We are in the middle of summer and with that comes humidity. Humidity can arguably a curly girl’s worst enemy. But, with some tweaks from your winter hair care routine, we show you how to humidity-proof your curls so you will have defined curls that will be the envy of all the other curly girls out there!
Why is humidity so bad for your curls?
Personally, I love summer and the humidity. I might be one of the few people to say that. But stay with me. While there is a lot of moisture in the air, and that moisture can wreak havoc on your curls, making them frizzy, it isn’t so bad. Keep reading on how to humidity-proof your curls.
As most of us know, our hair strands have different layers. The middle layer, the black dots, is made up of proteins called keratin. According to Smithsonian Mag, keratin is bonded in two different ways, 1) disulfide bond which is permanent. And the 2nd is hydrogen bonds which break down and forms new ones whenever our hair gets wet and dries. “Hydrogen bonds occur when molecules on neighboring keratin strands each form a weak attraction with the same water molecule, thereby indirectly bonding the two keratin proteins together”. Because there is so much moisture in the air when it is humid out, that moisture causes the hydrogen bonds to increase and causes the hair to fold back on itself. Thus, leading to that dreaded frizz so many of us want to avoid.
Tips to Fight Frizz in the Humidity
Now that we have explained why humidity creates frizz on our curls, let’s talk about how to humidity-proof your curls. I say that in the winter, you want to add more of your moisturizers since the air tends to be a lot dryer. This means the opposite in the summer when it is humid. Because there is so much more moisture in the air, we need fewer leave-ins and more stylers.
- Switch to a lighter leave-in or moisturizer. Or, just use less of it.
- When it comes to your styler, you might want to get a thick gel such as our Get Set Hair Jelly.
- Use a cleansing shampoo vs moisturizing shampoo. Remember, there is more moisture in the air, so you don’t need as many moisturizing products. Plus, if you have product build-up, your stylers won’t be as effective.
Do Low Manipulation Styles for Humidity Proof Curls
- Try styles such as two-strand twists or braids. I love a good wash-n-go, but that can quickly become a wash-n-oh no. Wearing twists or braids is a great way to keep your hair intact without fear of dreaded frizz.
- Stay away from blow-drying or silk presses. We love straight hair every now and then, however, humid days aren’t going to do you any favors unless you keep your hair up when you’re outdoors.
The easiest thing to remember when it comes to humidity-proof curls is less moisturizer and more styler. Especially when it comes to styling your hair in a wash-n-go.