All air dry hair products aren’t created equal. That might be a “duh! tell me something I didn’t know” moment, but I didn’t quite understand that until after trying several options.
My main goals were to find a product that:
Accentuated my waves while using as little heat as possible
Gave my hair a beautiful and natural look
Disclaimer: this will not work for everyone.
Depending on your hair type, my process might be too much of this or too much of that. This is meant to be a starting point to guide you on your air drying journey. I arrived here via lots of trial and error.
My Hair Type
First things first, I have wavy straight hair. It’s not too thin nor too thick. Most of my natural curls form in my front pieces and behind my ears. The back of my hair is mostly straight. My hair tends to poof with humidity (does it not poof for anyone?!) and my hair takes product best when it's damp. Side note, Crown Affair’s hair towel is incredible and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new hair towel.
I’ve found using a serum or cream has helped a lot with waves and shaping. I don’t think they are all created equal, so here are my thoughts on three I’ve tried.
For good measure, I thought I’d share what my hair looks like with no serums post air dry.
Crown Affair’s Leave-In Conditioner
As the name suggests, I wouldn’t categorize this as a serum but more so as a conditioner. It’s nourishing and smells absolutely divine. On its own, it hasn’t given me much shape when I’ve air dried my hair. That’s expected to me because I view it as a hydrating conditioner post hair washing vs something to help with my air dried hair desires. Mentioning it because I had tested out a travel size and enjoyed the smell and conditioning. If I wasn’t looking for something to accentuate my waves, I’d opt for this.
Note: I’ve found the smell lingers most of the day so if you prefer something that doesn’t, I would opt for something else.
JVN’s Complete Hydrating Air Dry Hair Cream
This was the first cream I came across while trying to find an option that would accentuate my waves. After using this for a while, I noticed that my results varied from one use to another. I couldn’t quite tell what was causing it. My interpretation was based on how dry my hair was when I first applied the cream to how the weather was on that given day. So some days, I liked the results I would get and others I wouldn’t. One thing to note is that when I applied the cream to damp hair I would often end up with crunchy strands.
I do think this cream does a great job at controlling frizz. Therefore, I think this would work best for those who have curlier hair or tighter curls.
I appreciate that you can find this in two travel sizes – 1 oz and 2 oz. So you don’t have to commit to a full size tube while trying to figure out if it works for you.
RŌZ’s Milk Hair Serum
The first time I used this serum, I audibly gasped. I was shocked at how well it worked to create waves in my hair. It was one of those moments that it felt too good to be true. After consistently using it for a few weeks, it was evident this was the best air dry serum I had used on its own. I was able to consistently use the Milk Hair serum more confidently to create subtle waves, oftentimes only needing to straighten my front framing pieces.
If I let my hair dry too much before adding the serum, I find I don’t get waves as well as I would have otherwise. One thing I really like is that I often have to straighten less hair when using RŌZ’s serum — ensuring I minimize the use of heat. Due to the minimal heat required and consistency of the waves I was able to create, I often reach for the Milk Hair Serum over the others.
If your hair falls more on the wavy side, I think RŌZ’s Milk Hair Serum would be great for you. It gave my waves more definition. The smell is also wonderful and doesn’t linger for too long.
JVN vs RŌZ Comparison Picture
For me, it’s apparent that RŌZ creates more defined waves for my hair type.
Crown Affair Clips
Some days I crave a more defined heatless curl. When that is the case, I turn to my Crown Affair clips. After seeing the price tag, I resisted buying Crown Affair clips for months. I had grown up using clips, so paying $50+ for two seemed wild to me. I ended up with a Sephora store credit and spotted these hair clips across the store. I took that as a sign to finally try them. It took lots of trial and error, but they consistently give me a solid curl that falls into a beautiful wave on day 2 and sometimes day 3.
Here are a few videos of me using Crown Affair’s clips to create curls that showcase my progression of trial and error:
In Conclusion
No one product is perfect, it all depends on your hair type. With a little trial and error you can find an option that can work for you and your needs.
If you want heatless curls:
I would recommend using Crown Affair’s clips. It will take some trial and error to get it to work for you but I think it’s well worth it. Happy to answer any questions or provide tips on what helped me!
If I was to recommend a serum to accentuate your natural waves:
I would recommend RŌZ’s Milk Hair Serum due to its ability to create waves more consistently for me.
If you are happy with your waves/curls and would like some frizz control:
I would give JVN’s Complete Hydrating Air Dry Hair Cream a try! Additionally, if you’re not up for investing in a full bottle just yet you can buy a travel size to try it out.
I hope this review was helpful for you in starting (or continuing!) your air dried hair journey. If you have other products you’ve used and loved, drop a comment below. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit apprehensive writing this one out due to the highly subjective nature and variability of outcomes from one hair type to another.
Also, this was another reader submitted request! If you have any topics you’d like me to write about, let me know below.
xx Ofelia