If there’s one benefit to living in Canada, it’s a solid 8 months of frizz-free hair. Thing is, it’s so freaking COLD up here that most hair textures behave – or at the very least, can be tamed with minimal fuss.
Summer is another story.
Have you ever visited Toronto during the late spring and summer months? We see temperatures that look like this:
Yes, that’s the short-term forecast over the next few days. Did you happen to notice those two little words “Feels Like”? Easily translated to “The Higher the Number, The More Your Hair Sucks”. Ergo, on Thursday, when it feels like 37, it’s gonna feel like a really bad hair day.
But WHY does humidity do such a number on hair?
Here’s the Science 101 answer from ehow.com: Humidity, other than ruining a perfect creative hairstyle, is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon. We can’t get rid of it, and we do need it. So what exactly does humidity do to hair? Humidity is water in the air in vapor form. When we walk outside with dry hair, the water vapor in the air is naturally attracted to the dryness. Hair will absorb and give off water throughout the day, which breaks the hydrogen molecule bonds in our hair. This is what causes our hairstyles to fall and frizz. Fine hair, when it is subjected to humid air, will absorb the moisture, causing it to go limp. The flatness is because of the weight of the water within the hair follicle. Courser hair will absorb water and expand, causing frizziness.
I’ve long had my “TT Days” (that’s Treasure Troll Days, for anyone who remembers the frizzy-headed little dolls) and have always had a keen interest in gathering tips and techniques for taming hair in humid temps. In fact, I fondly recall the very first frizz-fighting product I ever purchased: it was John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Hair Serum. I spent about 20 minutes in the hair styling aisle at Shoppers Drug Mart, looking for something that promised a polished, glossy coif. Back then, Frizz Ease was one of only a handful of frizz-fighting products on the market, so it made sense to give it a go. And I’m certainly happy that I did – just a small, dime-sized amount massaged into hands and then distributed through the hair made a huge difference in the number of flyaways and rough ends.
I used the serum on and off for years until I discovered John Frieda’s Secret Weapon Finishing Creme, which is now a staple in my hair care routine. I normally apply the creme as a finishing touch; it works instantly on dry hair to camouflage imperfections by smoothing away dullness, puffiness and frayed split ends.
And while both products certainly help, the truth is, they aren’t miracle workers. Fighting frizz involves many levels of strategy; simply slapping on a creme or serum will only do so much.
Hence, I decided to turn to the experts from – who else? – John Frieda, for professional tips on keeping hair tamed in the upcoming months:
Become a frizz wiz. Knowing what leads your hair to become frizzy may stop you from bad habits. While many women believe that the thicker their hair, the more likely it is to become frizzy, this is actually false. In fact, there is no particular hair type that is frizziest. Even the healthiest, undamaged hair can become frizzy. Humidity, excessive heat from using styling tools (such as a flat iron, curler and blow dryer), excessive brushing of dry hair and chemical processing all lead to a change in the structure of your hair and are contributors to frizzy hair.
Skip a wash or two. Washing your hair helps to rid your scalp of natural oils that actually fight against frizzy hair, rather than exacerbating it.
Don’t towel dry your hair. Once out of the shower or pool, many of us use a towel to rid our hair of excess water. In reality, using a towel on your scalp roughens your hair’s cuticle so that it won’t lie flat, causing it to become frizzy. Instead, try gently ringing your hair out with your hands.
<<Good Hair Day Pictured Below. You didn’t really think I’d post a shot of Treasure Troll Hair, did you?>>
Protect your locks. Using hot tools like an iron and blow dryer will cause heat damage to your hair, causing it to break leading to hair that looks frayed and frizzy. Before you blow dry, dispense a dime sized amount of Frizz Ease Hair Serum Thermal Protection Formula into your hands and spread evenly throughout your hair, avoiding your roots. Style as desired.
Hair accessories – your new best friend. With scarves and headbands trending this season, this is the perfect opportunity to look chic and effortless when you’re on the go. To get this look, put a few dime size drops of Frizz Ease Sheer Solution Frizz Control Serum into your damp hair to help fight frizz from the outside while hydrating your hair on the inside. Pull your hair into your favourite up do and secure it with a tight elastic. Take your scarf and center it at the back of your head and cross the ends at the front of your head so they come out on opposite sides. Do this twice, so they’re back in their original side and you have a knot at the front of your head. Twist the remaining length back, and secure under the scarf. Keep it in place with a bobby pin.
Use frizz to your advantage. Rather than trying to hide frizz, try working it into romantic look. We recommend trying a fishtail braid where imperfect, unruly hairs are exactly what you need! To start, work a mousse, such as Frizz Ease Curl Reviver Styling Mousse, into your damp hair and let it dry. Once dry, tie your hair in a low ponytail, and split it into two sections. Then, take a small section of hair from the outside of the left side and cross it into the inner right half of hair. Follow with the same steps with the right side of the divided ponytail, crossing an outside piece of hair to the inside of the left half. Do this all the way down your hair until you reach the end and tie with an elastic. To keep the braid in place, finish with Frizz Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hair Spray.
For more hair tips, go to www.johnfrieda.ca.
Do you have a special frizz-fighting tip? Or a product (or routine) you swear by? Please share; I’m always looking for more ways to perfect my hair in humid months!
I love your hair!! I’m so jealous of it and the temps!! It’s currently 8 degrees here…brrrr! I’ve been using the John Frieda Frizz-Ease serum and the Thermal Protection for years now and love it. I try to go a few days between washing but I feel too icky after my daily workout to do that.
