So whether you’re wavy, curly, or somewhere in between, we’ve rounded up the best air-dry creams for frizz-free, no-heat styling—at every price point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse
Crown Affair
The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse
Why it’s worth it: Mousses may have a bad rep for leaving hair stiff and untouchable, but Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse flips the script. “This product is perfect for enhancing curls, giving you good volume and a strong hold that will last,” says Ellsworth. “It’s great for all hair types and textures.” It’s all thanks to a featherlight formula that hydrates, defines, and disappears into hair without stickiness. Infused with clean ingredients like tsubaki meadow oil and pink salt, it delivers a soft, touchable texture. “It’s not sticky and won’t leave your hair crunchy,” says Ellsworth.
“My thick hair is incredibly stubborn about maintaining volume at the roots and body throughout the day, but this mousse does what was previously impossible: It provides a natural, flexible hold (absolutely no crunch!) that sends my curls into juicy, hydrated spirals, giving my hair an allover plumping effect. It’s the manifestation of va-va-voom for air-dried hair.” —Shanna Shipin, shopping director
- Key ingredients: pink Bolivian salt, lemon protein, meadowfoam seed oil, tsubaki seed oil
- Who it’s for: people who want to enhance their natural texture
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Hydration: Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream
Briogeo
Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream
Why it’s worth it: If we didn’t know this was a hair-care product, we could’ve been fooled by the ingredient list of this Best of Beauty Award winner. It’s packed with skin-care heavy-hitters like squalane, niacinamide, and folic acid. And that’s a good thing: These ingredients don’t just nourish your skin, they help strengthen and protect your hair, too. Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream smooths frizz, defines texture, and hydrates with a buttery blend of murumuru seed butter, sunflower oil, and chia seed extract, leaving a smooth, non-greasy finish. It’s the kind of multitasking cream that makes air-drying feel effortless, restorative, and healthy for your hair.
Tester feedback from contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai
”I’m a die-hard wash-n-go girl, so I live and die by air-dry products. This stood out for its ability to keep my flyways in check—even in the dead of summer—and leave my hair soft and bouncy. It actually gave it more volume, which is tough to find among cream-based stylers, and it left zero residue in my hair.” —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor
- Key ingredients: yuzu extract, plum oil, vitamin B, sunflower seed oil, murumuru butter, niacinamide
- Who it’s for: any hair type dealing with frizz or craving moisture
- Fragrance-free: no
Best Drugstore: Not Your Mother’s All Eyes On Me 10-in-1 Hair Perfector
Not Your Mother’s
All Eyes On Me 10-in-1 Hair Perfector
Why it’s worth it: Not quite a cream but just as hydrating, Not Your Mother’s All Eyes On Me 10-in-1 Hair Perfector is a lightweight spray that still gives major moisture, thanks to a combo of vegan keratin, hydrolyzed proteins, and conditioning oils. It detangles, smooths frizz, adds shine, and even offers heat protection up to 450°F (just in case you don’t end up air-drying). It leaves hair soft, not sticky or weighed down, and works on all textures. Basically, it’s like a leave-in conditioner, styling cream, and damage-repair treatment all rolled into one yummy berry-scented mist.
“My hair may be fickle, brittle, frizzy, and fragile, but it can still air dry gracefully—really only thanks to Not Your Mother’s All Eyes On Me, which can be used for blowout prep, sculpting curls, and, of course, air drying. It’s basically a really thick, moisturizing leave-in that coats the hair just enough to give it shape and tame it into place. When heat styling isn’t in the cards for me, I just coax a small dollop into towel-dried hair, comb it through, and scrunch up my ends a little—then I let my wavy hair texture and nature do its thing.” —Nicola Dall’Asen, senior news editor
- Key ingredients: vegetable protein, pomegranate extract, salvia hispanica seed extract
- Who it’s for: people who want heat protection and to control frizz and tangles
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Curly Hair: Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream
Curlsmith
Weightless Air Dry Cream
Why it’s worth it: No, you’re not dreaming. It’s just the Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream giving you full permission to wash and go with your curls—no excess styling or hot tools necessary. It’s unsurprising given the all-star ingredient list that consists of smoothing babassu, jojoba, and castor oils along with deeply moisturizing murumuru and shea butters. To ensure even distribution, finger-comb a small amount into your hair, then use the “praying hands” technique to smooth everything down, section by section.
