Best Hair Care Routine for Curly Hair in Humid Weather

Anyone with curly hair knows how humidity can cause curl chaos. Moisture doesn’t necessarily damage curly hair, but it’s absorbed into the shaft and can turn a defined, bouncy head of curls into a poofy, frizzy mop.

The good news is there are many ways to combat this watery assault. A personalised hair-care routine for curly hair in humid weather using targeted hair-care solutions can control frizz and create lasting definition.

Follow our step-by-step hair-care routine to ensure your beautiful curls are luxurious and defined. We recommend top products to use each step.

Step 1: Pre-wash treatment

Don’t underestimate the impact of pre-shampoo treatments, such as leave-in conditioners, oils, hair masks and gels. “Pre-poo” treatments, as they’re often called, work by locking in moisture to boost curl protection and by clarifying your hair and scalp.

Some products are applied immediately before cleansing, usually to wet hair. Massage the product into your hair and scalp, working the product down the strands, detangling with your fingers. Leave the treatment on – don’t rinse it out – and follow with a sulphate-free, moisturising shampoo. Other treatments can be used between washes to protect and revive curls.

We recommend:

Step 2: Choosing the right shampoo

A curl-loving shampoo gently removes dirt, debris and build-up without compromising the shape and structure of curls.

Nourishing, hydrating cleansers regenerate the inner and outer layers of hair, leaving more supple, smooth strands that help define curls, coils and waves, while reducing frizz and fly-aways.

Always choose sulphate-free shampoos. They’re gentler on the hair and scalp, and cleanse while preserving natural oils.

Examine labels for hydrating ingredients that lubricate strands to help curls retain their shape and definition, and create a barrier between hair and humidity. Look for ingredients like keratin, cocoa, D-panthenol (provitamin B5), aloe extract, honey, and oils such as avocado, olive, jojoba and pataua, and mango and shea butter.

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Step 3: Deep conditioning and moisturisation

Curly hair needs deep conditioning to keep environmental moisture from damaging the hair’s natural curl structure. Deep conditioners lock in moisture and envelop the hair with a protective, glossy film that creates a barrier to humidity, preventing curls from absorbing too much moisture from the air and becoming frizzy.

Nourishing conditioners also detangle, repair and smooth the driest, frizziest hair, enhancing the shape and integrity of curls, leaving them soft and supple, bouncy and shiny.

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Step 4: Styling for humidity

To protect curls from humidity and help keep out environmental moisture, incorporate these habits into your hair-care routine.

1. At the end of your wash, rinse your hair in cool water to help seal the cuticle.
2. Leave hair to dry naturally or use a diffuser to lock in moisture.
3. Avoid using hot styling tools like curling irons, which dry out hair and increase the risk of frizz.
4. Use styling products formulated for curls to reduce frizz in high humidity, like curl creams, anti-frizz serums and gels. They help strengthen and define curls by providing hold and control, and creating a protective barrier to humidity.

We recommend:

Step 5: Finishing touches

The final weapon in your arsenal against humidity is a humidity-resistant hairspray or finishing spray.

Spritz this last defence to create a protective barrier that helps hair repel moisture. Curls maintain their shape and definition, fighting off frizz and volume.

We recommend:

Following a personalized curly hair routine in humid weather that incorporates tried-and-trusted products is the difference between curly hair chaos and beautifully defined bouncy curls.

For more information on the products for curly hair in humid weather and a detailed FAQ, visit Hairhouse Warehouse.

Hairhouse Warehouse offers South Africa’s largest selection of hair, beauty, skin, spa and men’s care products online to the public.