Ah, remember Brenda – I posted a GOOD hair day photo, LOL! Today’s humidity has wreaked havoc on mine; it’s currently in a bun!
I too am a victim of “TT Days”! But I love John Frieda’s products and swear by both the shampoo and conditioner to tame my mane.
The shampoo and conditioner rock! Love the whole Frizz Ease system.
I have the entire John Frieda arsenal here, and love it all.
Awesome to hear, Debbie! You must have fabulous hair :)
NO negative comments about the warm weather! We are SO excited about leaving all our winter gear buried at the bottom of the closet, and don’t want to see it for a long long time.
Hahaha duly noted! You’re right; I’ll trade big boots for big hair any day of the week :)
You’re so beautiful Lena, you could do a John Frieda ad!
Ha! Well thank you Carlee, I’ll make sure the right people see this, LOL
Luckily here in Victoria, its not too humid although we do have a few days a year. My daughters are all biracial and have heads full of frizz and all love John Freida products!
Ah, Victoria has the PERFECT weather! And happy to hear you love the products!
I’ve used John Frieda products (including their luxurious volume based on your recommendation) for some time now and I am a loyal customer. The frizz ease extra strength serum is my favourite product to fight frizzies.
So happy I was able to introduce you to Luxurious Volume :)
sounds like an exciting product!
LOL… not exciting, but the results are ;)
Not going outside and contemplating a polar move to avoid humidity, bah! Go from poker to straight to ‘did you get a perm’ in 30 seconds
I totally hear you! I often feel like throwing out my flat iron in this weather!
My hair is so fine that I am happy for hot and humid days so it gets a little body and volume LOL ! I wouldn’t have a clue how to tame frizzys, but the John Frieda line sure sounds like it would do the job :o)
Ah yes, there *is* a benefit to frizzy hair I suppose.. it certainly does get bigger!
Nuh-huh 8 months of cold- frizz free hair! You clearly dont live on the Pacific coast! :)
J.F.’s 3 days straight is a god send to me! And smoothing balms/creams are great on damp hair as I prefer to air dry to cut down on blo-dryer frizzing
Haha clearly I don’t! I will absolutely have to try 3 days straight – thanks for the tip!
I took a trip in March to Mexico – love the beaches, hate the humidity and what it does to my natural (and not all over) wavy hair… I normally use a Got2B frizz serum at home (and continues to be as it’s a little lighter for use in colder, drier weather), but tossed a few sample packs of Frizz-Eaze into my suitcase..
WOW! I have tried a thousand products in an attempt to find one that would stand the summer humidity test and Frizz-Eaze instantly became a part of my hair arsenal.
It’s an amazing product!
So awesome to hear, Suzie, that’s amazing feedback! Thanks for sharing!
I actually use Frizz-Ease extra strength and swear by it! I’ve also used Garnier’s Sleek and Shine serum which works wonders but you don’t want to use too much of it otherwise your head will be an oil slick. And no one likes an oil slick…..
Nope, I hate oil slicks more than I hate frizz! Glad to hear you enjoy the product!
Love Frizz-Ease! Although, no matter what product I use I still face the frizzies! Thanks so much for your tips!
No problem Heidi. As long as it’s humid outside, I’ll never have completely frizz free hair either….
I love John Frieda products and the Frizz-Ease serum does wonders for my frizzy hair.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know Marissa!
I really like the Frizz Ease serum. It’s works so well on my hair. I use it more in the winter to get rid of static then for the humidity though.
Hmmm… you’re absolutely right, it IS a pretty awesome static fighter too!
I naturally have super straight hair, and it doesn’t really ‘frizz’ (nor hold a curl, much to my dismay), so I have no tips to share! I do practice many of those tips, however, and think they’re good tips for healthy hair in general. Those experts at JF know what they’re talking about, of course!
Victoria, I am incredibly envious! How I’d love to have super straight hair! Lucky :)
my curly hair needs this summer frizz
Yup, summer frizz all around!
I am lucky that I don’t have to deal with hair-frizz!
You ARE lucky!! Count those blessings girl!
Thank you for all this wonderful information & John Frieda review :) I have naturally curly hair that always seems to be frizzy – even in the winter! :(
My hair is frizzy all year round unfortunately. It is so fine that it is hard to tame it without it looking limp and greasy! :(
Hi Lena,
John Frieda I started using this shampoo because I have heard a lot about Frieda products and was having some problems with my hair….. it was dry, fly away…. so far this shampoo is helping me to get back my healthy looking hair.
Thank God I read your blog post.
I personally love Pro Naturals! ;)
I used the serum for years by frizz-ease. It works, but i found something better last year and have not gone back – its the Shielo Leave in Protector Spray. This Shielo Spray makes my hair do things I thought it could never achieve. I have silky full hair without ever having a flat head. It still keeps it full. It doesn’t look greasy, it looks healthy! I have found hairsprays that I’ve been able to work with, but I still had to do so much manipulating. The Shielo Spray makes me feel like I have a professional hair stylist with me all the time.
I have naturally wavy hair – not too curly but definitely frizzy. I wear my hair both ways – naturally wavy as well as pin straight (via a flat iron).
Either way I style my hair, I use the Somaluxe Exotic Oil Conditioner – It eliminates/makes the frizz go away and gives you a smooth and sleek look. This product does as good a job and smells great. I have been using the same bottle now for 2 months – it lasts a long time. . .