“Both styling products and cleansing and conditioning products should align with your hair type and needs,” says GH Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann. Hair texture (fine, medium, or coarse), shape (straight, wavy, curly, or coily), density (how much hair you have on your head), and porosity (hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture) are all important factors to consider when seeking out the best anti-frizz products.
Wizemann explains what to look for, according to your hair type, and Butler adds the best ingredients to look for:
✔️ For fine hair (whether straight, curly, or coily), lightweight styling creams are a good option to help style and smooth, especially when applied to wet strands. Both light sprays and serums can work for fine-textured hair when used sparingly to tame flyaways and combat frizz. For fine curly and coily hair, you want ingredients that maintain curl elasticity and prevent breakage, like hydrolyzed protein, to enhance curls without feeling heavy.
✔️ For medium and coarse hair types, nourishing creams and oils can tame unruly strands, make hair shinier and keep frizz at bay. But the usage is key: medium textured hair will need less product than thicker, coarse hair. Shea butter and coconut and castor oils are all excellent emollients that will create more shine and less frizz. Look for products that say “nourishing” and “moisturizing” on the packaging, as they are packed with conditioning ingredients—like silicones and emollients—that keep hair soft and frizz-free.
✔️ Ingredients: Regardless of hair type, “look for conditioning ingredients like behentrimonium chloride and behentrimonium methosulfate,” says Butler. “These are conditioning agents that keep hair strands soft, sleek and smooth. Silicones like dimethicone and amodimethicone also condition hair and shield it from humidity.”
