The 15 Best Air Dry Hair Products for a Shiny, Frizz-Free Finish
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Turn off the heat and turn up the love for gorgeous, natural locks.
InStyle / David Hattan
Choosing to embrace your natural air dried hair can be a joy — not to mention easier and far healthier on strands than heat styling. But every head of hair has specific needs, whether that be shine-enhancing, frizz combating, or healing hydration, and the best air dry products can address them all.
Air dry products are formulated to not need heat activation, unlike other styling formulas such as some mousses for curly hair and heat protectants, and are usually centered around maintaining the health of the hair. As celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway explains, “Air dry creams can vary, but most of their benefits will include frizz control, moisture, humidity resistance, and repairing your strands.”
That said, it takes a bit of knowledge, like understanding your hair type and knowing what ingredients and formula textures will help (or hurt!) its success. o find the one that’s best for you. We consulted three highly sought-after celebrity hairstylists and relied on the wealth of expert insight from our team to uncover which products will transform your lifeless locks into gorgeous, heatless styles.
Best Overall: Odele Air Dry Styler
What We Love: It’s the white t-shirt of air dry stylers: Looks great on everyone, easy to use, and foolproof.
What We Don’t Love: Using too much product can leave hair weighed down and coated in residue.
This one-and-done product is fit for the whole family, designed to work on multiple hair types and textures, from straight to wavy to curly. The lightweight cream only needs a dime-sized amount (or even less for finer hair) to address frizz and flyaways, as well as add shine, definition, and hold. Especially impressive, the formula feels neither sticky nor greasy, it just simply disappears into hair for a weightless finish — when applied correctly. Be careful not to apply too much, which can leave hair weighed down and coated in excessive residue.
And with all things Odele, the formula is lightly scented with the brand’s signature fragrance composed of cucumber, oak moss, and ylang-ylang — but don’t let that turn you off, the scent is light enough for sensitive noses.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Rice protein, amaranthus caudatus seed extract | Scent: Cucumber, ylang-ylang, oak moss | Size: 6 oz
Best Drugstore: Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air Dry Creme
What We Love: Rich and nourishing on our brittle strands, but never too heavy, this affordable cream reinvigorates dull, damaged hair.
What We Don’t Love: A little goes a very long way.
Air dry creams have let us down before — they’re either sticky and heavy, making our hair feel like stiff cardboard, or produce zero results and leave us reaching for baseball caps on the way out the door. The Kristin Ess Air Dry Creme, however, coated our damp strands in health to leave them feeling so impossibly soft we couldn't help but keep touching our smooth, frizz-free hair all day.
Beyond that, we could see a noticeable difference in the amount of shine compared to when we fry our strands with hot tools. And, although the cream’s formula relies on heavy hydration hitters such as mango seed butter, and plant oils like avocado and sunflower seed to help produce these results, as long as we worked with pea-sized amounts our the ingredients never loaded down our hair with heavy product.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Algae extract, avocado and sunflower seed oils, mango seed butter | Scent: Ambrette seed, magnolia, sandalwood | Size: 5 oz
Best Cream: JVN Complete Hydrating Air Dry Hair Cream
What We Love: With up to 24 hours of proven frizz protection, this cream is ideal for nearly all hair types, especially those looking for a little extra moisture and shine.
What We Don’t Love: Thicker and coarser hair types may have to layer this product another cream to tamp down on frizz.
JVN — aka Jonathan Van Ness, the trailblazing personality and hair stylist, and his line of hair health-focused products are two of InStyle’s very favorite things. Though it’s difficult to pick an overall favorite from the line, the Complete Air Dry Cream continuously blows us away because the cream imparts hair with a soft, touchable hold, allowing your natural texture to shine, sans frizz and flyaways.
While the formula is concentrated, you’ll find it’s buildable, making it a great option for a variety of hair types, from fine to thick, and straight to curly. The star ingredient is the brand’s proprietary hemi-squalane, which makes the hair less prone to breakage and helps to reduce frizz while imparting an envious shine, without any lingering side effects, like product buildup. You’ll also find moringa seed oil for softness and shine as well as chia seed extract in the formula to naturally enhance texture, bounce, and flexibility. If your hair needs a mega moisture boost, we recommend pairing this with a leave-in conditioning treatment because though it delivers light hydration, it may not be enough for those with thicker or coarse hair.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Squalane, hemi-squalane, moringa seed oil, chia seed extract | Scent: Sweet floral | Size: 5 oz
Best Splurge: Oribe Featherbalm Weightless Styler
What We Love: Appropriate for even the finest of fine hair, this styler provides hold and shine without weighing strands down.
