Glamour
In theory, air-drying your hair
should be a pretty simple task. (1) Get out of the shower. (2) Do
nothing. But in practice, when hair is left to its own devices, it can
take on a life of its own—especially come summer, when one step outside
results in frizz or flatness, and there's nothing you'd rather do less
than spend half an hour under a blow-dryer.
Thankfully, there's a new crop of hair products hitting shelves that
are meant to bring out the best in your natural texture, little to no
extra effort involved. To find the best air-dry sprays and creams, we
tasked our editors to break up with their hot tools for a week and
report back on what products actually hold up to their claims. Here's
what they now swear by for perfectly air-dried hair.
IGK No More Blow High Speed Air Dry Spray, $29,
"For the most part, my hair is pretty cooperative. This is because after years of trial and error, I've found what works for my fine, straight texture: No conditioner on the roots (it makes it oily), and then I air-dry with my hair tucked behind my ears to give it that slight, model-off-duty bend. But now I can really brag, because this spray has made the process even easier. Literally, all you do is saturate your hair with this cooling mist and—like it promises—it speeds up your drying time. By the time I've finished my 45-minute commute, my hair is perfect." —Lindsay Schallon, senior beauty editor
Ouai Haircare Air Dry Foam, $28,
"I once read an interview where Blake Lively claimed the secret to her superlative texture was…air. She said she put her hair in two buns and voilà—perfect waves. I want to believe Blake, who seems like an honest person, but experience makes me skeptical. Enter Ouai's Air Dry Foam. To use, I pump out a lot more than I think I need, turn my head upside down, and rake it over the waves that start to form as soon as I get out of the shower. For it to work best, resist the intense urge to touch your hair after and let the foam work its magic. It leaves hair smooth, but not too soft, and with enough texture and volume to survive even the occasional summer rain shower. Blake, call me." —Mattie Kahn, senior editor
Healthy Sexy Hair Fresh Hair Air Dry Styling Mousse, $14,
"After the eighties, I never thought I'd let mousse come anywhere near my head again. But this lightweight version isn't like the crunchy formulas of yearbook-photo nightmares past—it actually gives my fine, thin hair movement without it going limp and frizzy the second I step outside." —Kimberly Fusaro, branded content contributor
L'Oréal Air Dry It Wave Swept Spray, $4,
"I often find that most products designed to give you that just-back-from-the-beach texture end up making my hair feel like it made its way into a KFC deep fryer, thanks to heavy amounts of salt in the formula. Not this. Just a few sprays on wet hair lets your strands air-dry into magical, wavy pieces. Plus, at $4, it's probably the next cheapest thing to actual ocean water." —Jennifer Lance, executive assistant to the editor-in-chief
It's a 10 Potion 10 Miracle Styling Potion, $21,
"My hair is naturally curly hair and tends to be dry, so I usually apply product right out of the shower and air-dry. I tried It’s a 10 Miracle Styling Potion before my usual gel in the hopes that it would help my hair dry faster. That didn’t happen, but I found that the product smoothed frizz, kept my curls bouncy, and was nice and light. I still needed a little extra moisture, so I tried adding my usual leave-in conditioner before the potion on the second day and that made for the right combo. It’s a keeper!" —Erin Hobday, managing editor
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Air Dry Waves Styling Foam, $13,
"Apart from shampoo and conditioner, I rarely put product in my hair. This usually leaves my hair…fine. Kinda straight, kinda bland. But with summer approaching, I wanted something easy that would give it extra oomph. Bingo. A few pumps of this stuff adds the perfect wavy bend to my hair that looks natural—and like I tried. Couldn't ask for more." —Marla Goller, video producer
Tigi Bed Head Beach Me Wave Defining Gel Mist, $19,
"Don't let the word gel scare you. This is more of a fine mist than a glob of crunchy product. Not only is it great for mornings when I barely have time to scrunch my hair before running out the door, but also for refreshing second- and third-day waves. It's coming with me on every weekend getaway this summer when I want to bring only one styling product along for the ride." —Carly Marsh, video producer
Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Soft Waves Spray, $5,
"If I let my hair dry naturally, I look like a chia pet, which is a shame when you live in L.A. My saving grace is Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Soft Waves Spray. It rivals the same effect I’d get from swimming in the Pacific Ocean, minus the sand, seaweed, and brittle feeling you're often left with. It's like Cali-girl hair in a bottle." —Jessica Radloff, West Coast editor
R+Co Waterfall Moisture + Shine Lotion, $29,
"My hair is straightish but thick, and it gets large and frizzy in the humidity. So the fact that I've been able to wear my hair down with only a wash-and-go speaks volumes. While most creams are too heavy, this lightweight option keeps frizz in check with sunflower seed extract and glycerin. All that's left is an incredible shine." —Maureen Dougherty, digital designer
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Hair