Sometimes all you need is a cocktail — for your hair, that is. Cocktailing (or product layering) is standard practice when it comes to getting your hair right, whether you're looking for more volume or a sleek blowout. For certain looks, you simply can't rely on a single product, especially if you're susceptible to frizz. Pin-straight strands and kinky coils alike deal with some level of it, so getting the right combination of products for your specific hair type is a must.
Before you start whipping out products and mixing an entire bathroom cabinet's worth of stuff, take a little advice from some pros in the know. We asked some of the baddest hairstylists in the game to spill the tea on their ultimate product-layering recipes for fighting frizz. Considering we have yet to see any of their celeb clients with a single strand out of place, we’re thinking now would be a good time to take notes. Frizzy hair? I don’t know her.
Tips for all types
Hairstylist Kiyah Wright fights frizz for all hair types with a can’t-fail four-product regimen. “Head and Shoulders' new Royal Oils Collection is great for hydration and moisture, two things that help combat frizz,” she tells Allure. Her cocktail starts in the shower with the line's Moisture Boost Shampoo and Deep Moisture Renewal Conditioner, followed by a steam treatment. She then applies the Deep Moisture Mask. After the hair is dry, Wright sets the style with hair spray and oil serum. She likes Muze Hair Last Look Hairspray and Wella Professionals Oil Reflections.
Teddi Cranford, hairstylist and creative director at the White Rose Collective, keeps her cocktail the same regardless of hair type — what changes are the measurements. As a general rule, she adds more of everything to clients with coarse hair and less for those with finer strands. Her frizz-fighting recipe begins with Bumble and Bumble Tonic Lotion Primer, which she mixes with Rahua Leave-In Treatment and Apothecare Essentials The Mender Oil. “The leave-in treatment is heavier and the oil is lighter, so depending on your texture, use what you need,” she advises. For kinky hair, Cranford will craft her cocktail around the leave-in instead of the oil, though still applying a generous amount of each.
Straight Hair
Hairstylist Adir Abergel seeks out products that are weightless and nongreasy for his clients dealing with frizzy, flat straight hair. His cocktail go-to is Virtue’s 6-in-1 styler, which smooths hair while “creating shine and adding incredible weightless hydration,” he says. (Abergel is creative director for the brand.) After the look is complete, Abergel works in L’Oréal’s Elnett, a lightweight hair spray, to tame flyaways.
Chris Appleton, the man behind Kim K., J.Lo, and Ariana Grande’s hair, is the godfather of glass hair, so he would know a thing or two about keeping your strands super smooth. “If you want to achieve straight, glossy, smooth-as-glass hair that’s frizz-free, the approach is very much the same whether your hair is naturally straight, wavy, or tightly curled,” he says.
First off, a silicone-free, sulfate-free shampoo that leaves no residue on the hair is crucial. It’s also best to avoid any shampoos that contain oils or creamy moisturizers, as Appleton warns that these formulas can leave a dulling film on the hair. “Pristine clean is how glass hair begins.” His go-to shampoo is Color Wow Color Security (Appleton is global artistic director for the brand). “Don’t even try to get glass hair if you use another shampoo,” he says. To maximize the sleek results, the Color Wow ambassador applies the brand's 2017 Best of Beauty–winning anti-humidity spray when the hair is wet. He then blow-dries, section by section, using a round brush and applying a little bit of tension.
Hairstylist and GHD ambassador Justine Marjan defaults to the Best of Beauty–winning GHD Platinum+ Styler to smooth strands without causing damage. “Post-ironing, run a small amount of Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Hair Shine Anti-Frizz Serum throughout to add shine and reflection. Then finish with the Tresemmé Compressed Micro Mist Smooth Hold Hairspray.” (Which also happens to be a 2018 Best of Beauty winner.)
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“Dryness leads to frizziness,” explains the hairstylist on Emma Stone’s speed dial, Mara Roszak. To combat this, she recommends using your conditioner as a mask. For straighter, finer hair, she recommends Kérastase Nutritive Lait Vital Conditioner or Kérastase Résistance Fondant Extentioniste Conditioner. “You never want to brush your hair as you’re starting to dry,” she says, noting that this will add to the frizziness. Instead, brush your hair when it’s wet and then towel-dry before combing again. She recommends a lightweight oil, like the Davines Oi All in One Milk. When hair is completely dry, Roszak uses the Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine to add a final coat of shine to the hair.