What We Don’t Love: It’s not universally effective; it works best for fine or thin hair, while thick or curly textures may not see much improvement.
Specially developed for baby fine hair textures, this weightless lotion gives effortless texture and hold, as well as a dose of shine. It’s a fabulous option for those who find every styling product weighs down their strands, this luxe iteration adds polish without grease.
The formula also has a blend of hydrating must-haves for hair that’s healthier over time. Acai oil adds shine; essential fatty acids — omega-3, 6, and 9 — strengthens strands and helps prevent hair loss; rice bran oil nourishes and soothes the scalp; passion fruit oil hydrates; pea protein aims to improve softness and bounce. Hair that looks and feels better? Yes, please.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Rice bran oil, polymer blend, acai fruit oil | Scent: Fresh | Size: 3.4 oz
Best for Fine Hair: Roz Root Lifting Spray
What We Love: It’s one of the few products that can give the same level of volume to fine, limp strands that we typically only see after professional blowouts.
What We Don’t Love: This spray formula leaves a slightly sticky residue on hands.
Have you ever sat in the hairdresser’s chair and, presto, like magic, you see your limp, fine strands suddenly have the fullness of a 90’s supermodel ‘do? Well, the Roz Root Lift Spray got us pretty close to achieving that same salon magic. The aerosol spray spritzes in a lightweight, even, and nearly imperceptible mist onto damp roots. And, by the time it dries, (and despite not blasting it with a degree of heat) we’ve got enough volume to trick our friends into thinking we mastered the perfect at-home blowout.
It works in a similar way to a fantastic dry shampoo by providing grit and lift to tired strands, except it won’t leave a chalky residue behind — although you may notice some tacky texture on your hands. Plus, its formula taps additional natural ingredients such as mushroom root extract and rice water to simultaneously nourish dry scalps and damaged hair.
Formula: Spray | Key Ingredients: Mushroom root extract, rice water, radish root | Scent: Earthy, herbal | Size: 5 oz
Best for Thick Hair: Bumble and bumble Bb. Don’t Blow It Thick (H)air Styler
What We Love: The smallest amount of product will leave hair shiny and frizz-free.
What We Don’t Love: It’s easy to overdo it, so be sure to start with a small amount first — you can always layer in more.
The name says it all: Formulated for medium to thick hair, this decadent cream helps to add refinement to straight, wavy, or curly air-dried hair. The delightfully rich cream conditions, de-frizzes, and adds control to the hair with just a nickel-sized amount of product.
If frizz and flyaways have prevented you from air drying your hair in the past, then this cream may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The formula also includes ingredients that speed up drying time, allowing you to head outside with shiny, soft hair quicker. As with many things in life, beware of too much of a good thing — using too much of the styler will weigh down strands.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Almond, jojoba, and sunflower seed oils, UV filters | Scent: Fresh, clean, subtle | Size: 5 oz
Best for Thin Hair: Vegamour GRO Hair Foam for Thinning Hair
What We Love: Hair not only looks fuller and thicker, but the foam works to improve overall hair density over time.
What We Don’t Love: It’s wildly popular, which means it can be difficult to find.
Plant-based hair health brand Vegamour has only been around since 2017, but it’s quickly become one of the bestselling hair growth brands on the market. In addition to its buzzy growth serum that helped us combat hair loss, we adore the brand’s popular Gro Hair Foam. It’s a simplified way to boost thin hair and give the appearance of a lush, full style.
Developed to be massaged directly into the scalp of towel-dried hair, the foam works well with all hair types and couldn't be easier to to integrate into any routine. Upon application, the formula gets to work soothing and revitalizing hair roots, as well as providing instant body and texture. And over time, the air dry foam increases hair density and reduces hair shedding and loss for thicker, fuller-looking hair. Clinical results have shown visible results within 90 days, with peak results around 120 days, so stick with it — consistency is key.
