14-05-2025
Help Heat-Damaged Hair With These 6 Air Dry Creams
If your hair has been bearing the brunt of hot tools in the form of split ends, dryness and an overall coarse texture, your hair styling routine may be in need of a switch-up. Cue air dry creams, which are essentially a one-way ticket to softer, frizz-free hair that eliminates the need for any and all hot tools.
If your hair has been bearing the brunt of hot tools in the form of split ends, dryness and an overall coarse texture, your hair styling routine may be in need of a switch-up. Cue air dry creams, which are essentially a one-way ticket to softer, frizz-free hair that eliminates the need for any and all hot tools. 'A good air dry cream is designed to accentuate your natural hair texture while protecting it from frizz and other elements,' said Ashley Streicher, celebrity hairstylist and R+Co collaborator. 'Air dry creams are so much healthier on the hair compared to hot tools.'
Below, find a list of stylist-approved air dry creams, along with a few editor favorites — if we had to guess, we'd say a good hair day is in your future.
This curl-defining foam
If you're looking to air dry your curls and waves, go with this lightweight foam that'll enhance your curl pattern rather than weighing them down. Unlike other foams that make the hair feel crunchy and sticky, this John Frieda formula offers definition without compromising on softness or flexibility. Celebrity hairstylist DJ Quintero said it's great for taming frizz and adding shine — plus you can use it as a refresher throughout the day. To use, scrunch two to three pumps of the foam into wet hair, making sure to distribute it from root to it from Amazon for $8.50.
A styling cream that doubles as hairspray
Think of Living Proof's StyleLab air-dry hair styling cream as a hairspray of sorts — yes, it reduces drying time, enhances texture and keeps frizz at bay, but it also locks in your style for all-day wear. The secret is in the formula's algae-based polymers, which offers natural hold and style retention. The cream is also made with bentonite clay to soften strands along with the brand's proprietary smoothing technology to reduce the look of pesky flyaways. Plus, because it's silicone-free, it won't leave behind a waxy residue on your hair. "This product really lasts and doesn't weigh the hair down or make it feel greasy like some other air dry creams can," said Quintero, adding that it's also great in high humidity environments. Get it from Amazon for $34.
A fine hair-friendly liquid-to-foam leave-in
Want wow-worthy fullness? Go for this formula from Davines, which comes recommended by Striecher. The product starts as a liquid then transforms into a foam upon dispensing. "This whipped liquid-to-foam leave-in is formulated for fine hair and leaves it a little more volumized that your average cream would," she said. Plus, it's infused with roucou oil to protect from UV damage and chicory root extract to add smoothness. Get it from Amazon for $23+ (available in two sizes).
A leave-in for fine to medium hair
Fine to medium hair types, rejoice! This leave-in conditioner from salon favorite brand Kérastase doubles as a hair perfume and air dry cream thanks to its fresh floral notes and hint of musk. But the formula doesn't just smell the part — it deeply nourishes dry, damaged strands with conditioning plant-based proteins and niacinamide. What's more, it makes it easy to detangle and achieve touchable it from Amazon for $24+ (available in two sizes).
This shine-inducing cream
Not only will this moisture-rich formula from Amika air dry your hair to perfection, but it'll protect against heat damage and give your strands mirror-like shine, too. The formula teeters the line between being a hair styling product and a haircare product, featuring sea buckthorn, which is packed with vitamin C, vitamin A and fatty acid omega-7 to keep hair nourished. Use it on damp hair as an air dry cream or on dry hair to tame flyaways and freshen up dry-looking it from Sephora for $28.
An affordable styling cream that goes a long way
Odele's air dry cream is an affordable favorite if you're looking to add texture and shine. It offers the curl- and wave-enhancing benefits of a mousse or gel, but without the crunch. Plus, a little goes a long way — just work a nickel-sized amount into towel-dried hair and get ready for the most perfect heatless hairstyle of your it from Amazon for $11.99.
