth the cuticle, protecting the hair from everyday agitation with a dose of added shine. To achieve a similar effect with air-dried styles, simply swap your hot tools for products with the same cuticle-smoothing functions.
Step #1: Smooth the cuticle
Immaculate hair styling—air-dried or otherwise—begins in the shower. Set the stage for success with a frizz-fighting shampoo and conditioning duo that’s specifically formulated to smooth the cuticle. For thick, coarse, or curly hair, you’ll want extra moisture for control. Try Redken Frizz Dismiss Shampoo and Conditioner to boost coarse curls’ flexibility and shine. If your hair is on the finer side, pick up DESIGNLINE Weightless Shampoo and Conditioner for equally smooth results without the weight.
Step #2: Rinse with cold water
After washing away your conditioner, crank the dial from H to C—not cold enough to have you trying to jump out of the shower, but colder than room-temperature. As unpleasant as it may seem, switching from hot to cool temperatures not only reenergizes your skin; it’s good for your hair, too. Cold water seals the cuticle, helping to limit fizziness for an extra-sleek finish.
Step #3: Add in a leave-in
To further fight humidity, the number one cause of flyaway frizz, apply a leave-in conditioner to towel-dried strands. Formulated with cuticle-smoothing ingredients, DESIGNLINE Ultimate Radiance Leave-in Conditioner guards your hair from wet air and environmental factors. Oh, and the best part? It kicks tangles to the curb for silky-smooth brushing.
Step #4: Select a product and style away
Once cleaned, conditioned, and towel-dried to perfection, apply a professional styling product for touchable texture and movement. Creams, sprays and clays tend to structure strands without crunch, so experiment with a few to find what works for you. Not sure where to start? We’re here to help. The following products can make the process a breeze.
- Cream: Redken No Blow Dry Just Right Cream molds hair with ease and even helps speed up the air-drying process.
- Spray: For separation and definition, mist Paul Mitchell Wild Ginger Texturing Sea Spray before tousling and positioning into your desired look.
- Clay: When looks with layers or volume are desired, clay products offer incredible structure, volume, texture and hold—but they can also be tricky. Try something like DESIGNLINE Mineral Salt Texture Paste for simpler styling to start.
Step #5: Lock in your look
Finish with a healthy mist of humidity-resistant hairspray to keep strands in place. Redken Control Addict 28 creates a protective shield to help prevent your look from collapsing against everyday motion and various climate conditions.
With the right products, air-dried styles can be easy, breezy, and above all, beautiful—no styling tools required. We have everything you need to embrace this process and make your look shine. Find your salon right here.
