The £7 'air dry' cream that has taken the frizz out of my hair
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When it’s hot, the last thing I want to do is blow-dry or straighten my hair.
But unfortunately my fine, slightly wavy hair – which is cut into a French bob – literally turns into a cloud of fluff if I let it dry naturally. I also tend to sweat a lot from my head, which adds a nice touch of frizz, too.
I’ve always wanted to make the most of the natural wave and body my hair has – especially when I saw this is a look being championed by uber-fashionable hair gurus The Hair Bros and sported by lots of stylish influencers of all ages.
I’ve tried all sorts of potions – from deep conditioners and sea-salt spray to hair oils – but nothing takes away that overly fluffy look if I dare to air-dry my hair. Gah.
Until I started seeing people all over Instagram raving about the JVN Hair Complete Air Dry Cream. Though at £21 for 147ml, I felt it was too much to fork out if it was going to be another ‘promise the world’ product that did nothing for me.
However, I discovered that the Air Dry Cream also comes in a smaller, 30ml size for a mere £7.
I don’t think I’ve ever purchased anything so quickly.
Spoiler alert: This might just be my new favourite hair product since I discovered the JVN Hair Instant Recovery Serum.
And here’s why….
How it works
JVN hair products were launched exclusively at Space NK earlier this year by Queer Eye star and hairdresser Jonathan Van Ness (aka JVN). And there’s a reason they’re still flying off the shelves. They work.
A few months ago, I wrote about my new found love for the JVN Hair Instant Recovery Serum which nourishes your hair while offering heat protection.
And now it’s the JVN Hair Complete Air Dry Cream that has wowed me with its efficacy. In a nutshell, it’s a cream suitable for all hair types that offers a gentle hold while ensuring your hair cuticles stay smooth as your hair air-dries. And it also protects against the effects of humidity and UV damage.
It is infused with chia seed and linseed extract for touchable hold, moringa seed oil to make your hair feel soft and look lustrous and shiny, with an ingredient called hemisqualane to reduce damage and strengthen the locks.
How to apply
I proceeded with caution and used a drawing pin-sized blob of cream initially, rubbed it between my hands and ran it through my wet, just-washed hair from roots to ends. As it felt so light on my hair, I then applied a tiny bit more to mid-lengths and ends.
I gently scrunched my hair into waves and then just left it to dry naturally while I got on with my day.
If you’ve got thicker, curlier hair, the brand recommends you apply the product onto 30% damp hair, then dry with a diffuser.
They also offered another tip: to mix the Air Dry Cream with the Complete Instant Recovery Leave-In Serum which will protect your locks if you do want to use a hairdryer to part-dry it.
What to expect
The scent of the product is gentle, soft and fresh. The texture is, as the name suggests, creamy – but it’s light, quickly absorbed and didn’t weigh my hair down. (I’d advise starting by using a very small amount, especially if you have fine hair, then you can build it up gradually if you want a little more hold).
I then let my hair air-dry, while doing the housework – hoovering, mopping floors and scrubbing out the bath. As it was a warm day, the sweat started pouring down my face from my head – the perfect test for the frizz-free claims the brand makes about the product.
When I finished I looked in the mirror and was disappointed to see that my hair did have a touch of frizz.
But – and this is where I was impressed – I simply tousled it around a bit and gave it a bit of a scrunch and it settled back into soft waves that lasted all day. Even through an afternoon nap.
I used the air dry cream again today just before writing this feature but decided not to scrunch it into waves this time and let my hair do its own thing.
And, happily, I can report that my hair has dried with lots of natural body and a very slight wave. So I won’t need to attack it with straighteners to ‘sort it out’ before I meet a friend for dinner tonight.
Word of caution: I put a bit too much near the roots so my fringe looks a tiny bit greasy. Nothing a little dry shampoo won’t fix though.
Keep in mind that no product is a miracle-worker, and it can’t completely change your natural hair texture. That means that I’ll never have the sleek, swingy locks of my dreams, but this product temporarily minimises my fluff so I don’t feel like I’m wearing a cloud of hair.
I’m going to take it on holiday, too – not only is it the perfect travel size, but it means I’ll be able to go from beach to bar without having to do a 20-minute ‘hair-rescue detour’ to my hotel room first.
And that alone is well-worth the £7.
Want frizz-free hair?
Shop now: JVN Hair Air Dry Cream 30ml | £7 from Space NK
Shop now: JVN Hair Air Dry Cream 147ml | £21 from Space NK
