How to Keep Curls in the Rain

Checking the weather report and seeing rain in the forecast can bring about a sense of dread, especially if you were planning on rocking a fun and flirty curly hairstyle. Whether you have naturally curly hair or you’ve added some with a curling iron, keeping your curls intact throughout the day will make you look and feel good. By using the right products and keeping your hair covered in the rain, you can make your hair look great all day despite the humidity in the air.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Washing and Conditioning Your Hair

1. Wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo. Pick out a moisturizing shampoo to prevent frizz and make your hair shiny. Rub it into your hair, focusing on the roots, then wash it out right away in the shower.^[1]
   
   • Look for coconut oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil in the ingredients section. These are all very moisturizing and will make your hair super happy.
   • Try to find a silicone and sulfate-free shampoo to avoid drying out your hair.
2. Add some conditioner to your hair, then rinse it out. Grab a bottle of sulfate and silicone-free conditioner and squeeze out a quarter-sized amount. Rub it into the ends of your hair, then let it sit for about 5 minutes. Use cool water to rinse it out completely.^[2]
   
   • You can use your fingers to comb through your hair while it has conditioner in it to get rid of any tangles or knots.
3. Rub a leave-in conditioner in your hair. Squeeze out a quarter-sized glob of conditioner, then rub it into the ends of your hair. Scrunch it into the ends with your fingers to let your hair absorb it.^[3]
   
   • Leave-in conditioner locks in moisture even when your hair is dry.
4. Dab out the excess water with a microfiber towel. Squeeze some of the water out of your hair in the shower so it’s not dripping wet, then use a microfiber towel to scrunch out the majority of the water. Starting from the ends of your hair, gently pat the towel onto your locks, trying not to rub or create friction.^[4]
   
   • Microfiber towels are less rough than normal cotton towels, so they cut down on frizz.
   • If you don’t have a microfiber towel, you can use a cotton T-shirt instead.
5. Comb through your hair with a wide-toothed comb, not a brush. Grab a wide-toothed comb and start going through your hair at the ends. Move slowly upwards, trying not to tug or rip at your hair, until your hair is all combed through and smooth.^[5]
   
   • Wide-toothed combs are more gentle on your hair than a normal hairbrush, so they’ll cut down on frizz.
   • If you have super curly hair, you don’t need to comb through it at all. Combing through really curly hair can break up your curls and make them less defined.

[Edit]Protecting Natural Curls

1. Scrunch in a holding gel to keep your curls in place. While your hair is still wet, squeeze out a quarter-sized amount of gel and rub it in between your palms. Starting from the ends of your hair, use your hands to scrunch the gel into your curls from the bottom up.^[6]
   
   • Try finding a gel made for curly hair to avoid crunchy curls.
   • Scrunching in gel rather than rubbing it in promotes volume and reduces frizz later on.
2. Add an anti-frizz cream to cut down on frizz. Squeeze a dime-sized amount of anti-frizz cream into your palms, then gently rub it into your hair. Start from the ends and work your way up to the roots to get an even coating.^[7]
   
   • You can find anti-frizz cream at most beauty supply stores.
   • The gel combined with the cream will lock your curls into place.
3. Let your hair air dry instead of using a hair dryer for more curl definition. Even if you have a diffusing attachment for your hair dryer, it can cause more frizz than just letting your hair dry on its own. Try to let your hair dry naturally inside for up to 2 hours until it’s all completely dry, and don’t touch it until it’s not wet anymore.^[8]
   
   • If you do have to use a hair dryer because you need to go somewhere without wet hair, that’s fine too. Make sure you use a diffusing attachment for your hair dryer to cut back on frizz.
4. Rub an anti-humidity product into your curls for extra protection. Grab a pea-sized amount of anti-humidity cream and rub it in between your finger tips. Gently scrunch it into your curls, being careful not to comb through them or break them up.^[9]
   
   • Anti-humidity products not only fight frizz, but they also cut down on the puffy volume that comes with rain and humidity. You can combine them with anti-frizz products to lock in your curls and keep them frizz-free.
5. Pull your hair into a loose updo when you go outside. Now that your curls are defined and frizz-proof, it’s important to keep them out of the rain. When you go outside, pull the majority of your hair into a loose bun or a twist on the back of your head and secure it with a scrunchie or a hair clip.^[10]
   
