The summer is upon us and during these months we enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle, away from the formality of the city. This is the time to let our hair down—literally.
During the summer most of us are outdoors a lot, swimming, golfing, and sitting on the beach. The weather, especially if you are at the shore or by the water, is usually misty and humid and wreaks havoc on even the best hair. Some of us get frizzy or too full to be tamed easily.
There are many hair products on the market. Some de-frizz hair, some are meant to tame it. There are gels that keep hair slick and there are a wide variety of mousses. There are even products to add shine. Sometimes it gets confusing. For my hair, anything I put in it takes away the shine and feels dirty after a day, however some people swear by their hair products. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between all these products? Here’s a quick lesson.
Mousse, sometimes called styling foam, is a styling product that is packaged under pressure and expands when released. It is much lighter than other products, and some brands are created as a combination leave-in conditioner and styling product. Mousse works well for most hair types, but people who have dry hair should avoid products that contain alcohol. Those who require strong hold or who are looking to maintain a short, molded hairstyle might want to try gel instead.
Gel can be quite versatile, and it’s available as either a spray or direct application. Spray products are good for a quick, overall covering, but they generally provides less hold than direct application hair gel. The direct application type requires you to work it in evenly by hand, but it typically provides a stronger hold. Hair gel works well for scrunching curls and helping create sleek shapes. Again, people with dry hair should avoid hair gel containing alcohol.
Glossing or polishing drops, also sold as anti-frizz serum, are silicone-based hair styling products that are designed to smooth rough hair shafts, reducing or eliminating frizz. Most products are applied in small amounts and can be used on wet or dry hair. Users should be careful, however, because too much can make the hair look heavy and greasy.
Hair volumizers are used to temporarily add volume, body, and shine to thin or flat hair. They come in many forms like shampoos, conditioners, sprays, pomades and lotions. They contain humectants, which work by attracting moisture from the surrounding areas to the hair strand, thereby swelling the hair and making it look thicker. Various polymers present in the volumizer coat the hair strand, making it look thicker and shiny.
Shampoo and conditioner forms of the volumizers are used just like ordinary shampoo or conditioners.
The spray and lotion form of volumizers are used in damp hair, near the roots.
To use, flip your head downward and gradually blow dry your hair, with the air being blown along the shaft of the hair; once the hair is dry, you can flip your head up.
