Beachy Waves
The absolute easiest thing to do, especially on vacation, is to give in to the seasonal swim and surf culture and go for beachy waves. Thicker, more textured hair types might not be able to get away with this in a professional environment, but “beach hair” has definitely made its way from the shore far, far inland. No need to actually be near a body of water to make this your summer standby.
For those prone to frizz, you’re going to want to start fighting that menace early in the process — with your shampoo and conditioner. The more styling prep you do early, the less actual styling you have to do later. Any professional will tell you that one of the absolute best anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner options is Kerastase Bain Oleo-Relax ($18-$62.50). And Kerastase has also come out with a new beach texture spray, Spray A Porter ($35). This reviewer hasn’t tried the spray, but can certainly vouch for the Bain Oleo-Relax line, which does more to fight frizz in the shower than any product I’ve tried. Sometimes I don’t even have to use a styling product. One caveat: don’t use too much, and if you have oily hair definitely go easy on the styling products.
If $35 is a bit much for a sea salt spray, the girls at The Beauty Department have come up with this simple DIY recipe for Beach Wave Texture Spray: 1 tsp. sea salt, 2 tsp. leave-in conditioner, nickel-sized dab water-based pomade, 1 tsp. Argan or coconut oil, 1 cup hot water. Mix all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle and let cool. Use this on wet hair and let it air dry.
Braids
Another awesome option for summer hair is braiding. There are so many cool braids that are trendy now, check out a roundup of Game of Thrones-inspired plaits here, and 5 stylish but simple braids here. Learn to do one that flatters your face shape, and your hair will be off your neck all day. Plus, braids are one of the best ways to relax curly hair into smooth waves, or add texture to fine hair. So at the end of the day, take out the braids and voila! a smooth, frizz-free style. If you are planning to take your braids out and wear your hair loose later or the next day, make sure braids aren’t too tight. If you’re sleeping on them, even pull out some strands and mess them up to keep the look from getting too “crimped.”
Reduce Styling Time
If you’re still set on some heat styling, hair-dryer addicts can try some methods for removing as much moisture as possible before hitting the heat to reduce time spent under the nozzle. Obviously, ring out hair with your hands after your shower. Then, squeeze it out again with a cotton T-shirt. Yeah, really. The cotton tee helps eliminate static and frizz. Then, brush out hair with the Goody Quick Style Paddle Brush, $12.99, which has little sponges to absorb even more water.
It’s worth noting, too, that if you just picked up any old hair dryer at Target you might want to invest in a higher quality tool. Ionic hair dryers can cut hair drying time in half. When I went from my cheapo drugstore hair dryer to a FHI Heat dryer, there was a noticeable difference in drying time.
If you insist on a blowout and curling/straightening iron time, you may be beyond help. Use a blow-dry lotion designed to cut down on drying time, like Redken Satinwear 02, and crank up the AC.