   • Make sure the updo is loose so that when you take it out your curls don’t have a kink in them.
6. Spray a mist of water on your curls to refresh them once you’re inside. When you finally get inside out of the rain, take down your updo as soon as you can. Fill a spray bottle with water and spritz your hair lightly to refresh and reshape the curls. If you need to, you can add a pea-sized amount of gel to the ends of your hair for more definition.^[11]
   

[Edit]Preserving Curled Hair

1. Use a round brush as you dry your hair for more volume. Point your hair dryer downwards at the top of your head as you dry. Use a round brush to pick up the hair near your roots and brush it outwards as you dry it to give your roots more volume and lift.^[12]
   
   • Rain and humidity can make your hair look flat and less voluminous, so it’s all about adding volume back in.
2. Add some dry shampoo to the back of your hair for more lift. Once your hair is dry, hold a can of dry shampoo about away from the back of your head and spray it into your roots. Wait about 1 minutes for it to dry, then use a brush to brush out the excess.^[13]
   
   • Make sure you brush out all of the excess dry shampoo, or else you’ll have a visible white buildup in your hair.
   • Dry shampoo adds volume, even when your hair is clean.
3. Create small, tight curls with your curling iron. Grab a curling iron and start by grabbing wide sections of hair. Wrap each section tightly around the curling iron, then hold it for about 10 seconds.^[14]
   
   • Tight curls hold better than large, loose ones do.
   • When you curl the layers around your face, curl them away from your face to open up your features.
4. Comb through your curls with your fingers to loosen them up. While your curls are still setting, use your fingers to gently comb through them from the roots to the ends. This will loosen up your curls and make them look a little more wavy, which is what the rain and humidity might do later on.^[15]
   
   • This also helps to break up the curls and make them look a little more natural.
5. Spray a thin layer of hairspray all over for extra hold. Hold a can of hairspray about away from your head and press down on the nozzle lightly. Spray a thin layer all over your hair to lock your curls in, then let them dry for about 2 minutes.^[16]
   
   • Hair spray will also help cut back on frizz.
6. Protect your hair with a hood or umbrella when you’re outside. Unfortunately, when rain gets on your curls it will most likely cause them to lose definition. If you’re going outside into the rain, pull on a hood or grab an umbrella to keep the majority of the water off your hair as you’re out and about.^[17]
   
   • You can also pull your hair into a loose updo at the back of your head.

[Edit]Tips

• Try to stay out of the direct rain as much as you can to protect your curls.
• Adding moisture to your hair is the best way to prevent frizz.

[Edit]Warnings

• Avoid using products with silicone or sulfate in them, as they can dry out your hair and make it frizzy.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Washing and Conditioning Your Hair

• Moisturizing shampoo
• Conditioner
• Microfiber towel
• Wide-toothed comb

[Edit]Protecting Natural Curls

• Holding gel
• Anti-frizz cream
• Anti-humidity product
• Scrunchie or hair clip
• Spray bottle

[Edit]Preserving Curled Hair

• Hair dryer
• Round brush
• Dry shampoo
• Curling iron
• Hairspray
• Hood or umbrella

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/09/dealing-with-frizzy-hair.html
2. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/09/dealing-with-frizzy-hair.html
3. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/09/dealing-with-frizzy-hair.html
4. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/08/natural-hair-tip-old-cotton-tshirt.html
5. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/09/dealing-with-frizzy-hair.html
6. ↑ https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/wavy-hair-type-2/how-to-weatherproof-your-curls
7. ↑ https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/wavy-hair-type-2/how-to-weatherproof-your-curls
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8VlqWXYTE&feature=youtu.be&t=333
9. ↑ https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/wavy-hair-type-2/how-to-weatherproof-your-curls
10. ↑ https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curls/rainy-day-curly-routine
11. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/06/humidity-proof-hair.html
12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp7k2FYpzrQ&feature=youtu.be&t=76
13. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSw4yxwNjbE&feature=youtu.be&t=97
14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp7k2FYpzrQ&feature=youtu.be&t=210
15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp7k2FYpzrQ&feature=youtu.be&t=373
16. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSw4yxwNjbE&feature=youtu.be&t=222
17. ↑ https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/06/humidity-proof-hair.html