Did you know there are ways to decrease the time it takes to naturally dry your hair? Who would’ve thought, right? Well, it’s true.
Naturally drying your hair, or air-drying can dramatically increase the health of your hair. Hold onto your hats because we’re about to share tips and products to do just that, and ‘cos we love you, we’ll go one step further and tell you some products to master the look too. Are you ready? 1. Brush and part your hair, pre-shower Let’s start at the start… So, it’s probably been at least a few days to a week since you’ve washed your hair. Grab a brush and run it through your hair to remove any tangles and knots, smooth it out! This will separate the strands of hair and let the shampoo and conditioner do their thing more evenly. Part your hair how you want to wear it once it dries. Parting seals the deal and gives the hair a head-start to naturally fall in your chosen style/part as it air-dries.
2. Focus on the roots
Use a lightweight hydrating shampoo for the roots, and a conditioner that has hyaluronic acid or aloe in it for the length. We want to lock as much moisture in as possible while closing the outer layer of your hair – the cuticle. Remember to try to keep that part in place!
3. Use conditioner
Conditioner should be used with every wash but especially when trying to get the best results of drying your hair naturally. Wash your hair twice with shampoo (minimum) or three times if you’ve pushed wash-day out a little further than usual. Run a 50-cent sized amount of conditioner through the mid-lengths to the ends.
4. Leave-in conditioner or smoothing serum
Go the extra mile with some leave-in conditioner or a smoothing serum, both will seal the ends and help keep frizz to a minimum. If you have frizzy, curly hair use smoothing creams or serums. If you have soft fine hair use texture products to add grit so it’s not so flat.
5. Wrap it up
Avoid using towels – yep, even if they’re the expensive, fluffy and soft Sheridan towels you blew your budget on. OPT for micro-fibre towels, cotton only. Towel drying your hair separates the natural fall and opens the cuticle. This can cause tangles, frizz, even increase split-ends. And, while it dries your hair, will dry it out too much. Wrap your hair in a micro-fibre turban for 10 – 15 minutes. It’s super soft on your locks, and highly absorbent so removed the moisture way faster than a standard towel. Once you remove the micro-fibre towel…
6. Don’t touch it
Your hair is most fragile when wet. Brushing, combing or even handling your hair can open the cuticle leaving it susceptible to frizz but will also break up the natural fall of your hair. If you want to master the natural look, don’t touch it! If you need to brush it ensure you use a detangling brush so it will be gentle when going through the hair strands.
7. Wide-toothed comb or microfibre brush Gentle using a wide-toothed comb or microfibre brush during the five minutes you leave in the conditioner can help spread the conditioner evenly while removing any tangles that might have occurred during shampooing. We emphasise gently. Leaving it as smooth as possible wet, gives it the best chance of drying as smooth as possible.
8. Use products made for your hairstyle/type This is pretty self-explanatory. Embrace products that are designed for your specific natural hair type; even if it’s something you’d generally avoid doing. The idea is to tame the hair in its wet form to master the style when it’s dry.
So, there you have it – our top tips and products to master naturally air-drying your hair. Save this blog to your phone for the next time you’re stuck without a hairdryer or giving your hair a heat break. Any questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments or DM our socials.
Until next time, SM&Co xoxo
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