Formula: Foam | Key Ingredients: N. benthamiana, red clover blossom, mung bean, biotin, and lavender, rose, and basil oils | Scent: Citrus | Size: 1 oz
Best for Dry Hair: Ceremonia Guava Leave-In Conditioner
What We Love: Intensely hydrating, this cream works to repair hair over time.
What We Don’t Love: The hypnotic guava scent can be a bit too strong for sensitive noses.
Latinix-owned clean hair care brand Ceremonia focuses on hair wellness and sustainability, with a modern twist. All its formulas use natural ingredients that are ethically sourced from Latin America, including this Guava Leave-In Conditioner which is packed full of deeply hydrating and reparative ingredients, such as safflower extract, avocado oil, aloe vera, and tamarind extract. With their powers combined, the styling cream combats frizz, repairs strands, and imparts shine with just a coin-sized amount of product.
The product is designed to be applied from the mid-lengths to the ends only. Apply closer to the scalp and you’ll likely leave your strands feeling heavy and greasy.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Guava fruit extract, blue agave, avocado oil | Scent: Citrus-floral | Size: 6.7 oz
Best for Curly Hair: PATTERN Styling Cream for Curly & Coily Hair
What We Love: Provides hold, definition, and shine for curly, coily, and tight-textured hair.
What We Don’t Love: We think the bold scent is fun, but we also see how it could be overpowering for some.
Since its 2019 launch, Pattern Beauty brand founder Tracee Ellis Ross has met the often-ignored needs of natural, textured hair. This medium hold curl cream has a bouncy consistency, designed to give curls hydration and hold, along with helping curls take a defined, frizz-free shape. And who could overlook the glossy finish? Given the cream’s rich feel, this formula does its best work on thicker curls, and may overwhelm strands that rank lower than type 3B. Despite its creamy consistency, it doesn’t feel heavy, and it can be easily layered if your curls need a midday refresh.
The brand’s signature slip makes combing through curls, coils, and tight textures easier than ever. However, if you’re looking for extra moisture, try the brand’s Curl Gel, which has coconut oil, cacay oil, and aloe vera.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Rosemary leaf extract, kahai oil, shea butter | Scent: Available in two fragrances: A sweet floral blend of neroli, rose, and patchouli, or palo santo and mint | Size: 15 oz
Best for Wavy Hair: Ouidad Botanical Boost Curl Energizing & Refreshing Spray
What We Love: This multi-purpose spray can be applied to damp or dry hair to bounce curls back to life and encourage a stronger curl pattern.
What We Don’t Love: The subtle spritz can be too insignificant for kinkier curls.
Ever since Ouidad Wise (a Lebanese immigrant) opened the first-ever salon dedicated to curls in NYC, the brand has specialized in products that take care of curly hair from loose waves to tight curls and coils.
Designed to encourage curl formation, this spray will work wonders on both wavy and curly hair — but will especially encourage definition and beachy texture for waves. It can be used on wet or dry hair, and the formula is ideal for freshening up curls on day two (or beyond), giving fantastic definition and shine to ensure curls keep their bounce. The aloe vera and rosehip-based formula infuses weightless moisture, while ginseng and pro-vitamin B5 help to protect hair from damage.
Formula: Spray | Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, rosehip, centella asiatica, vitamin B-5 | Scent: Herbal, with notes of lemon, and bergamot | Size: 8.2 oz
Best for Detangling: Rahua Hydration Detangler + UV Barrier
What We Love: It’s a dream for one-stop styling, offering UV protection, tangle control, smoothing, and hair-repairing benefits.
What We Don’t Love: It may not provide enough hydration and support for coarse and thicker hair.
Rahua is named for the oil that has beautified the hair of Amazonian women for centuries, the rahua oil. Rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as essential fatty acids and carotenoids, pure rahua oil gives hair instant and healthy shine, while also working to repair and restore damaged strands. The formula contains the brand’s super-powered rahua oil, as well as a handful of other potent, and ethically sourced, Amazonian ingredients. It was originally developed as a detangler — which it does beautifully — but we also love it as an air dry styler because it leaves hair soft, shiny, and smelling like a tropical vacation.
