It’s summer, and my style is a little more casual (read: unemployed) than usual this year, so I’m paring down a few of my personal-care routines. Why not start at the top, so to speak? My curly-wavy hair loves summer weather, to the point where its exuberance needs to be restrained a bit. The problem is always how to fight wild frizz without losing all volume and texture (because I actually like having naturally curly hair).

Sometimes, less is more.

I’m currently using Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Shampoo and Conditioner for normal-dry hair. I’ve repurchased this duo too many times to count; it really does hit the perfect balance of cleansing and moisturizing. It’s also easy to find and quite reasonably priced.

Once a week, I “clarify” with something more heavy-duty. I recently realized that LUSH Dirty Springwash shower gel does the trick. (Yes, it works on hair, too—just not every day!)

After washing my hair in the shower, I gently squeeze it dry and wrap it up in a little turban using DevaCurl’s DevaTowel. I used to assume that these special microfiber towels for hair were just gimmicks. I was wrong. This little cloth really makes a difference.

I leave my hair wrapped while I apply makeup, get out my clothes for the day, etc.

Then I unwrap my hair, pat it very gently with the towel, shake it out, and move on to my new minimal product routine. First I work four or five drops of all-natural hair oil through my hair, from just below the crown down to the ends. I love Aroma M’s Camellia Hair Oil. Another favorite of mine is Ivre de Fleur’s hair oil for normal-to-dry hair. It contains argan oil, camellia seed oil, jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, and many other beneficial botanical oils and extracts. (See here for full product information.)

A good hair oil does not include silicones or other synthetics that will give your hair temporary shine—and long-term damage. (Read your labels!) A good, and truly natural, hair oil like the ones from Aroma M and Ivre de Fleurs will “feed” your hair with nutrients while making it feel softer and smoother.

Lecture over…

…and on to the next step. I spray an all-natural salt spray throughout my hair, scrunching a bit as I go. I really like Captain Blankenship’s Mermaid Mane Sea Salt Hair Spray. The sea salt enhances my hair’s natural waviness and texture, and the aloe vera and sea kelp counteract any potential drying effects of the salt, without creating unwanted stickiness.

Then I let my hair air-dry for a few minutes while I finish getting dressed, and I finish drying it with a blow-dryer and diffuser attachment. I insert two or three bobby pins to keep the shorter front pieces out of my eyes, and I’m done.

If I need to touch up later in the day, a light misting of plain water does the trick of renewing the products I’ve already applied.

It feels a bit strange not to be using my stash of styling creams and finishing creams right now, but since the summer humidity encourages my hair to curl up on its own, I don’t seem to need them for the time being.

How does your hair react to summer weather? Have you found any seasonal styling shortcuts that you like?

Image: Edvard Munch, Girl Combing Her Hair (1892). Rasmus Meyer Collection, Bergen, Norway.

Product source: I’ve purchased all products mentioned above.