Every Tedious, Embarrassing, and Annoying Beauty Experiment We Tried This Summer

What trial or experiment did you attempt?

Figuring out the secrets to air-dried hair.

How long did you commit to the trial?

Since April.

Was it successful?

I think

there's been a big improvement in how my hair looks. My waves are more defined, and I have less frizz. No hate on frizz, but I personally prefer a sleeker look.

Do you have tips for someone interested in the same trial?

So many tips! This is an obvious one, but for anyone who hasn't heard this yet, you don't want to brush your hair at all after you get out of the shower because it will break up your beautiful natural hair pattern. I brush it before I get in the shower, so it's as knot-free as possible. This will cut down on frizz significantly.

Post shower, I'll spritz my hair with some Evolvh volumizing product, which is clean and helps with one of the main issues with air drying, lack of volume.

Now on to the air drying part: Ideally, you just let your hair naturally dry and don't touch it all. The only problem with this is if you have medium-length to long hair, you'll have a sopping wet mass of hair dripping down your back, making your clothes wet for a couple uncomfortable hours. Enter the microfiber hair turban. I'm really not sure what took me so long to purchase one, as I've heard great things for years. You just flip your wet head over into the towel (I think the hair community refers to this by the glamorous term "micro plopping"—the micro stands for microfiber), twist it up like a turban, and secure it in the front with the attached button. Then, leave on the towel for 15 to 20 minutes. I like to put on my morning skincare and any makeup at this time. When you release your hair, it will be much drier (cutting air-dry time by hours) without disrupting your curl pattern. PSA: A normal towel will not have the same effect, as the friction encourages frizz.

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