The $5 Air-Dry Cream That Keeps My Hair Frizz-Free – Even in Florida Humidity

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Victoria Messina

My hair-care routine can be summed up with one word: simple. I shampoo and condition my hair roughly every other day, cut it once a year, only use heat-styling tools on weekends (if at all), and always opt for air-drying unless I’m crunched for time. So when I had the opportunity to test out Herbal Essences’s first-ever air-dry cream before it hits shelves this month, I took it – and now have a new go-to product that fits seamlessly into my low-effort regimen.

This December, Herbal Essences is dropping a new styling collection with 10 products ranging from texturizing hair spray to mousse. I was instantly drawn to the air-dry cream, which promises to help reduce frizz and add shine without any buildup-causing mineral oils or parabens. After using the cream for several weeks now, I can attest that it certainly lives up to that promise for my personal hair type, which is mostly straight in the front and wavy in the back.

Application is easy as can be: After showering, you brush your hair, towel-dry until it’s damp, and distribute a dollop of cream from root to tip with your fingers or a comb. (For reference, I use a quarter-size dollop.) Then go about your day and let the air-drying magic happen. I used the cream while back home in Florida for the week of Thanksgiving, and it noticeably helped smooth away the flyaways that usually sprout up on top of my head due to the unrelenting humidity. It makes my hair visibly shinier and as sleek as it feels right after a fresh haircut. Plus, since the cream is so lightweight, it doesn’t weigh my hair down or leave behind any gloopy residue or crunchy texture once dry.

The smell is also a highlight. As soon as you uncap the tube, you’re hit with a delightful rose scent that’s not too cloying. Upon first sniff, I was overcome with a comforting sense of nostalgia for the middle school days when I used Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. The fresh and floral scent even stuck around through my flight back to New York – plus an extra day without washing because it’s cold up here and I got lazy.

Although the cream is intended for use on damp hair, I’ve also used it on dry hair when my ends look like they need an extra boost of moisture on my no-wash days. I’d been using a hair oil for that purpose before, but now my air-dry cream is pulling double duty and doing a pretty damn good job at it.

Herbal Essences is set to release its Smoothing Air Dry Cream – and the nine other products in its new styling range – at major retailers before 2022 concludes. Every item will retail for just $5. Be sure to scoop up the pink-rose-covered tube of air-dry cream at your local drugstore to help you bring silky, frizz-free hair into the new year.