How to Air Dry your Hair

Now that summer is officially here, we're all about minimizing our beauty routine in order to maximize our free time. That means skin-care that doubles as makeup, hybrid moisturizers and SPF, and anything that can cut down on the time it takes us to do our hair. Who wants to drag out the curling iron and the blowdryer when the temperature starts hitting 80+? Answer: no one.

One of the many things we love about summer is that it's the perfect opportunity to ditch the hair tools and embrace your natural hair texture. As hairstylist Austin Burns explains, "air drying not only cuts down on styling time, but also gets rid of damage caused by heat." Because the constant application of extreme heat to your locks can cause dryness, weakness, and breakage. With the right know how and products, says Austin, "You can create an effortlessly chic look for day or night."

It all comes down to knowing how to work with your hair. Unfortunately, so many of us have spent years fighting our natural texture, that we don't really know how to work with it. Frizz, lack of shape, and the inability to change your texture without heat are all common complaints people have with air drying, says Austin.

Fortunately, there are ways to solve all of those problems. We enlisted Austin to help and share his how-to for fine, medium, and thick hair types. We even managed to convince Jess to serve as a model, so you can see the fine hair how-to in action. Keep reading to learn the secrets to the perfect air dry.

Fine Hair

As someone with naturally fine hair, Jess is a great example on how fine hair can look when air dried the right way — just the right amount of texture, volume, and waves. To get the look, Austin applied Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray and Virtue Volumizing Mousse to wet hair, working products from root to tip. He then twisted Jess hair away from her face and flipped her hair upside down and scrunched for added volume. To finish, he applied a light layer of Virtue's Texture Spray.

Medium Hair

For those with medium hair, your goal is to control frizz and increase the hold on your natural waves. Austin says you will follow the same steps as above, but switching out for frizz control and curl-enhancing products like Oribe's Gold Lust Hair Oil and Virtue's Moisture-Defining Whip.

Thick Hair

Thicker, curlier hair types should focus on adding moisture and shaping their curls. Austin says this step starts in the shower, making sure to run your Manta brush through your mane to detangle and smooth strands. Then, work Oribe's Curl Control Silkening Crème and Imperméable Anti-Humidity Spray through your hair and scrunch into your curls to mold their shape. Austin says it's important to keep periodically scrunching your curls as they dry to ensure they hold their shape. Finish with a shine product to keep hair soft and shiny, like Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray.

"Air drying is all about embracing your texture and perfecting it with products suited to your needs," says Austin. "Twisting and scrunching will be your styling tool." It truly is the easiest way to get a laid-back glam look that also just so happens to make your strands healthier than when you started the season. So, follow these easy air-drying tips to spend more time enjoying your summer and less time worrying about your hair.