The Florida sun and humidity can ruin a good selfie! Knowing the best hair products to use in Florida can be a game changer!
The last thing you want to worry about when you plan a vacation is “what the Florida humidity is going to do to your hair?” If you have been to Central Florida, you know it can often be ridiculously humid depending on the time of year you visit.
It’s inevitable, your hair and skin will be affected by the humidity in Florida. You can often walk through the air and feel the moisture begin to cling to your skin. And, if you’re like me, you can feel your hair getting bigger and bigger in the humidity! Everyone remembers that episode of Friends where Monica’s hair gets huge and out of control from the humidity, right? That’s me without the right products…
Image Property NBC
I have been a hairstylist for 21 years(please do not do the math on that) and one of the biggest questions I get from friends is “how do you get your hair to look so nice in pics when you’re on vacation?” This is a valid concern considering you can pretty much always expect the humidity to ruin any effort you put into your appearance.
So, What Do I Do?
First stop, Oplaplex!
Olaplex is a three-step process that aims to repair and prevent hair damage. It works on a molecular level by restoring the hair’s broken bonds which can result from harsh chemical treatments like bleaching and coloring. But, it also helps to get rid of frizz because it is repairing the damage in your hair that causes it in the first place! I would strongly suggest getting a Stand Alone Olaplex Treatment at your next salon visit. I would also suggest doing it right before your trip south.
Photo: @disney_tricks on Instagram
To combat the frizz and help you get picture-perfect in the parks, I have compiled a list of stylist-approved frizz-fighting hair products for the parks. There are so many different types of hair, and no head is quite the same. So I have broken this list down by hair types and thickness. I also included some tips to maintain your hair throughout the time you’re there.
Fine to Normal Hair Products For Florida
If your hair gets oily after one day or weighed down(wet looking) by the humidity, this is you! You might not get big frizzy hair at the parks, but you definitely have an issue with your hair looking flat and frizzy. Most of the time you see these women with their hair in a ponytail because their hair was ruined as soon as they stepped out of the doors at MCO.
Hair Routine
One of the best recommendations I can make for this type of hair is to find a shampoo and conditioner you like and then a dry shampoo you LOVE. There are so many out there but I do have some favorites. It may seem a little overkill, but when you’re in Central Florida, your best bet is to follow the hair routine:
Wash your hair and condition just the ends(or skip the conditioner if your hair is healthy enough to handle that). Use a VERY LIGHTWEIGHT heat/frizz protectant in your hair when it is wet. Maybe a pump. Start midshaft and take to the ends, just make sure you stay 2-3 inches from the root! Blow out your hair and straighten/curl to your desired look.(don’t unplug your flat iron or and yet) Now, the next part is going to throw you for a loop… But, trust me, it works! Take your dry shampoo and spray it at your root. Shake the can really well(at least 30 seconds) and take 2-inch sections with your fingers and spray that dry shampoo. Don’t touch it at all. Let it completely absorb and then run a brush through your hair. Then touch up your style as needed with hot tools. Lastly, spray your locks with an anti-frizz protectant spray! This will lock out any UV rays that sun-bleach your hair and also keep the humidity at bay.
Recommended Products Fine Hair:
Shampoo and Conditioner
VERB Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner. I personally love VERB products for my fine-haired clients. It’s affordable and is perfect for frizz-free, yet weightless clean feeling hair. A moringa oil-infused shampoo formulated to protect color, naturally smooth frizz, and promote radiant shine for all hair types. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, online at VERB, or Amazon.
Real Raw Shampoothie Biotin Boost Thick & Full Shampoo– With a base made up of 100% aloe juice and coconut water, this formula already knocks it out of the park. It works well to strengthen hair and plant proteins thicken but it also smoothes down any frizz(but didn’t cause hair to fall flat). Found at Target!
