A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Updated on Oct. 01, 2024
To keep summer heat and humidity from turning your hair into a giant fuzzball, you need to work with your hair texture, not against it. Here's how you do it with the best frizzy hair products.
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Frizz is a fact of life, and it begins the moment you step out of the shower. Frizzy hair is truly the great equalizer of humankind because everyone’s bound to wind up with a humidity-provoked pouf once in a while, regardless of hair texture or length. To put it simply, the reason is moisture imbalance, which causes the moisture particles to reshuffle in an attempt to create balance, and that leads to dry hair in the winter and frizz in the summer. Luckily, the best frizzy hair products can change everything.
“Frizzy hair does not have to be permanent,” reassures Taliah Waajid, a natural hair entrepreneur. “Keep your hair and scalp clean, reduce the amount of heat that you use on your hair and use products that contain ingredients to help reduce frizz.”
And there are tons of frizzy hair products to choose from—which is great but also a little overwhelming. That’s why we talked to pro stylists to get the scoop on exactly what you need, for every type of hair, styling preference and budget. From the best shampoos for curly hair and conditioners that smooth strands to miracle serums and rich oils, these expert-recommended options will tame frizzy hair once and for all.
P.S. If you’re into beauty trends, this viral Tiktok hair-slugging trend might be your key to fuller, less frizzy and more moisturized hair.
Natural waves need very little, aside from a little protection with the best frizzy hair products to look awesome. “I’m a big fan of mousses, which are lightweight enough to go into a wavy hair type or even a hair type that looks straight but has the potential to get a little wave,” says celebrity hairstylist and colorist Christin Brown. Even drugstore mousse works its magic on struggling thin or limp strands.
To give hair a boost while eliminating frizz, go for volume with this airy TRESemmé mousse that adds a surprising amount of fullness. Then, blow-dry on a low setting or let your strands air-dry.
Perk up dry, lackluster curls with Oribe’s Curl Créme, a richly moisturizing blend of avocado, apricot and coconut oils. Don’t be fooled by the airiness of frizzy hair products like this—it’s a total powerhouse that encourages curls to snap into their natural, defined shape.
These buttery textures, although they don’t feel thick, provide a heavy-duty coating, which is exactly what you want to minimize frizz, retain moisture and hold your curl definition. And no complaints here about the jolt of glossy shine.
Powerful, hushed and armed with the ability to decrease frizzy flyaways by up to 61%, Dyson’s OG Supersonic Hair Dryer changed the game completely. It has Tesla-style high-tech features, including intelligent heat control, which measures air temperature more than 40 times per second to prevent heat-styling damage.
This tool not only dries hair faster than your average dryer or hair dryer diffuser, but it also increases smoothness by 75% and boosts shine by up to 132% for a total root-to-strand makeover. Plus, it works for all four hair types to show your frizz who’s the boss. Also, check out our Dyson Airwrap review to see how it smooths tresses in a fraction of the usual dry time.
Color Wow is a new player in the game, coming in hot with its Dream Coat Supernatural Spray. Just spray it generously on damp hair and activate it with heat and tension. The sleek finish lasts multiple washes (three to four, to be exact). It’s safe for all hair types, including color-treated, Keratin-treated and extension hair. Add this to your hair care lineup for your best blowout hair.
To help tame frizz for good, Shopping Editor Andrea Carrillo loves the Color Wow Dream Coat. “I’ve struggled with frizzy hair my whole life. But a thorough coat of this spray before blow drying really keeps it styled for days,” she says. “Plus, the full-size bottle lasts forever.”
Heat is often necessary to achieve a frizz-free look, whether it’s with a blow dryer, straightener, diffuser or other tool. The Ion Humidity Defying Serum seals the cuticle to prevent moisture from infiltrating, while also providing some heat protection from all the hot tools.
Carrillo also swears by this serum. “I’ve been using this oil since the beginning of my hair care journey and it hasn’t failed me,” she says. “I love that it’s a thick formula that doesn’t weigh my hair down.” But if you’re trying to reduce the heat, try these overnight hairstyles.
For not-quite-straight but not-quite-curly Type 2 hair, celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons’ go-to style is the model-off-duty vibe of effortless beach waves. And to make the heatless curls actually effortless, he suggests scrunching Ouai’s wave-activating, anti-frizz foam to damp strands.
Just make sure to avoid the root, he says, because although this hair texture isn’t as prone to oiliness as super straight hair, it’s not completely free of the easy-to-grease struggle. This deliciously scented formula filled with kale extract allows damp hair to air-dry into waves of perfection with no frizz in sight. If you do want to brush out your locks, try a brush for frizzy hair.
