18 Products to Tame Frizzy Hair
Updated: Sep. 13, 2021
Don't like what the summer heat and humidity are doing to your hair? The trick is to work with, not against, your natural hair texture. Here's what to do.
Best Hair Products for Frizzy Hair
Researchers say that acceptance starts with acknowledgement, so here we go: 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.
The main reason for this problem, to put it simply, is a moisture imbalance, which causes the moisture particles to reshuffle in an attempt to create balance, and that can lead 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 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.
(Related: Do Shampoo Bars Work?)
Ouai Air Dry Foam
$37, sephora.com
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 styling 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.
(Related: Everything You Need to Know About Scalp Care, the Latest Trend in Skin Care)
R+Co Motorcycle Flexible Gel
$31, beautysense.ca
“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.” Today’s flexible-hold gels are actually capable of bouncy movement, like R+Co’s Motorcycle Flexible Gel. This must-have frizzy hair product is 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.
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Flawless by Gabrielle Union Hydrating Curl Refresher Spray
$14.50, sallybeauty.ca
If you think humidity has thwarted your good hair day, think again. “When you have frizzy hair and you want to get that smooth texture, definition, and moisture back, Flawless has an amazing refresher spray that will bounce your hair back from that frizzy texture to a more patterned, consistent, and defined texture with great moisture,” raves Larry Sims, the hairstylist Gabrielle Union-Wade and Zendaya have on speed dial. He suggests spritzing strands and blending into the root close to the face, and then moving on to his favourite styling technique: the scrunch-and-go. Do this toward the middle and the back of the hair, starting at the bottom and working your way up to sculpt curls back into line.
But one word of caution: “The more you touch your hair, the frizzier it becomes and the more disrupted the definition,” he says. So refresh, then hands off!
(Related: 38 Secrets Your Hair Stylist Won’t Tell You)
Leonor Greyl Paris Éclat Naturel
$60, ssense.com
“I like a lightweight cream, such as Éclat Naturel by Leonor Greyl, to tame frizz and flyaways,” says Alex Brown, a Chicago-based celebrity hairstylist, of this super versatile cream that’s one of the best products for frizzy hair. “It doesn’t weigh hair down, but keeps frizz in check without ever feeling hard or sticky.”
Comb a pea-sized amount of this jojoba-oil-filled styling cream into damp hair before blow-drying for a high-gloss finish. To flatten rogue flyaways on dry hair, warm up an even smaller amount in your palms and nudge the errant strands into place.
(Related: The Trendy Hair Product Ingredient That Fixes All Your Hair Woes)
Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Cream
$30, sephora.com
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-styling product. 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.
(Related: This Is How Bad It Is to Sleep with Wet Hair)
Oribe Curl Control Silkening Créme
$52, sephora.com
Perk up dry, lackluster curls with Oribe’s richly moisturizing blend of avocado, apricot, and coconut oils. Don’t be fooled by the airiness of this frizzy hair product—it’s a total powerhouse that encourages curls to snap into their natural, defined shape. “Curl creams really add an impactful amount of moisture to your hair,” says Sims. “It definitely locks into the texture so it won’t frizz as fast, even with high levels of humidity.” 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.
Pattern Leave-In Conditioner
USD$25, patternbeauty.com
Naturally frizzy hair needs extra protection against humidity to keep 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, glide a little over dry hair to tame flyaways and add a bit of hold to maintain frizz-free style from morning till night.
(Related: How to Properly Wash Your Hair)
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
$89, k18hair.ca
Extremely effective for all hair types and textures, this leave-in hair mask has been clinically proven to reverse hair damage by diving into 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.”
(Related: 12 Beauty Essentials for Healthy Summer Skin and Hair)
Taliah Waajid Repair & Restore Hair Strengthening Masque
USD$11, naturalhair.org
“All hair is different, but even if your hair type is 1, never skip a biweekly deep conditioning,” says Mane Addicts’ Sabrina Porsche, who has a client list that reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood (think Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Solange). That said, thick hair requires mega moisture. Annagjid “Kee” Taylor, owner of the Philadelphia salon Deeper Than Hair, suggests weekly deep-conditioning treatments for hair type 3 and above, as they “need a bit more oomph in their products,” she says. “Look for creams, and be consistent with masking and treatments to maintain your hair’s moisture and elasticity.”