“I need a lifetime supply of the Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream. It’s hands down my favorite curl cream for defining my curls without weighing them down. I like when my hair has movement and lots of volume, especially at the root, and this lightweight leave-in conditioner keeps my curls in check. Plus, the scent is absolutely incredible!” —Bianca Richards, social media manager
- Key ingredients: babassu oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, murumuru butter, shea butter, hyaluronic acid
- Who it’s for: those needing a cream for braids, twist-outs, and other protective styles
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Damaged Hair: Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air Dry Crème
Kristin Ess
Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air Dry Crème
Why it’s worth it: True to its name, Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air-Dry Crème is a featherlight formula. “This lightweight cream won’t weigh down the hair at all,” says New York City-based hairstylist Mia Santiago. It smooths frizz, adds soft shine, and features the brand’s signature Zip-Up Technology—a proprietary complex that helps seal split ends, strengthen weak spots in the cuticle, and protect against environmental stressors. Even better: It’s safe for color-treated and keratin-treated hair.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“My hair-styling routine is minimal, to say the least. Growing up, I never touched a blow-dryer and always air-dried my hair—thankfully, as an adult, I’ve added a few products to the rotation to whip my hair in better shape. One of them is Kristin Ess’s Weightless Shine Air Dry Crème, which makes my hair feel so soft, helps tame a lot of the frizz I normally get from air-drying, and gives it that extra boost of hydration that my always-thirsty ends need.” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
- Key ingredients: hydrolyzed pea protein, chia seed oil, hydrolyzed keratin
- Who it’s for: anyone with straight, curly, thick, fine, or frizzy hair looking to sleek down their hair
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Fine Hair: Oribe Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm
Oribe
Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm
Why it’s worth it: Oribe Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm is proof that you don’t need heat for a polished, frizz-free finish. This product is perfect for defining heatless styling and enhancing air-dried hair,” says Ellsworth. “It keeps hair frizz- and static-free, smooths stray strands, and leaves a healthy-looking glossy shine.” The lightweight balm is ideal for fine to medium hair types, providing long-lasting hold without stiffness due to nourishing ingredients such as chickpea extract, fermented yerba mate, and golden oak mushroom extract.
Start with less. “A little goes a long way, especially if you have fine hair,” says Ellsworth.
- Key ingredients: chickpea extract, fermented yerba mate, golden oak mushroom extract
- Who it’s for: people with fine and medium hair
- Fragrance-free: no
Best for Wavy Hair: Living Proof Air-Dry Styler
Living Proof
Air-Dry Styler
Why it’s worth it: If air-drying your hair feels like it takes forever, Living Proof Air-Dry Styler helps speed things up while making your natural texture look more polished. Ideal for straight or wavy hair, this lightweight cream smooths frizz, defines strands, and adds shine. “Such an easy-to-use, hard-to-mess-up product, which we love!” says Ellsworth. “It’s perfect for effortless styling that looks completely natural. I love its creamy texture that smooths out hair and tames any frizz or rogue strands. It won’t leave your hair crunchy and has a good hold that lasts.” Powered by the brand’s patented healthy hair molecule (OFPMA), it also helps hair dry faster, repels humidity, and keeps your style looking cleaner, longer. Perfect for lazy mornings or no-heat days, it leaves you with a soft, touchable texture that looks styled, without ever touching a hot tool.
Bentonite clay adds soft, touchable texture while absorbing excess oil and lifting impurities, helping keep your style fresh.
- Key ingredients: sunflower seed oil, algae-based polymers, bentonite clay
- Who it’s for: people with straight or wavy hair
- Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the healthiest way to air-dry your hair?
The healthiest way to air-dry your hair starts with treating wet strands gently, because “hair can be pretty fragile when wet and you can see more breakage if not properly taken care of,” Ellsworth explains. To minimize damage, gently blot (rather than rub) with a microfiber towel or cotton T-shirt to absorb excess water. “Towel dry your hair as best as you can to help speed up the air-dry process and not leave your hair soaking wet,” she says.
Applying a nourishing air-dry cream or leave-in conditioner is key to protecting strands and preventing frizz, especially if your hair tends to tangle easily. “Air-drying can leave your hair looking even more damaged in some cases if you don’t put the right products in to support the process,” Ellsworth adds. If you wash at night, she recommends staying up until your hair is fully dry: “Going to bed with soaking wet hair isn’t great for your overall hair health,” and can lead to odd bends, tangles, or breakage. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase helps minimize friction and can decrease knots the next day.
How do I keep my hair from frizzing when air-drying?
To keep your hair from frizzing when air-drying, “this is all about how you let it air dry and the products you use to support the air-drying process,” says Ellsworth. First, “make sure to towel dry your hair as best as you can to limit excess water from sitting,” and always “comb out any tangles so you are not brushing those out later with a comb when hair is dry, which leads to major frizz and breakage.” She also recommends applying “a good serum, air-dry cream, or a detangler to your damp hair to support the drying process and overall hair health as it dries.” Depending on your hair type, you can help shape it as it dries: “If your hair is wavy, you can let it dry in a loose braid so the natural wave is highlighted. If your hair is curly, you can apply the product and scrunch it in for a more defined look. If your hair is straight, letting it dry down is most likely best to avoid any kinks.”
Meet the experts
- Katelyn Ellsworth, a hairstylist, natural color and extension specialist, and founder of The Roslyn in San Diego, CA
- Devin Toth, a hairstylist based in New York City
- Mia Santiago, a stylist and owner of Headspace by Mia, based in Columbus, OH
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience levels. For instance, an innovative new blow-dryer may feature industry-leading technology, but if the only people who find it intuitive to use are professional hairstylists, we have to consider this when determining whether it is worthy of a recommendation.
For our list of the best air dry creams, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists and seasoned estheticians. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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