The Best Air-Dry Creams for Fuss-Free Styling

The best air-dry creams don’t discriminate. “Anyone can use an air-dry cream,” stresses Priscilla Valles, a celebrity extensionist for the likes of Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, and Tate McRae. “They’re suitable for all hair types. If you want to embrace your hair’s natural texture while giving it that hold and shape, an air-dry cream is great for you.” But, which air-dry cream is best for, well, you? Keep reading. Ahead, celebrity stylists and hair experts weigh in on the best air-dry creams for curls, wavy hair, frizz control—and for those days when you hardly have a moment to think, let alone heat-style.

Vogue’s Top Air-Dry Cream Picks:

• Best for All Hair Types Soft Power Air Dry Cream, $26
• Best for Heatless Waves: Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse, $38
• Best for Frizz Control: JVN Complete Air Dry Cream, $28
• Best for Softening: Natural Milk Nourishing Treatment, $44
• Best for Wavy Hair: Verb Ghost Air Dry Whip, $20
• Best for Scalp: Bumble & bumble Seaweed Air Dry Cream, $36
• Best for Curls: Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream, $27

In this article:

• What is an air dry cream?
• Who should use an air dry cream?
• How to use an air dry cream
• How does an air dry cream differ from a leave-in conditioner?
• What to look for in an air dry cream
• Meet the experts

Briogeo Soft Power Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: “This product is great for all hair types and provides 24 hours of frizz-free hair,” says Valles. “It hydrates and nourishes the hair without a greasy appearance while giving the perfect air-dried look to your locks.” She adds that its formulation—infused with plum oil and a Super B-Complex—gives the hair a healthy shine.
• Ingredients: Super B-complex, plum oil, yuzu extract
• Size: 4 oz

Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse

• Why we love it: Crown Affair’s weightless mousse was formulated with the brand’s signature Brush-Way Blend, which makes it simple to comb through without a fleck of residue. The formulation also contains texturizing Bolivian pink salt, hydrating Tsubaki Meadows oils, and a plant-protein blend for strength. Crown Affair founder Dianna Cohen uses the product to mousse heatless waves: “I start with clean, damp hair and then proceed with the Crown Affair Leave-in Conditioner to lock in the moisture followed by the Air Dry Mousse to hold my curls and add some definition,” she says. “Then I twist the two front pieces and clip them behind my head and twist the bottom two sections and clip them under my chin. Once my hair is mostly dry I take them out and my hair has perfect heatless waves, a.k.a 'no makeup makeup' hair.”
• Ingredients: Tsubaki meadows blend (a proprietary complex that hydrates and protects), Bolivian pink salt, a plant protein blend (to nourish and strengthen)
• Size: 5.1 oz

JVN Complete Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: “Chia and linseed extracts, as well as moringa seed oil, work together in this formula to hydrate your hair and defy frizz,” says Valles. On that note, she recommends the product for frizz-prone hair types in particular, noting that it works wonders on waves and curls. “It smooths and enhances the hair, adding a lush look to your locks,” she says. The cream’s scent—punctuated by grapefruit, tangerine, soft violet, and sweet honey—makes it all the more appealing. On a personal note, I have neither waves nor curls, but I, too, swear by this product. It gives my fine, prone-to-flatness hair a fresh-from-the-salon quality that astonishes me every time. I swear, it’s like a magic trick.
• Ingredients: Hemisqualane, chia seed and linseed extract, moringa seed oil
• Size: 5 fl oz

Kenra Professional Platinum Air Dry Crème 6

• Why we love it: Designed to cut down air-drying time by up to 60%, Kenra’s cream gives the hair’s natural body a boost. “It tames frizz and adds a buildable hold to hair all while giving it a natural and [seemingly] product-free finish. Plus, it’s suitable for all hair types,” Valles notes.
• Ingredients: Hexamethyldisiloxane, propylene glycol, polyimide-1, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil
• Size: 5.0 fl oz

OGX Curls Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: “This product is suitable for coarser hair types, as it enhances natural curls while taming and reducing frizz,” says Valles. “It features coconut oil and citrus oil, which work to moisturize and add shine to the hair while eliminating frizz.” In the end, she says, the tropical-fruit-tinged cream “leaves your curls more bouncier and nourished than ever before.”
• Ingredients: Coconut oil, shea butter
• Size: 6 fl oz

R+Co Cool Wind pH Perfect Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: According to Adam Federico, vice president of technical education at R+Co, “Anyone who prefers to let their hair dry naturally and wants to manage frizz, add definition, and improve texture will benefit from an air-dry cream.” R+Co’s formulation is pH balanced, “ which is beneficial for hair because they help maintain the natural acidity of the scalp and strands,” which can in turn preserve the hair cuticle, maintain scalp health, help with moisture retention, and preserve hair color, Federico explains. The air-dry cream is made with apricot and watermelon extracts to soften and hydrate the hair while preventing frizz; it also contains soybean oil for protection and mango butter to detangle. Finally, a cold-sealing polymer adds heat-free shine to the hair.
• Ingredients: pH-balancing mango and apricot extracts, mango butter for softness, coconut water for hydration
• Size: 5 fl oz

Reverie Natural Milk Nourishing Treatment

• Why we love it: Valles deems Reverie’s leave-in treatment “perfect for all hair types.” Powered by natural ingredients derived from olives, coconuts, and almonds, this lightweight formulation won’t weigh down the hair, she notes. Valles adds that the sulfate-free milk, which is infused with a blend of 16 essential oils, gives the hair a soft and shiny texture.
• Ingredients: Pracaxi seed oil, shea butter, milk, natural ingredients derived from coconuts, olives, almonds, mushrooms
• Size: 3.33 oz