Wavy Hair
To prevent frizz on loose waves, Marjan loves the effect of the Ouai Air Dry Foam. “It helps bring hydration and separation to damp, wavy hair so that it dries with perfect volume. For best results, gently squeeze out the moisture after washing and conditioning with an Aquis hair turban, which absorbs as much water as possible without the friction from a traditional towel, which can cause frizz and breakage,” she notes. Next, gently comb hair with a wide-tooth comb, working the foam through your strands. “Avoid excess touching or scrunching, as that can also lead to frizz,” says Marjan.
If you have wavy hair, it’s OK to add a little more product. Roszak recommends reaching for Davines Love Smoothing Conditioner and applying Isle of Roses Rose Oil out of the shower, from to midlength to ends, as this is usually the most parched part of the hair. But no matter your hair type, don’t sleep on shampoo. The idea that it's better not to wash your hair is a “misconception,” she notes. “When your hair isn’t properly cleansed, there tends to be buildup that makes it harder to smooth. It’s important to have clean hair for it to be healthy,” she explains. In the salon, Roszak uses Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oil Shampoo, which is gentle enough on all hair types.
“For any of my girls who have wavy hair and struggle with frizz and dehydration, Virtue’s Moisture Defining Whip is my absolute go-to,” Abergel explains, noting that it “hydrates and enhances natural texture.” He adds in Kusco Murphy’s Lavender Creme at the ends for added hydration and frizz-free shine.
Curly Hair
If you have loose curls, hairstylist and Oribe brand ambassador James Pecis recommends spacing out your styling. “Wash hair at night, towel-dry, and brush through some Oribe Supershine Light leave-in. In the morning, use Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray to refresh curls and fix bed head,” he says.
Garren tells Allure he likes to combine a gel and an oil to kick frizz on curly hair types. “If you have naturally tight curls, use R&Co. Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner to tone down frizz, followed by R&Co. Motorcycle Flexible Gel and let dry naturally," he says. "To continue to cut frizz, hit it with R&Co. Neon Lights Dry Oil Spray.”
If getting the perfect curl pattern is a struggle, Abergel mixes Virtue’s The Polish Un-frizz Cream with Davines's Love Curl Cream. “These products leave curly hair feeling luscious and shiny and are perfect for air-drying or diffusing,” he says of the combo.
For Marjan, the key to frizz-free curls is hydration. “Curly hair types tend to be drier than straighter hair types, so using moisturizing products from the beginning is key to preventing frizz." She likes to use Tresemmé Repair & Protect 7 Shampoo and Conditioner before following up with Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream to hydrate damp hair. "Let hair air-dry as much as possible before using the GHD diffuser attachment on the GHD Air Dryer to build volume in the curls. Avoid touching or scrunching with your hands until hair is 100 percent dry, as the friction can lead to frizz.”
Kinky Hair
To create a frizz-free style for 4A-4C kinky curls, Pecis suggests a pre-poo (like the Oribe Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment) before washing. Afterward, “saturate hair with Oribe Curl by Definition Crème and a few drops of Oribe Power Drops Hydration & Anti-Pollution Booster," he says. "Twist one-by-one-inch sections into rope braids and let air-dry. Once hair is dry, unravel and you’ll have defined curls with no frizz.”
If your hair is ultra curly, Abergel recommends using a deep-conditioning treatment once a week. His go-to is Virtue’s Restorative Treatment Mask. “This mask deeply hydrates hair, making it easier to manage and control,” says. He recommends coupling the mask with Carol's Daughter’s Healthy Hair Butter, which he says is “also hydrating and wonderful for [curly] hair.”
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Lacy Redway, who works with Tessa Thompson, Angela Bassett, and Tracee Ellis Ross knows thirsty, kinky strands need some serious oils in order to retain moisture and minimize frizz. "I like to cocktail a ton of oils together into a bottle to help moisturize my hair," she says. "I use Rooted Treasure Jamaican black castor oil, avocado oil, coconut oil from Trader Joe's, raw shea butter, jojoba oil, olive oil, and grape seed oil," she explains. "This oil combination is extremely moisturizing and can help to stimulate growth. If your hair is dry, it breaks more frequently.”
Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, who counts Kerry Washington, Uzo Aduba, Regina King, and Hannah Bronfman as clients, likes to use heavier products on kinky hair types "in order to weigh it down and prevent frizz," she tells Allure." I start with Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel because it has a stronger hold. I also use Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding to condition the curl and As I Am Curling Jelly to define the ringlets," she says. "Finally, I work in the Cantu Shea Butter Curl Care Starter Kit to give the hair that long-lasting shine."
Check out these hair tips:
- The Big Reason You Shouldn’t Bleach Your Roots If You Want Rainbow Hair
- Here’s All the Baby-Hair Style Inspiration You’ll Ever Need
- Why You Should Add Micellar Shampoo to Your Hair-Care Routine
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