Your Guide To Effortless Air-Dried Hair This Summer

Sweet summertime is upon us. As you run in and out of the ocean and take frequent showers to cool off from the heat, you’re probably avoiding hot tools on your hair— who could blame you?

In other words, it’s that time of year when you’re attempting to air-dry your hair, boost its natural texture, and make it look presentable all at once. But it also happens to be the best way to keep your tresses healthier.

The Benefits Of Air-Dried Hair

When it comes to things that damage hair, hot tools — especially without heat protectant — top the list (with ultra-tight updos, excessive bleaching, and the like as honorable mentions).

Air drying gives you a much-needed break from heat, sparing it from dryness, frizz, and a whole lot of split ends. “Air-dried hair creates a softer looking, more natural feeling to your hair,” Guido Palau, a celebrity hairstylist and the creator of Zara’s Undone styling products, tells Bustle. “[Using product before air drying] enhances the natural texture that you have in your hair.”

As your hair recovers from previous damage, it may take some time to pull off your desired look. Luckily, finding damp-to-dry styles that work for your texture can help.

How To Style Your Natural Texture

Whether you’re looking to rock beachy waves or a sleek bun, Palau has some tips to make air-dried styles work for you this summer.

Damp To Dry Ripples, Waves, & Updos

Once hair is damp, Palau points to the Zara Hair Air Dry Foam ($22.90) as a product that brings out your natural texture in the best way *and* keeps flyaways at bay.

“Braid your hair in two braids and let that dry naturally. Undo it and you’ll have a beautiful ripple effect,” he says. “Or, you could pull it back into a knot, pin it in, and let that dry. Once it’s dry, let it out and you’re going to get a beautiful wave in it.”

For a sleek bun, try parting your hair where you’d like, tucking the strands behind your ears, and gathering all your hair at the base of your head (instead of on top of your crown).

Hello, Beachy Texture

Adding in some lived-in, beachy texture calls for an entirely different technique.

“Wash your hair, condition if you like to do that, use a wide tooth comb, and then use a sea salt spray in your hair which will bring out even more natural texture,” says Palau. His personal fave is the Zara Hair Sea Water Effect Spray ($22.90), though the dae Hibiscus Wave Spray ($30) and the Pacifica Salty Waves Texture Spray ($14) are also solid picks.

“If you need a little more texture — once the product is evenly distributed through your hair, you can scrunch it and squeeze it together in your hands.” He also notes that even those with super straight hair will experience some natural texture with this easy method.

Hacks To Eliminate Frizz

Banishing frizz — especially after months or years of heat styling — can be a major challenge. Palau has a trick to keep things tame.

“If you air dry your hair and you still find it a little bit frizzy, I sometimes take the smallest section of the very top layer of the hair and blow that out with a round brush,” he says. “You can blow out your hairline a little bit to make your hair look a little bit more controlled if you still feel like it’s too wild.” Applying heat to a small section of hair, of course, is better than using heat all over.

For minimal heat damage, the ghd Duet Blowdry ($399) is an innovative, one-step pick. Spritzing on a bit of the COLOR WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($28) in tandem is another way to minimize frizz (even on the most humid of days). Then, you can say hello to your naturally beautiful summer hair.