Styling/Finishing Product
Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother– This is my favorite product because it is actually healing your hair! It’s a leave-in reparative styling cream that eliminates frizz, hydrates, and protects all hair types. Apply a very small amount to hair, concentrating product on your mid-length to ends. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
VERB Ghost Oil- A weightless hair oil that revitalizes strands from root to ends. This integrated moringa oil blend enriches the hair shaft with essential nutrients that naturally smooth frizz and promotes radiant shine for all hair types. This also comes in a small $6 travel size that is perfect to take on vacation! You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, online at VERB, or Amazon.
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray– Any hairstylist worth their salt will sing the praises of Oribe for texture. This spray is activated with heat for mega volume but can be used in any capacity—finding the sweet spot between dry shampoo, volume treatment, and hairspray. The product’s patented polymers go to work on your roots to absorb oil, lifting the strands and helping to hold your styled hair for days on end. Shake, spray where you want volume, and style. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
AMIKA-The Shield– A heat-activated styling spray with thermal heat protection, which shields hair against frizz and humidity for up to 24 hours. It’s super simple to use, just shake and lightly spray damp and style or spray it on dry hair before heat-styling. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Living Proof No Frizz Humidity Shield– Unlike the AMIKA spray, this is only to be used after your hair is dry. It’s anti-static so it controls flyaways. Your final step when finishing a style and protecting hair from humidity. It has UV- and heat-protectant properties, making it the ideal product to throw in your park bag. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Photo @travelwithleahf @travelwithsara_kttw and @travelwithcassiet
Medium to Thick Hair Products For Florida
This is where I sit. I have a lot of hair but it is fine in texture. I generally loathe taking care of my hair in Florida but due to the nature of my job, I need to make sure my hair is done most days at the parks. If you have a lot of hair, wavy to curly hair, or highlighted hair that feels coarse, this is for you!
Hair Routine
One of the best recommendations I can make for this type of hair is to invest in a Keratin treatment at your salon. Most salons offer them and they can be a little pricey, but you can get months out of the results! Keratin smooths cells that overlap to form hair strands, which means more manageable hair and less frizz. This makes for hair that dries with little frizz and has a glossy, healthy look to it. It can also reduce the look of split ends by temporarily bonding the hair back together. This is a game-changer for your hair! You need to talk to your stylist because they are not “one-size-fits-all.” Some completely remove all curl from your hair and some just smooth. (My favorite is Keratin Complex because they offer an express treatment)
Just like fine hair, find a good shampoo and conditioner you like and then a dry shampoo you LOVE. Here is my hair routine for my trips to Orlando:
I only wash my hair 2 times a week… Even in Orlando. I shower at least once a day, sometimes more than that, but I pull my hair up so it doesn’t get wet. Here’s why: Your natural oil protects your hair better than any synthetic oil ever could. I usually wash and style my hair the day before my trip and then just maintain it for a couple of days with dry shampoo and my hot tools. This isn’t always possible, but I try to minimize blowdrying at any cost while I am in Orlando. On my last day before I wash, I usually put my hair into a braid or ponytail.
When I wash my hair, I use a couple of different shampoos depending on the color of my hair at the time. It is pretty blonde right now, so I usually use a purple/blue-toned shampoo like Redken Color Extend Blondage or Matrix Total Results Brass Off Shampoo. However, my conditioner in Florida is different to help maintain frizz without the weight you can feel from a normal conditioner. I will give you some great suggestions below of some brands.
Wash, condition just my midshaft & ends & add a heat/frizz protectant in your hair when it is wet. One to two pumps. Start midshaft and take to the ends, just make sure you stay 2-3 inches from the root! Blow out your hair and straighten/curl to your desired look.(don’t unplug your flat iron or and yet) Now, the next part is going to throw you for a loop… But, trust me, it works! Take your dry shampoo and spray it at your root. Shake the can really well(at least 30 seconds) and take 2-inch sections with your fingers and spray that dry shampoo. Don’t touch it at all. Let it completely absorb and then run a brush through your hair. Then touch up your style as needed with hot tools. Lastly, spray your locks with an anti-frizz protectant spray! This will lock out any UV rays that sun-bleach your hair and also keep the humidity at bay.