Taliah Waajid’s Repair & Restore Hair Strengthening Masque nourishes strands and smooths the cuticle with shea butter, honey, and banana to bring dull, dehydrated hair back to life.
(Related: It’s Time to Try the “No ‘Poo” Method of Hair Care)
Kérastase 8H Magic Night Hair Serum
$68, sephora.com
Think of this magical overnight hydrating serum as a superhero on a mission to moisturize dried-out locks. Jam-packed with a five-vitamin blend, along with proteins, this frizzy hair product’s nutrients soak deep into each strand for a full, restorative eight hours. “It softens and detangles the hair, so you wake up with smoother, healthier, frizz-free hair,” says Saviano. Not to mention, silky-soft, protected, and richly aromatic hair.
(Related: How to Trim Your Hair at Home)
MoroccanOil Treatment
$50, sephora.com
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.”
(Related: A Good Hair Day is Historically Proven to Boost Your Mood)
Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme
$38, sephora.com
“This leave-in reparative bond smoother is incredible for frizz—it’s honestly one of the best things,” says Christin 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 a winter, spring, or summer.”
(Related: How a Celebrity Hairstylist Gets Her Clients’ Hair So Good)
Sally Hershberger 24K Golden Touch Nourishing Dry Oil
$28.30, tsc.ca
“This is my all-time favourite oil to fight frizz,” says Santos, especially if you’re looking to sport a pin-straight look in the summer heat. Work one to two pumps into damp hair, mid-shaft to ends, to keep your style straight and smooth, and follow with a blowout, if that’s your vibe. “This formulation is perfect for all textures to not only smooth frizz but also provide protection against UV rays, heat styling, and colour fade,” Santos adds. And for the real clincher: Your hair will look super smooth and shiny after you use it!
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
$500, sephora.com
Powerful, hushed, and armed with the ability to decrease frizzy flyaways by up to 61 percent, Dyson’s OG Supersonic Hair Dryer changed the game completely. With its Tesla-style high-tech features—our favourite is the 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, but it also increases smoothness by 75 percent and boosts shine by up to 132 percent for a total root-to-strand makeover. Plus, it works for all four hair types to show your frizz who’s the boss.
(Related: 7 Steps for Growing Out Your Hair, According to a Pro Stylist)
Aquis Waffle Luxe Hair Turban
$53, sephora.com
Excessive towel-drying can disrupt hair’s natural texture and rough up the cuticle. In fact, Christin 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.
(Related: Your Mane Course: We’re Dishing Out the Right Way to Care for Your Locks)
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
$38, sephora.com
“A big favourite is the Olaplex No. 4,” says Christin Brown of this cult-favourite frizzy hair product. “When I cleanse my client’s hair with the No. 4, I get a really good detangling with it, which is kind of rare for a shampoo, but the perk of that, especially with super curly and tightly coiled hair, is that it helps break apart tangles a little bit easier so you can navigate hair quicker, your arm won’t get tired, and you’re more apt to follow through with your wash-day regimen instead of giving up and ending up with a puffy root and defined end.”
(Related: How to Repair Damaged Hair with Items You Already Have at Home)
African Pride Moisture Miracle Pre-Shampoo
$9.50, houseofbeautyworld.com
There’s a new pre-wash hair category called “pre-poo,” and it’s actually a really clever addition to any anti-frizz regiment. “Pre-treating the hair with an amazing detangling product called a ‘pre-poo’ will soften, hydrate, and smooth the hair for maximum control before shampooing,” says Robin Groover, brand educator for African Pride and owner of Too Groovy Salon in Atlanta. Frizz often turns hair into a wiry, knotty mess in mere minutes, and diving straight into a wash would make it worse before better. If you can spare a few extra minutes on wash day, a moisturizing pre-poo will make the entire process feel easier. Trust us.
(Related: 3 Essential Ways to Care for Your Hair This Summer)
Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner
$38, sephora.com
“Hydrating conditioners are a must to prevent frizz,” says Porsche. “A good anti-frizz conditioner will contain proteins, like keratin, wheat, oak, and silk, as well as ingredients that seal the moisture into your hair via oils like argan, coconut, shea butter, olive, jojoba, or grapeseed.” 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.
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