Frizz Free Monsoon – Do’s and Don’ts for Hair Care –

The monsoon season blesses us with lush greenery, enchanting sunsets, and cherished childhood memories. However, along with this, we also face the challenges of humidity, which often leads to frizzy hair.

When it’s humid, there’s a lot of moisture in the air. Our hair tries to absorb this extra moisture, especially if the outer layer of our hair (the cuticle) is damaged. As a result, our hair becomes swollen, and the outer layer may even break, causing frizz and split ends.

“Different hair types react differently to humidity. People with naturally curly or wavy hair are more prone to frizz because the structure of their hair is more susceptible to moisture absorption and swelling. On the other hand, individuals with straight hair may also experience frizz due to the moisture making the hair shaft uneven and causing flyaways,” notes Dr Aseem Sharma, Consultant Dermatologist, Re’equil India’s advisor.

Dr Sharma shares 4 essential tips to control frizziness during monsoon:

1. Hydrate yourself
   One of the easiest and most important things is to keep yourself hydrated. When your body is hydrated, your hair gets moisturised from within, becoming less prone to dryness and frizz.
2. Use gentle hair care products
   Gentle products cleanse and moisturise your hair and scalp. Products with harsh chemicals, sulphates, or surfactants take off essential oils and moisture, disturbing sebum production, and resulting in hair damage.
3. Use a wide-tooth wooden comb
   Plastic combs can generate static electricity, which contributes to frizz and flyaways. However, wooden combs have natural anti-static properties, meaning they don’t create a static charge when running through the hair. This helps to keep the hair smooth and minimize frizz.
4. Use a generous amount of conditioner
   Damaged hair cuticles lead to frizzy hair. Use conditioner after shampoo to repair the damage, seal the gaps, and make your hair softer and easier to manage.

Dr Sharma spills the beans on some ingredients that help repair damage and lock in moisture:

1. Babassu Oil
   Babassu Oil is derived from the seeds of the Babassu palm. Babassu Conditioner penetrates the hair shaft to nourish and hydrate it, making it one of the best hair conditioning ingredients for dry and frizzy hair.
2. Murumuru Butter
   Murumuru Butter is obtained from the Palm Astrocaryum Murumuru. With its antioxidant properties, Murumuru Butter Conditioner aids in nourishing your hair and scalp along with detangling due to its emollient properties.
3. Hydrolysed Pea Protein
   Hydrolysed Pea Protein helps increase the elasticity of your hair by controlling the loss of moisture from your strands. This, in turn, improves the flexibility of hair and helps strengthen the locks.

Pro tip: Re’equil Silicone-Free Pea Protein and Ceramide Hair Mask is powered with Ceramides and Pea Protein. It is a high-intensity conditioner that penetrates deeper into your hair strands. The formulation works to repair, moisturise, and flatten raised hair cuticles to make the hair smooth.

5 Things to Avoid:

1. Heating tools
   Excessive use of heat styling tools can damage your hair, leading to dryness, brittleness, and frizz. Instead, try considering other methods that can help you achieve your desired look without compromising your hair health.

2. Harsh chemical treatments
   Going for harsh chemical treatments like keratin, smoothening, etc. in the monsoon season can put your hair at risk of damage, and frizziness as a bi-product.

3. Rubbing wet hair rigorously
   Rubbing wet hair rigorously can tangle and damage your hair. While rubbing, we may pull some hair out of our scalp without even realising it, which can cause hair to fall out and result in frizzy, damaged, and brittle hair.
4. Long hot water baths
   Hot water strips the hair of its natural oils, leading to dryness and dehydration. When the hair lacks moisture, it becomes more prone to frizz and flyaways. Instead, opt for lukewarm water while washing your hair, as it maintains the natural oils produced by the scalp, preventing excessive drying and preserving the hair’s moisture.
5. Tight hairstyles
   Hairstyles that require pulling, can put pressure on your hair and, as a result, damage it. Loose hair experiences less friction and rubbing against other surfaces, such as clothing or accessories. Friction can cause the hair cuticle to roughen, leading to frizz.

While restoring your hair’s natural state during the monsoon season can appear challenging due to higher humidity levels, it is not an impossible task. Achieving the desired results is possible through implementing a consistent hair care routine that incorporates gentle and nourishing products, along with maintaining a healthy diet.