Recommended Products Medium to Thick Hair:
Photo Courtesy Moroccanoil
Shampoo and Conditioner
Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner– There’s a reason this shampoo has been a bestseller for years. The formula utilizes technology developed by MIT scientists to create an invisible shield around the hair to block out humidity without weighing down your hair. Users of all hair types, from thin to thick and straight to curly, rave about this shampoo’s ability to smooth hair without making hair feel greasy. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Moroccanoil Extra Volume Shampoo– I love Moroccanoil but their lines don’t always match up for hair types. Most of their shampoos are too heavy for the average head of hair. Extra Volume Shampoo is perfect! It works weightlessly to gently cleanse and add volume limp hair(which happens from the humidity). If you cocktail this with the Hydrating conditioner it is a match made in anti-frizz heaven! You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Moroccanoil Hydrating Conditioner– Your hair gets bigger in the humidity because it is absorbing all of the humidity in the air. If you use Hydrating Conditioner it fills that cuticle with the moisture it needs and will keep you smoother and reduce frizz. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Keratin Complex Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner– *This should be used in combination with your Keratin treatment. Use it! If you don’t, you’ve wasted all that money on your treatment. Your treatment needs to be maintained. Your stylist should suggest this as part of your consultation.
Styling/Finishing Product
Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother– This is my favorite product because it is actually healing your hair! It’s a leave-in reparative styling cream that eliminates frizz, hydrates, and protects all hair types. Apply a very small amount to hair, concentrating product on your mid-length to ends. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Moroccanoil Treatment Light– I can not say enough about how much I love this product. It is lightweight and perfect for all hair types. You can apply a small amount to clean, towel-dried hair and blow dry or let dry naturally. You can also apply on dry hair to tame flyaways, condition split ends, and smooth hair. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Keratin Complex Infusion Keratin Replenisher– This is a great product to use with your Keratin treatment or as a stand-alone blowdry cream. It is a powerful blow-dry cream that dramatically cuts blow-dry time, while fighting frizz and replenishing moisture and shine. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray– Any hairstylist worth their salt will sing the praises of Oribe for texture. This spray is activated with heat for mega volume but can be used in any capacity—finding the sweet spot between dry shampoo, volume treatment, and hairspray. The product’s patented polymers go to work on your roots to absorb oil, lifting the strands and helping to hold your styled hair for days on end. Shake, spray where you want volume, and style. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
AMIKA-The Shield– A heat-activated styling spray with thermal heat protection, which shields hair against frizz and humidity for up to 24 hours. It’s super simple to use, just shake and lightly spray damp and style or spray it on dry hair before heat-styling. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Living Proof No Frizz Humidity Shield– Unlike the AMIKA spray, this is only to be used after your hair is dry. It’s anti-static so it controls flyaways. Your final step when finishing a style and protecting hair from humidity. It has UV- and heat-protectant properties, making it the ideal product to throw in your park bag. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Thick, Course, or Curly Hair
Photo @disneytravelingprincess on Instagram
Is your last name Kardashian? Do you have textured/unruly curly or thick frizzy hair? Chances are, if you have this hair type, you already have a routine set up with your stylist! But, I am still going to give you some tips that might help with your Central Florida hair issues.
Hair Routine
If you haven’t yet, invest in a Keratin or Brazillian Blowout treatment at your salon. Most salons offer them and they can be a little pricey, but you can get months out of the results! The Keratin in the treatments smooth cells that overlap to form hair strands, which means more manageable hair and less frizz. This makes for hair that dries with little frizz and has a glossy, healthy look to it. It can also reduce the look of split ends by temporarily bonding the hair back together. This is a game-changer for your hair! You need to talk to your stylist because they are not “one-size-fits-all.” Some completely remove all curl from your hair and some just smooth. (My favorite is Keratin Complex because they offer an express treatment)
Just like above, find a good shampoo and conditioner you like and then a dry shampoo you LOVE. Here are my suggestions for a hair routine for trips to Orlando:
You know your hair better than anyone else. Most of the time very coarse/curly hair is lacking moisture and shouldn’t be washed more than once or twice a week… Even in Orlando. Shower at least once a day, sometimes more than that, but pull your hair up so it doesn’t get wet. Here’s why: Your natural oil protects your hair better than any synthetic oil ever could. Wash and style your hair the day before your trip and then just maintain it for a couple of days with dry shampoo and my hot tools. This isn’t always possible, but try to minimize blowdrying at any cost while you’re in Orlando. On the last day before you wash, put my hair into a braid or ponytail.
