Long gone are the sticky days of summer, which means we’re free of the humidity that swells our hair and ruins our style. But even on dry winter days, you can still feel frizzy. According to cosmetic chemist Joseph Cincotta, Ph. D., who was behind creating John Frieda’s iconic Frizz Ease line, winter frizz is very different from summer frizz and should be treated as such.
“Frizz is an imbalance in the hair fibers. When the hair fibers are aligned properly, you won’t see any frizz. When the hair fibers separate and go in different directions or don’t line up with each other, that’s frizz,” says Dr. Cincotta, who is now a senior The chemists at Color Wow. “We know how high humidity affects curly hair, but if you’re into it [a dry area]What happens is you get a lot of static on your hair.”
This static is caused by the movement of electrons between your hair and other objects. For example, “When you brush and the hair is very dry because of the low humidity, you make these electrons move back and forth from the brush to the hair to the brush.” When this electrostatic charge occurs, all of your hair takes on the same charge (be it positive or negative) and begins to repel each other, resulting in frizz.
deadlock? Neutralize static with a conditioner. Conditioners are “positively charged particles that stay on the surface of your hair and neutralize any negative charge,” says Dr. Cincotta. “Make sure you’re using a good conditioner or mask that will neutralize any static charge.” Plus, using conditioning styling products will keep static frizz under control. Below, shop four winter-friendly curly-hair products that will leave your tresses feeling soft and manageable.
4 winter curly products to keep your tresses soft
Ouai Finishing Crème – $24.00
This lightweight cream moisturizes hair, smoothing dry ends and smoothing frizz while providing shine. Plus, it protects hair from heat styling. The conditioning and heat protecting properties work on all hair types, but for fine to medium hair, expect to also get that live-in tousled look.
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