Today’s flexible-hold gels are actually capable of bouncy movement, like R+Co’s Motorcycle Flexible Gel. This is one of those must-have frizzy hair products that’s packed with an impressive number of nourishing ingredients, like coconut oil, sunflower seed extract keratin and argan oil, which all work together to keep frizz in check without sacrificing hair’s structure or form.
“I’m a big fan of gel, even though a lot of people’s lasting impression with gels is how they were in the ’90s—crunchy, flaky, too hard in the hair,” explains Brown. “But a lot of gels can do a great job of protecting our hair, especially in the warmer climate, to stop it from getting too frizzy.” Using gel the right way could even make you look younger.
Before heat-styling—whether you’re using a blow-dryer, diffuser, curler or straightener—New York City salon owner Nunzio Saviano stresses the need for frizzy-hair types to prep their hair before even thinking about touching a heat protectant like this Briogeo cream.
Depending on hair thickness, squeeze one to two quarter-size dollops into your palms before “coating the hair shaft, starting mid-shaft and working your way down,” explains Saviano, adding that you should steer clear of the root, especially if you have fine or thin hair.
It takes a curly to know what curlies want, and boy, did Tracee Ellis Ross deliver. The best frizzy hair products should offer extra protection against humidity to keep natural curls intact. When hair is damp, smooth in this leave-in conditioner from Pattern that’s perfect for curls, coils and tight natural textures.
This humectant-enriched formula balances moisture levels and tames unruly tresses. If you need a touch-up and don’t have time for a hair mask, glide a little over dry hair to tame flyaways and add a bit of hold to maintain frizz-free style from morning till night.
Extremely effective for all hair types and textures, this leave-in K18 hair mask has been clinically proven to reverse hair damage by diving into the hair at the cellular level to reconnect broken keratin chains and fortify hair structure.
“While the frizz-controlling stylers I recommend depend on specific hair types, the K18 mask is one product that I recommend to every client, regardless of texture,” says Anabel Santos, a stylist at Sally Hershberger Nomad. “It significantly minimizes frizz with both immediate and continued use.” For an in-depth look, read our editor’s K18 review.
For coarse strands, hairstylist and founder of Fatboy, Tyson Kennedy recommends mixing a putty or pomade with a couple of drops of MoroccanOil pure argan oil and applying it from roots to ends. “Comb through the hair, and then run your hands through to add separation. If you have longer hair, you can twist it to create beachy waves in the front.” Another hair oil favorite? The Mielle Rosemary Oil.
“This leave-in reparative Olaplex No. 6 bond smoother is incredible for frizz—it’s honestly one of the best things,” says Brown. “I can use it in conjunction with other product lines, and it just does an incredible job of being that moisturizing baseline. Whatever you cocktail with it, or if you’ve decided to use it by itself, it combats frizz, whether it’s in winter, spring or summer.” Maintain the crinkle-free look with shampoos for frizzy hair.
Excessive towel-drying isn’t better for your hair than blow-drying—that’s a hair myth. It can actually disrupt hair’s natural texture and rough up the cuticle. In fact, Brown recommends forgoing any kind of drying towel for at least the first five minutes post-shower. “You want your hair to have time to absorb the water that it needs to make a hydrated curl or strand,” she explains. “If you do it right away, you’re removing too much moisture quickly, and your hair could be way thirstier than you think.”
Instead, try a high-tech microfiber towel woven with moisture-wicking strands that are finer than silk to sop up dripping, just-hopped-out-of-the-shower-five-minutes-ago hair. You’ll go from drenched to damp in half the time, and prevent friction and frizz in the process. Here’s how to wash a microfiber towel for a fresh dry every time.
Getting the right shampoo for your hair type is the crucial first step in the battle against frizz. In order to shampoo less, you have to shampoo smarter, meaning the formulation has to be a gentle multitasking jack-of-all-trades. This milky, lightly foaming co-wash slash shampoo from Bread Beauty Supply is heaven for curlies and textured hair, although all hair types would benefit from the deeply nourishing and smoothing blend of argan oil, aloe vera juice and lemon tea tree oil.
Even so, Saviano cautions against washing daily, even for thin hair textures. Instead, “keep it to two to three times a week maximum to reduce frizz, and spritz hair lightly with water to re-style versus shampooing.”
Specifically developed to fight frizz in all hair types, this feather-light conditioner is clinically proven to smooth strands and block humidity, thanks to the brand’s patented, MIT-approved Healthy Hair Molecule. It’s hydrating, yet weightless enough for even the thinnest and finest frizz-prone hair textures to use on the reg. Next, check out the $10 scalp brush, one of our favorite frizzy hair products that will totally transform your hair.
