It's all you think about for days. That first gust of heat as you step off the plane, blowing away all cobwebs of a grey summer back in Blighty. Then, the first sip of European Fanta or Diet Coke with a slice of lemon. Or, that sacred time on holiday between your evening shower and dinner. The one thing you probably don't daydream about is how to manage the puff. The unavoidable ballooning of your hair as heat and humidity mingle, undoing your hard work to keep things smooth and slicked.
It's the curse afforded to anyone with hair susceptible to humidity. One minute, your hair is sleek and styled. The next, small ringlets and insistent flyaways pepper your hairline, eventually wrecking even the strongest of hairsprays and styling products.
"Dew and humidity affect the hair by over-saturating the strands with moisture," Michele Scott-Lynch, founder of haircare brand Boucléme explains to me. This moisture absorption then leads to swelling of hair fibres, lifting the cuticle, and making hair appear frizzy. For curly or wavy hair, this disrupts the natural curl pattern, causing a loss of definition.
A look into my holiday hair must-haves, all of which are listed below.
Scott-Lynch goes on to recommend that hair that lacks moisture will seek it from the environment and atmosphere, leading to the over-saturation of moisture and subsequent halo of flyaways.
But, all is not lost. There are ingenious sprays, balms and creams that go the extra mile to maintain your style throughout the day, evening or late night. Consider this your cheat sheet for summer hair that doesn't disintegrate when temperatures hit 20°C plus.
And, don't think for a moment that we've forgotten about scalp care. "‘Your hair and scalp often want different things, but you can help to care for your scalp in humid environments ensuring it stays clean and clear of debris that may cause yeast to build up," says trichologist Jane Mayhead from The Private Clinic on Harley Street. "And, that it is free of heavy oils. If it becomes itchy, make sure to clean and moisturise."
So, maybe pop a clarifying shampoo or scalp scrub in your wash bag too, especially if you're heading off for longer than a hand luggage holiday.
See the Best Hair Products For Battling Humidity:
1. The best hair gel: Briogeo Curl Charisma™ Rice Amino + Quinoa Frizz Control Gel
2. The best hair oil: Davines Oi Oil
3. The best pre-treatment: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray
4. The best hair styling cream: Bread Hair-Cream: Elastic Bounce Leave-In
5. The best hair spray: R+Co Moon Landing Anti-Humidity Spray
6. The best hair balm: Amika Velveteen Dream Smoothing Balm
7. The best smoothing cream: Ouai Anti Frizz Crème
8. The best hair mask: Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
9. The best wax stick: Tigi Bed Head Wax Stick
10. The sleep saviour: Bouclème Silk Turban
1. The gel: Briogeo Curl Charisma™ Rice Amino + Quinoa Frizz Control Gel
I had all but given up hope of finding a hair gel up to the task of actually smoothing my hair come holiday time. The little curls around my ears and temples tend to spring to attention the moment a drop of moisture enters the atmosphere. Make that a humid, tropical climate and all bets are off. So, when I first slicked on this Briogeo one, I had little trust. I was in the Caribbean, it had been raining on and off all day and surely my hair would puff up the moment I stepped out of our temperature-controlled room. Oh, how wrong I was. My slicked-back bun stayed smooth with no hint of wayward baby hairs or frayed curls coming loose. It didn’t look greasy or wet, just shiny and sleek, like the hair I had been promised by other, lesser products.
For the rest of the trip, my partner and I wrestled this from each other, each drop more precious as we raced through the bottle. When we got home, the tussle for who got to use it first continued. It’s nourishing without being heavy and doesn’t require an immediate hair wash either. No helmet head, just soft, stringent hold that lasts an entire evening long.
2. The oil: Davines Oi Oil
There isn’t a phrase I detest more than if you know you know often abbreviated to the insufferable IYKYK. Why can’t we all know? Frustration about silly gatekeeping aside, this oil is an insider secret. It’s lightweight without being nothingy (a pet peeve when it comes to products that are meant to provide gargantuan benefits but feel like, well, nothing) and instantly softens thirsty, straggly hair. I pack it for sticky hot holidays and also cold ones covered in snow. In my world, it’s a non-negotiable for happy hair, whatever the weather.
3. The pre-treatment: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray
The closest thing to actual magic, Colour Wow’s Dream Coat Supernatural Spray is an answered prayer for us humidity-challenged lot. A humidity-defying spray, it seals hair against the style-ruining effects of moisture for up to four washes. The trick is to spray enough on damp hair before styling. The technology works when heat is applied but there has to be enough of it on the hair to work effectively. So, spritz more than you think and take smaller sections as you dry, making sure each area gets its time under the hairdryer or tongs.
4. The styling cream: Bread Hair-Cream: Elastic Bounce Leave-In
Trying to mitigate the effects of sea-sun-sea repeat isn't an easy task. The heat and salt water can repeatedly weaken the hair, causing dryness and damage. This cream is rich, indulgent and buttery to the touch. It contains mango butter (yum), grapeseed, argan and castor oil and can be used as a leave-in conditioning treatment or as a styling agent.
5. The spray: R+Co Moon Landing Anti-Humidity Spray
If flyaways are the bane of your life, this spray will fix down even the most wilful ones. A lightweight spray, it doesn't add grease, just hold. If I've attempted a slicked-back style, I like to spray this directly onto a short bristle brush and lay it into the hair as I pass over in long strokes. If I'm wearing my hair down, a spray, shake and zhuzh is all it needs. Flip your head to get the stragglers at the nape of the neck and you'll be golden.
6. The balm: Amika Velveteen Dream Smoothing Balm
A twofer, this balm works to smooth hair while also protecting it from UV rays and heat damage up to 232˚C. Part-heat protectant, part-sunscreen for your hair, it's also choc full of hair-loving ingredients like sea buckthorn and softening cherry bark extract.
7. The smoothing cream: Ouai Anti Frizz Crème
A pre-styling treatment, smooth this much-loved cream into your hair when it's damp (not wet) and then style as you wish heat or air dried. The effects will last up to three days or until your next wash.
8. The mask: Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
This mask has brought my holiday hair back from the brink more times than can really be believed. It helps knit back together hair bonds broken by heat, colour and friction, adding softness and smoothness after one wash. I like to pop it on in the morning, wearing my hair in a bun, claw clip or twists until the evening. Then, a quick hair wash and my hair is renewed, filled with supple moisture and buckets of hydration.
9. The stick: Tigi Bed Head Wax Stick
A staple in my bag of good hair tricks, this stick helps smooth back long and short hairs for sleek slicked back buns and high ponytails. The fact it's solid means it travels well and could easily be popped into your beach bag for on-the-go touch-ups.
10. The sleep saviour: Bouclème Silk Turban
You're away from home and potentially away from your silk or satin pillowcase. But, that doesn't mean your hair has to pay the price. This 100% mulberry silk turban from Bouclème helps reduce friction between and stop the (likely) cotton pillowcase from sucking the hydration from your hair as your sleep.
