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There’s an ongoing list of things to love about summer — from the beach to cute sandals to warm nights spent walking around town. But, while your energy and happiness levels may be increasing, one warm weather factor you may not love so much is what summer can do to your hair. In a word: frizz. Frizz happens — and it happens to all hair types, whether you have thick curls or silky-fine straight hair. But today’s haircare products are designed to combat frizz and prevent it from happening — the trick is wading through a sea of options to find one that actually works. We made the digging easy for you and spoke with Andrea Claire, a celebrity hairstylist based in Singapore who has worked on Henry Golding, Liv Lo Golding, Romee Strijd, Margaret Atwood, Sarah Slean and more, who reveals the one hair product she can’t live without for tackling frizzy hair woes in the summer.
First, a mini frizz education: why does frizz even happen? As it turns out, your hair is made up of several different layers. When the top, cuticle layer of your hair is raised, moisture from the environment can more easily pass through, which makes your strands swell — creating frizz. This cuticle layer is more vulnerable when your hair is dry and lacks moisture because this makes the cuticle rougher. If you’re guessing that the antidote would include adding moisture back into the hair, you’re right. But the tricky part is finding a product that doesn’t simultaneously weigh down strands and cause them to look greasy.
“I am a Canadian licensed hairstylist who lives in Singapore; it’s humid 24/7 365 days a year,” Claire says. “The thing with humidity, is that you need to have a certain level of moisture in your hair to block out more entering and swelling the hair shaft (which is what causes frizz). The best way to explain this is by comparing hair to a sponge. Take a dry sponge. Flat, right? When you add water, what happens? It swells and expands. But, if you take an already wet sponge and add water to it, there's only so much more that it can absorb and expand.”
Claire says this is a good way to think of your hair. “It doesn't mean your hair is 'dry', but with the proper products such as leave-in conditioners, you create a barrier that blocks out humidity, mainly because there's no space left in the hair shaft for humidity to settle into,” Claire says.
Iles Formula Finishing Serum
Claire calls Iles Formula Finishing Serum a “holy grail for frizz,” which is about as good an endorsement as one gets. “After living in Singapore for the past 14 years, I finally found a product that I can’t live without, both personally and professionally. The beauty about this Iles gem is that it does not weigh the hair down, nor does it make the hair greasy.
It suits thick to fine hair, curly or straight. It has heat and UV protection, free from parabens and silicones. Their ingredients include vitamins, nut oils, silk and ceramides.
I know I sound like a spokesperson, I assure you I am not, just a seasoned, thankful editorial / celebrity hairstylist who lives in a tropical, humid climate.”
The serum is essentially a leave-in conditioner, Claire says. Many reviewers are quick to point out that, although it’s pricey, a very small amount is all you need, the bottle lasts forever, it turns all hair types silky-soft, it just so happens to smell like flowers, and it protects against heat damage, which is especially helpful if you frequently style your hair. If you’re interested in trying out an anti-frizz product that isn’t as well known as some of the brands you’ll find at Sephora, but that has major stylist clout, this is the one to add to your summer haircare routine.