Formula: Spray | Key Ingredients: Buriti oil, rahua, mango sugars | Scent: Tropical, fruity | Size: 6.5 oz
Best for Damaged Hair: LolaVie Perfecting Leave-In Conditioner
What We Love: Hydrate, manage poofiness and extend the time between wash days with this leave-in conditioner, created by Jennifer Aniston.
What We Don’t Love: It may be too creamy for thin hair.
This leave-in was the brainchild of a celebrity who understands great hair: Jennifer Aniston. Her brand, LolaVie, is filled with easy-to-use, multi-tasking products and this air dry treatment cream is one of the brand’s best-sellers. First and foremost, it offers parched strands a serious dose of hydration with a blend of coconut oil, squalane, bamboo extract, and acai.
The deeply reparative cream is ideal for normal to medium hair, but the formula can be a little too rich for fine strands. The brand’s beloved hair detangler is more apt for finer hair and color-treated strands, as it’s light and designed to give shine and tame flyaways.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Coconut fruit extract, squalane, rose of Jericho | Scent Fresh | Size: 5 oz
Best for Frizz: Kevin Murphy Smooth.Again Leave-in Treatment
What We Love: Fantastic for thick, coarse, wavy, and coily hair to hydrate and reduce flyaways.
What We Don’t Love: It contains a few ingredients that could be too rich and heavy for very fine hair.
From its sea salt sprays to nourishing hair masks for growth, Australian superbrand Kevin Murphy has a stable of air drying styling products. Thick and luxuriously rich, the Smooth.Again cream centers on two main goals: Smoothing and moisturizing the hair to eliminate static halos and promote shine. Dousing hair with major hydration, courtesy of cupuaçu seed butter and a bevy of plant-based oils, is key as it not only promotes overall hair health, but will also naturally help with manageability, which is step number one to control frizzy flyaways. On the flip side, thinner hair types should use the cream in small amounts to avoid these ingredients weighing down their fine strands.
Formula: Cream | Key Ingredients: Baobab seed oil, lotus flower extract, cupuaçu seed butter | Scent: Fresh | Size: 6.7 oz
Best for Colored Hair: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day In-Shower Styler
What We Love: It's shockingly effective.
What We Don’t Love: Perfecting the product amount and technique can take a bit of trial and error.
Are you a true hair minimalist at heart or simply want the maximum output with minimal input? Then this Living Proof styler is just for you, offering plenty of gloss and staying power to your look. Designed to be applied in the shower — yes, shower — the styler is used after both shampoo and conditioner. Coat your strands from root to ends, lightly rinse out, then towel off, and air dry.
Formula: In-shower cream | Key Ingredients: Strengthening esins, proprietary thickening molecule blend, sweet orange essential oil, anise seed oil | Scent: Fresh, subtle | Size: 5 oz
Best for Humidity: Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Frizz Defy Cream Serum
What We Love: It feels weightless but delivers strong protection against humidity (and by extension, frizz) that works just as effectively on damp hair as it does for dry hair.
What We Don’t Love: The floral scent can be too strong for some.
According to Redway, the Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Frizz Defy Cream Serum doesn't weigh your hair down and it delivers smoothing properties. “It also defends your hair against frizz and humidity by forming an invisible barrier around strands that lasts up to 72 hours,” she adds.
In addition to fending off that dreaded poofy, stringy look like a Marvel superhero, the serum keeps hair smooth and conditioned with humidity-repelling almond protein and ultra-light moisturizing jasmine flower oil. But perhaps its greatest skill is reviving strands. “It can be used on dry or damp hair which is great for anyone who air dries their hair and may want to reactivate their strands on second-day hair,” says Redway.
Formula: Serum | Key Ingredients: Almond protein, jasmine flower | Scent: Light florals | Size: 4 oz
What to Keep in Mind
Product Type + Formula: Foams, creams, mousses, and oils are the most common types of hairstyling products specifically developed to be applied to the hair and then left alone to dry. Celebrity hairstylist Davontaé Washington says you must consider the application and your hair type when using any product. For instance, he explains hair creams and oils are typically easiest to work through all hair types using your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. However, “If you have finer hair, using them on the root can weigh the hair down, but hair with more texture would need it from root to ends,” he explains. Additionally, “Hair creams work well for thicker or curly hair because they provide moisture,” says Washington, adding that fine hair types should use mousses and creams sparingly and may benefit more from a lightweight oil with argan or grapeseed oil.
