Don't your waste money on the expensive products. I've tried them all. Following are my tried and true methods for surviving the humid summers here.

I use the drug store styling gels, any brand that is Extra-Firm Hold. Wash hair, towel dry and apply the gel. Then style as usual. The gel coats the hair and prevents moisture which causes the hair to frizz.

For special occasions and for volume, I spray the roots around the crown and face with Paul Mitchell 'Freeze and Dry' hair spray. Be careful, because too much of it will make your hair very stiff. No moisture will penetrate here.

If your hair is frizzy (which probably just means you have naturally curly or wavy hair), the number one tip is to only brush it when wet. Apply a styler (cream, gel, or mousse) to wet hair, and then either air or diffuse dry. Don't touch your hair again until it is FULLY dry, and only to scrunch out any product crunch. That's it. The key to reducing frizz is to not mess with your hair. You can try to straighten or blow out, but any touch of humidity and you will just have a straightened, but frizzy mess.

If your hair has texture at all, very little will touch frizz in summer. It’s better here than in more humid places at least. My hair is so disrespectful at the beach.

Anonymous wrote:John Frieda frizz ease

Does nothing for me, other than frustrate me.

Frizzy most of my life until a friend introduced me to Deva products. I apply the gel in the shower, scrunch, and that is it. Cannot tell you the number of compliments I get on my hair now.

Please ignore the Deva haters. The formula changed, there is a lawsuit (that will be dismissed, it is the Deva competitors who continue to talk about it). The product is fabulous and I will continue to use it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just tried the L’Oreal 8 Second Wonder Water and I was amazed. No tangles, and my hair was so soft. My hair had been getting drier and drier in the last few months, and the old John Frieda things had not been working as well any more. Supposedly it’s a L’Oreal technology, so it’s marketed as K-Water (Kerastase) in the salon, L’Oréal Wonder Water at home, and some Redken version. I tried it on Friday, and I’m still seeing some benefits today.

Curly hair here and that did nothing for me. If anything it dried my hair out.
I have curly/wavy hair depending on the day.

Some people don't get it because they don't have hair like yours. It sounds like you have the same hair as me. If you saw me on the beach, you would think that I have the curliest hair ever. On a regular day, out of the shower curls and waves, but when brushed out, just a frizzy mess. It can also look great straight if I have the patience for it.
It wants to curl all the time but in the wavey frizzy mess.

Ha, that is me! It is way worse in humid climates. Neither curly nor straight. In humid weather or on the beach, my hair is completely curly! But, an otherwise wavy, frizzy mess.
All the expensive things do not work, not really. I did not try the expensive Brazilian stuff, so there is that caveat.
I use Garnier oil with good results unless it starts raining! So, blow-dry the hair, then apply the oil, smooth it out, don't brush it after the oil.
Carry the stupid oil with you. Mid-day reapply. Do not brush it out. Just smooth it with your fingers and shape it to look nice.
I wash my hair every day... clearly.

Anonymous wrote:I just tried the L’Oreal 8 Second Wonder Water and I was amazed. No tangles, and my hair was so soft. My hair had been getting drier and drier in the last few months, and the old John Frieda things had not been working as well any more. Supposedly it’s a L’Oreal technology, so it’s marketed as K-Water (Kerastase) in the salon, L’Oréal Wonder Water at home, and some Redken version. I tried it on Friday, and I’m still seeing some benefits today.

Curly hair here and that did nothing for me. If anything it dried my hair out.
I have curly/wavy hair depending on the day.

I just tried the L’Oreal 8 Second Wonder Water and I was amazed. No tangles, and my hair was so soft. My hair had been getting drier and drier in the last few months, and the old John Frieda things had not been working as well any more. Supposedly it’s a L’Oreal technology, so it’s marketed as K-Water (Kerastase) in the salon, L’Oréal Wonder Water at home, and some Redken version. I tried it on Friday, and I’m still seeing some benefits today.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the recommendations. Just to clarify, my hair really isn't that curly. It can kind of be wavy when wet if I scrunch it, but as soon as I comb through it's straight again. Not sure anything for curly hair would be ideal for me - right now it's all just frizz.

I've gotten blood work done recently, so it's not anemia or any other health condition.

John Freida got a lot of endorsements, so may try that.

Sounds to me like your hair is wavy and wants you to style it that way. When people talk about the curly girl method it applies to both curly and wavy hair types.

Just because something is advertised as being for curly hair doesn’t mean it is just for curly hair. What matters are the ingredients and there is no ingredient that will magically make your hair curl or something.

OP here - thanks for the recommendations. Just to clarify, my hair really isn't that curly. It can kind of be wavy when wet if I scrunch it, but as soon as I comb through it's straight again. Not sure anything for curly hair would be ideal for me - right now it's all just frizz.

I've gotten blood work done recently, so it's not anemia or any other health condition.

John Freida got a lot of endorsements, so may try that.

Anonymous wrote:The anti-frizz styling products did little to curtail my frizz so I tried a Brazilian blowout this summer on the advice of a friend. Wow. I can let my hair air dry, I can touch it, I don't fear humidity or rain. Is this how other people have been living all along? I know it's not what you asked, but this has been such a revelation for me, I wanted to share.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a Brazilian blowout?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The anti-frizz styling products did little to curtail my frizz so I tried a Brazilian blowout this summer on the advice of a friend. Wow. I can let my hair air dry, I can touch it, I don't fear humidity or rain. Is this how other people have been living all along? I know it's not what you asked, but this has been such a revelation for me, I wanted to share.

Will curly hair stay curly still?

When I walked out of the salon my hair was stick straight, but now my curl is back, although a little subdued. YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:The anti-frizz styling products did little to curtail my frizz so I tried a Brazilian blowout this summer on the advice of a friend. Wow. I can let my hair air dry, I can touch it, I don't fear humidity or rain. Is this how other people have been living all along? I know it's not what you asked, but this has been such a revelation for me, I wanted to share.

Will curly hair stay curly still?

For me, sudden frizzy hair was because I was losing a lot of hair because of anemia. It’s always been a bit frizzy but started looking out of control over the course of 6months with little baby hairs growing back, all different lengths. So if it’s truly a big change maybe consider if you’re losing more hair in the shower or on your pillow and get labs done. (It took a while but it’s now back to normal.)