8 Air Drying Hacks Everyone Should Know

Blow drying my thick, curly hair can be the last thing on my list of to-dos for many reasons: It takes forever, it damages my strands, and it makes my arms really sore. My best solution is to let my hair air dry naturally with the help of some useful air drying hacks that everyone should know. If you incorporate these tips and tricks into your beauty routine, you'll never have to worry about your hair drying into a frizzy mess again.

Instead of rubbing my hair with my usual towels, I started using soft microfiber towels to gently wrap my wet hair as I go through my morning beauty routine. By the time I'm done catching up with Kathie Lee and Hoda on The Today Show — a morning essential — my hair is much drier, smoother, and shinier than when I relied on rough terrycloth towels to do the job. If you've always wanted to create natural wave in your hair as it dries, try misting your hair with a light texturizing sea salt spray, then place it in braids as it dries to create a frizz-free style by the time you hit the office — with zero heat necessary.

Read on, leave the arm workouts at the gym, and have the 'do you always wanted with no heat styling necessary.

Microfiber Towels Dry Hair Faster With Sleeker, Damage-Free Strands

Luxe Beauty Essentials Microfiber Hair Towel, $15, Amazon

When you step out of the shower, pat your hair with a smooth towel before doing your makeup. This microfiber hair towel, made from double sided brushed terry, is gentle on hair and super absorbent — eliminating frizz and damage that can result from regular towel tension. You'll find that your hair air dries much smoother and shinier after you incorporate this simple step. Users give this towel top ratings for cutting their drying time in half.

For Fine Hair, Thickening Mousse Smoothes With Added Volume

Oscar Blandi Thickening & Strengthening Mousse , $11, Amazon

This mousse is crafted with sodium hyaluronate, which is a water-retaining agent absorbed by your hair follicles that helps them take in nutrients and remain hydrated. That extra hydration plumps up your hair shaft for more volume, making your hair feel thicker and giving it a ton of added body. Antistatic agents also keep your protected from stubborn, stuck-up hairs, and many reviewers say they love it. One said they "love that this mousse does not feel as though you have product in your hair, smells pretty good, and lets your hair shine through (a lot of mousse products make your hair dull)."

...Or, Combing Curls With Frizz-Fighting Conditioner Allows Smoother Drying

Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner, $16, Amazon

If you're air drying thick, curly hair, but you've got an event in just a few hours, it's best to prevent frizz before it happens to you — taking additional time (and product) to tame. Combing a frizz-fighting conditioner through your hair with a wide tooth comb in the shower will do just that. The hydrolyzed wheat proteins in this conditioner seal and strengthen strands without drying them out (like a silicone-based conditioner tends to do). It contains polyfluoroester technology, too, which creates a barrier between hair and frizz-causing humidity for sleeker, more defined curls without the fuzz.

Braiding Hair, Then Spraying With Sea Salt & Hydrolyzed Protein Defines Waves

VERB Sea Spray, $14, Amazon

Infused with natural sea salt and smoothing moisturizers, this texturizing spray will give your hair a beach-worthy look that smells like your favorite vacay. Plus, the formula's hydrolyzed quinoa protein repairs, protects, and moisturizes hair for a super silky finish that's free of tangles and knots. Lightly mist this product all over, then pull your hair into one or two loose braids at the nape of your neck. Once hair starts to dry, let your braids loose and tousle hair with fingers for smooth, natural waves — no heat necessary.

Argan Oil Safely Hydrates Color-Treated Hair For Shinier Air Dry

Bain De Terre Passion Flower Argon Oil, $10, Amazon

This argon oil hair therapy for color treated hair has argon and passion flower oils to nourish and repair damaged strands. As a bonus, It will also smooth your hair and eliminate frizz, when applied from your hair's mid-lengths to the ends as it starts to dry. One user raved about the silkening effects of this product, saying it makes her hair "so soft, even in the process of being bleached blonde every 3-4 weeks." Even if you're not dealing with color treated hair, though, the benefits of incorporating vitamin E-rich argan oil treatments into your hair are vast — from treating split ends to making its texture more soft.

Sunflower Seed Oil Dry Shampoo Builds Texture & Luminosity

Luseta Beauty Volume Reviving Dry Shampoo, $13, Amazon

Using dry shampoo on your freshly dried hair after you've just showered can seem excessive, but the absorbent hair product doubles as an awesome texturizer. Mist it right at your roots to see noticeable lift that takes your style to the next level, in addition to a shiny finish from sunflower oils making it look like you stepped right out of a salon. This product gives your hair a fresh look and smells incredible with a fruity orange blossom scent.

Deeply Conditioning With Coconut Oil Before Bed Creates Manageability

Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment, $15, Amazon

A deep-conditioning coconut oil hair treatment will penetrate even your driest strands, transforming them to make them more manageable and able to air dry smooth and frizz-free. Apply it to your hair before bed for an overnight treatment that will have you waking up with incredibly soft strands that aren't visibly dried out and full of damaged ends. Bonus: This deep conditioning formula stimulates hair regrowth and is gentle on the scalp, saving you from unwanted dandruff flakes.

Sleeping In A Silk Hair Cap Actually Protects Against A.M. Frizz

Crazy Cart Sleeping Cap , $8, Amazon

After applying a deep conditioning treatment, you'll be amazed at how effective wrapping your hair in a silk cap can be. The smooth silk fabric and adjustable elastic band won't create friction against wet hair as you sleep, which can cause major breakage and frizziness by the time you hear your morning alarm. Users love that this cap is soft and comfortably holds all different hair lengths.

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