The Ultimate Expat Beauty Issue in the Tropics: Frizzy Hair

Frizzy hair - I know we’re talking first world problems here and there are definitely worse things than an unruly bush of hay on your head. Nevertheless, it’s the most cited beauty problem I hear from fellow expats around me: unmanageable, damaged and frizzy hair due to the humid climate and overexposure to sun and aircon. Luckily there are things we can do to revive our tortured tresses...

Living in the tropics, my hair is subject to the worst vicious circle it’s ever known: constant exposure to sun and aircon dries out my hair. The dryer my hair is, the frizzier it gets from the humid climate here. Trying to get rid of some frizz, I straighten my hair with an straightening iron; the heat of the straightening iron however further dries out my hair, damages it and makes it even more susceptable to frizz. Time for a beauty interception!

Why is our hair so much drier in the tropics?

Dryness is caused when hair runs out of its moisture and natural oils. As a result, your hair loses its sheen and appears frizzy, lifeless, and dull.  Apart from genes, physical health and hair care habits, environmental conditions largely contribute to this state of your hair.

Living in a hot climate, dryness particularly originates from exposure to sun and frequent swimming in chlorinated water. In addition,  an air-conditioned room is as dry and arid as a desert because air conditioners pull out humidity from the air. Aircon’s are not selective about the source they pull moisture from, so your skin and hair are targets as well.

Why and how does dry hair get so frizzy?

Because dehydrated hair is so brittle and porous, it absorbs moisture from humid air more quickly than healthy hair. You might think that this is a good thing – after all, didn’t your hair lack moisture?! - but unfortunately that is not quite how it works.

Hair has multiple layers, and frizz occurs when the outer layer, the cuticle layer, of your hair is damaged and allows moisture to pass through, swelling the strands. As a result, your hair looks frizzy, whereas a flat and ‘closed’ cuticle layer make hair appear smooth and shiny.

In healthy hair, the outer cuticle layer protects the inner layers and doesn’t allow excess moisture to pass through and swell the strands on the one hand, and keeps moisture locked in on the other hand. When moisture from a humid environment is absorbed by dry hair with a damaged outer layer, it won’t be locked up in the strands but evaporates again instead.

What can I do to fight the frizz?

To combat dryness and break the vicious circle of frizzy hair you can do the following:

- Place humidifiers in air-conditioned rooms.

- Wear a hat or scarf outside to protect your hair from the sun

- Revive, nourish and protect your hair with the right haircare products – which, of course, is where this blog comes in handy…

This post features my personal and my frizzy expat friends' favourite hair masks - for all kinds of budgets- to help you say goodbye to dry and damaged hair. Hair masks that leave your hair soft and shiny instead of limp and oily, as some nourishing anti-frizz products tend to do.

In future posts I will go deeper into haircare topics such as heat protection to style your already dry and brittle hair; scalp-friendly shampoo’s; the delightful world of hair serums; and many more to come. 

Revive those Tortured Tresses

Favourite #1: Kerastase Masque Elixir Ultime

It's pricy but this hair mask feels so luxurious in every sense. The scent is voluptuous and rich which is due to ingredients such as Camellia, Argan and Pracaxi oil, that are part of Kerastase's "Oleo-Complex". These oils bring nourishment, deep conditioning and shine to the hair. The Argan oil helps to restore strength to the hair and protects it from external aggressor.

This hair mask scores sky-high points in pretty much every review of it that I've ever read. It really moisturizes and softens unruly and frizzy hair, even when your hair is severely damaged. Although it's an expensive hair mask, the product lasts long as you only need to apply a quarter-sized amount to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair (once or twice a week). Massage throughout the hair, pay close attention to the ends and comb through for even distribution. Leave in for 5-10 minutes and rinse thoroughly - I rinse twice as long as I do with other hair masks. The scent of the mask is still present in your hair after rinsing and drying, and leave your hair nicely scented for about a day or two.

Kerastase Masque Elixir Ultime, 200ml
Price: 73,80 SGD
Available at selected hair salons only (find a list for Singapore here)

Favourite #2: Inecto Naturals “Hello Hydration Coconut Hair Treatment” 

Coconut oil is rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and has a myriad of benefits for hair and skin, which is why it is used in pure, pressed form by many DIY beauty adepts. I've tried treating my hair with pure coconut oil once and decided not to repeat it as it left my bathroom dangerously slippery and smelling like a coconut macaroon for days. A hair mask with coconut oil as ingredient is the perfect solution, and my favourite by far is Inecto's "Hello Hydration" Coconut Hair Treatment with organic coconut oil. It smells -ofcourse- like coconut, but in a soft and creamy way. The texture of the mask is very creamy as well and this product is much easier to rinse out than pure coconut oil. It leaves your hair healthier looking and a lot softer than before.

I love that this product is not tested on animals and is vegan-friendly. And funny; "Directions: spread generously through towel-dry hair, leave in for 3-5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with warm water. If some escapes and gets in your eyes, we've had it happen to us too, rinse immediately with plenty of water."   

Inecto Naturals “Hello Hydration Coconut Hair Treatment”, 150ml
Price: 8,50 SGD
Available at BHG Singapore (find locations here)

Favourite #3: Toni & Guy “Nourish” Reconstruction Mask

Good old Toni&Guy. Founded in 1963 in Clapham, Toni&Guy Hairdressing has grown from a humble salon in the UK into an international chain of salons - and a salon-quality haircare line (a Unilever brand) since 2013. I've been using this mask for quite a while now and really like it. I've heard from others, whose hair was dull-looking and near dead-by-frizz and who had tried pretty much every brand of hair reconstructors or anti-frizz treatments around to reconstruct and revive their hair, that they would recommend this product to anyone as it does a fabulous job. The deep conditioning formula turns dry and brittle hair to soft and nourished with a smooth texture and a shiny overcoat. The scent of this product is a typical hair salon scent, but a mild one - not that enticing or unique, just pleasant.

Use once a week, after shampoo wash, and apply onto hair from mid-length. Leave in the hair for around 5 minutes and then rinse off thoroughly. As opposed to Kerastase's Hair Mask, the scent of the product doesn't linger in the hair after rinsing, only very subtly.

Toni & Guy “Nourish” Reconstruction Mask, 200ml. 
Price: SGD 25,90 
Available at a.o. Watsons, online through Redmart