Bumble and bumble Seaweed Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: Powered by a trio of seaweeds that nourish the hair and the scalp, Bumble and bumble’s lightweight cream serves as a leave-in-conditioner- cum-styling-cream. Softening, detangling, and frizz-taming all at once, the nutrient-rich product is also a heat protectant. “This unique leave-in hair styler nourishes and hydrates hair,” Valles attests. “It features Royal Sugar and Pacific sea kelp, as well as green microalgae to promote scalp health.
• Ingredients: Royal sugar kelp, Pacific sea kelp, green microalgae
• Size: 5 oz

IGK Rich Kid Wave-Enhancing Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: IGK’s Rich Kid Wave-Enhancing Air-Dry Cream was designed to enhance hair’s natural texture and boost its overall health. “Infused with coconut oil, this air-dry styler smooths the hair as it dries,” says Franck Izquierdo, co-founder of IGK Hair Care. “It gives the hair a naturally textured, hydrated, lived-in style.” With a gel-cream consistency, the coconutty formulation is also ideal for giving hair a piece-y texture and a touchable hold.
• Ingredients: Coconut oil, Vitamin A
• Size: 5.0 fl oz

Verb Ghost Air Dry Whip

• Why we love it: Juli Akaneya, a sessions stylist in New York, calls Verb’s Ghost Air Dry Whip her “go-to” product for air-drying. “It provides just the right amount of hold and texture without weighing down the hair,” she says. “ It has the consistency of an airy styling cream, and it adds shine, definition, and reduces frizz.” In terms of whom it’s best for, “It’s the perfect product for someone with naturally wavy hair that likes a quick and easy hair styling routine," Akaneya says.
• Ingredients: Moringa oil, mushroom extract, vegan-protein blend
• Size: 5 fl oz

Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream

• Why we love it: “This is the best air-dry cream for all curl types,” Valles raves. “This lightweight formula nourishes curls with no build-up added. It includes a blend of castor oil and babasu oil to moisturize the hair without any greasiness added.” Jennifer Nast, a senior stylist for Sharon Dorram at Sally Hershberger Salon, adds: “The product is rich in moisturizing agents that help to hydrate and define curls without weighing it down. The absence of heavy oils and silicones is a big plus, especially for those looking for a more natural feel.”
• Ingredients: Castor oil, babassu oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter
• Size: 8 fl oz

“Air-dry cream is a styling cream that gives your hair a buildable hold while embracing your hair’s natural texture, with no hot tools needed!” says Valles. “The cream features polymers that give your hair shape, and can be hydrating and conditioning, too.”

According to Nast, “An air-dry cream is ideal for anyone looking to enhance their natural texture without heat styling. It's especially beneficial for those with wavy, curly, or coily hair who want to reduce frizz and add definition without weighing the hair down.”

To use an air-dry cream, Valles says: “Place a quarter-sized amount of the cream into your palm. Rub the product through your hands and then apply it throughout your [towel-dried] hair. You can use a wet brush or a comb to help evenly distribute the product as well.”

“Leave-in conditioners are water-based, therefore the product can be technically used in the shower as it is similar to a conditioner,” Valles says. “The purpose of using a leave-in conditioner is to moisturize and hydrate your hair while detangling it, usually after showering. With air-dry creams, the point of applying this to your hair is to give your hair texture and hold while reducing frizz.” Nast adds that while both products aim to moisturize and protect the hair, leave-in conditioners are more about hydration, and may not offer the same level of styling benefits.

“The less curly or wavy your hair is, the lighter air-dry cream you should use,” Valles notes. “If you have curly hair, you will need a cream with a heavier texture that can help maintain frizz and give your curls a soft and buildable hold. If you have straighter hair, look for a runnier and lighter formula.”

Ideal ingredients also depend on hair type. “If you have straighter hair, look for ingredients that are protein-based, as this will give your hair the strength and hold it needs,” Valles says. For example, Crown Affair’s Air Dry Hair Mousse is concocted with a protein blend, as is Verb’s Ghost Air Dry Whip.

“With curly hair, you want to look for moisturizing ingredients such as Manuka oil.” The Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream contains hyaluronic acid, natural oils, and shea butter.

Cohen adds some general expertise for picking out hair-care products. “When shopping for an air-dry product like leave-in conditioner, mousse, or hairspray it is important to consider ingredients and the texture of the product,” she says. “Moisturizing products are key for the perfect air-dry because they tame the frizz and add hydration. Alcohol-free formulas are also important because they won't dry out your hair. For texture, it is important to use a lightweight mousse that adds volume and definition without leaving your hair feeling crunchy. Along with a mousse, a hair spray that has a lightweight mist is key! This way it will evenly coat your hair without making it crunchy. All of these products should dry down to a soft finish that enhances your natural hair texture without any of the crunch.”

• Juli Akeneya is a sessions hairstylist based in New York.
• Dianna Cohen is the founder and CEO of Crown Affair.
• Adam Federico is vice president of technical education at R+Co.
• Franck Izquierdo, is the co-founder of IGK Hair Care.
• Jennifer Nast is a senior stylist for Sharon Dorram at Sally Hershberger Salon.
• Priscilla Valles is a Los Angeles-based extensionist with celebrity clients including Dua Lipa, Angelina Jolie, and Kendall Jenner.