Hydrating and Anti-Frizz Ingredients: If you’re looking to air dry your hair regularly, formulas filled with humectants, like hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, will be your new best friends. These little lightweight helpers condition the hair to prevent frizz and soften strands, allowing it to air dry smoothly and without static. Additional hydrating and strengthening ingredients to look for include, “natural oils, dimethicone, panthenol, glycerin, and hydrolyzed proteins,” says Washington.
Your Hair Type: To successfully air dry your hair, you first need a strategy. “As a general rule, thicker hair with more curls will require heavier moisture to stay hydrated, so something like a cream could be a good place to start,” says celebrity hairdresser and founder of Arkive Headcare, Adam Reed. This is crucial to nourish dehydrated or damaged hair. Conversely, “finer hair will need much more lightweight hydration,” says Reed. Airy lotions and creams, detanglers, and spray-on formulas are more appropriate for these strands, which still need hydration, but can become weighed down easily.
Product Amount: As with most things in life, you can always add more, but it’s difficult to take something away, especially stylers that have already been absorbed into your strands. “Always start small with whichever product you use to ensure you’re not going in too heavy,” says Reed.
Hair Health: For Redway, air drying is just one part of the overall picture to maintain hair health. In addition to drying hair with microfiber hair towels to strengthen strands, she also recommends protecting hair while getting your beauty sleep. “Sleep on gentle fabrics to protect your air-dried hair,” she says. “A silk pillowcase will reduce the friction between your hair and pillow and will not absorb all the beautiful ingredients you have added to your hair.”
Your Questions, Answered
What do air dry products do for your hair?
“Air styling and air styling products are all about controlling the hair as it dries,” says Reed. The main benefit of air dry products is that they’re able to style hair perfectly without requiring heat or hot tools. “The whole thing about an air drying product is that it will dry and maintain the shape that you put it in,” adds Reed.
How do I stop my hair from frizzing when air drying?
Bouncy, frizz-free air dried hair is a team effort among all of the products within your routine, starting in the shower. Be sure you’re using a shampoo and conditioner that support your air-dry dreams with formulas that “hydrate, manage unwanted frizz, and help repair damage,” says Redway, who adds that vulnerable or damaged hair rarely air dries the way you want it to. Next, Redway recommends wrapping your wet hair in a microfiber hair towel to absorb water without roughing up hair or creating friction by rubbing or touseling. After hair goes from dripping wet to just damp, curl specialist Sabrina Ahmed recommends coating hair with hydrating products right out of the shower, and then — this part is crucial to air dry success — leave it alone. “The longer you can leave the hair without touching it, the less frizz you'll have,” cautions Reed.
Do you put air dry cream on wet or dry hair?
Every hair type requires a different manner of usage.
Straight to slightly wavy textures should towel-dry first, then go in with product, while wavy to loose curl types should apply to wet hair. Those tight curls or coils fare best when stylers are used on sopping wet hair.
Is air drying good for hair?
“Hair is at its most fragile state when wet so it is imperative that when air drying, you are gentle with your strands — no pulling or stretching,” says Austin-based stylist and North American Education Manager for Kevin Murphy, Sarah Lund. If you need to comb through wet hair, use a detangling brush specifically designed for it.
“It's just as important to use products that protect the hair whilst air drying as it is if you're using heat,” says Reed. “Sometimes [air drying] can dehydrate the hair, so making sure that you use a product to maintain hydration is key.”
Overall, naturally drying hair is healthier than traditional heat tools. Redway is an air dry fan, especially for natural and curly hair types. “It is advised to air dry whenever possible,” she says. “Air drying your hair creates less damage often caused by heat styling."
Why Shop With Us
Kristin Limoges is a freelance editor for numerous publications, including Byrdie, Harper’s Bazaar, and WWD Shop, and has nearly a decade of beauty writing experience. To compile this list, she researched and tested numerous air dry hair products, and interviewed celebrity hairstylists.
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