Wash, but condition just the midshaft and ends. You’re going to need a leave-in anti-frizz cream, heat protectant, and oil when your hair is wet. If you’re a curly girl, I suggest the plopping method(I will add a link here for a video) and a finishing cream and oil combo as you run your fingers through your hair. If you’re going to blow out your hair make sure you are adding a lot of moisture back into your hair. When your hair is dry, add another light layer of oil to your hair and brush it through before you use heat tools. Once you finish, spray with your anti-frizz spray.
Recommended Products Thick, Course, or Curly Hair:
Image Courtesy DevaCurl
Shampoos & Conditioners
Moroccanoil Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner– I stand by Moroccanoil for the best line for course, curl, or textured hair. Moroccanoil Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner allows you to get smoother, more manageable hair. This duo fights frizz while increasing softness and shine. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
DevaCurl- Low-Poo and No-Poo “Shampoo” & Conditioner– If you’re a curly girl, you have most likely heard of DevaCurl. I love this product for my curly girls. If you use these in combination with the “plopping method” I described above, you are golden! You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Styling/Finishing Product
Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother– This is my favorite product because it is actually healing your hair! It’s a leave-in reparative styling cream that eliminates frizz, hydrates, and protects all hair types. Apply a very small amount to hair, concentrating product on your mid-length to ends. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Moroccanoil Treatment – I can not say enough about how much I love this product. It is perfect for thick, coarse, and curly hair types. It also smells amazing! You can apply to clean, towel-dried hair and blow dry or let dry naturally. You can also apply on dry hair to tame flyaways, condition split ends, and smooth hair. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Moroccanoil Smoothing Lotion– This is lightweight enough to cocktail with other products and use to blow-dry lotion for unruly or frizzy hair. Enriched with argan oil, argan butter, Vitamin E and essential fatty acids to leave hair smooth, soft and manageable. You can even add a small amount to your hands and re-blow out your hair the second day. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
DevaCurl Light Defining Styling Hair Gel– If you’re going to go curly or “plop” this gel is a must! I love how it defines curls without crunch or flakes. If you want a non-drying gel that will give you soft curl control, added moisture and long-lasting, frizz-free definition without the crunch, your search is over! The DevaCurl Defining Gel is formulated to hydrate your curls while providing a soft hold all day long. This control styling gel can be used on wavy, curly, or super curly hair. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
DevaCurl Styling Cream– Love this hydrating styling cream! It’s lightweight and seals in moisture; fights frizz and creates shine for touchable curls; defines and tames curls without the crunch. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Keratin Complex Infusion Keratin Replenisher– This is a great product to use with your Keratin treatment or as a stand-alone blowdry cream. It is a powerful blow-dry cream that dramatically cuts blow-dry time, while fighting frizz and replenishing moisture and shine. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray– Any hairstylist worth their salt will sing the praises of Oribe for texture. This spray is activated with heat for mega volume but can be used in any capacity—finding the sweet spot between dry shampoo, volume treatment, and hairspray. The product’s patented polymers go to work on your roots to absorb oil, lifting the strands and helping to hold your styled hair for days on end. Shake, spray where you want volume, and style. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, or Amazon.
AMIKA-The Shield– A heat-activated styling spray with thermal heat protection, which shields hair against frizz and humidity for up to 24 hours. It’s super simple to use, just shake and lightly spray damp and style or spray it on dry hair before heat-styling. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
Living Proof No Frizz Humidity Shield– Unlike the AMIKA spray, this is only to be used after your hair is dry. It’s anti-static so it controls flyaways. Your final step when finishing a style and protecting hair from humidity. It has UV- and heat-protectant properties, making it the ideal product to throw in your park bag. You can pick yours up from your salon, Sephora, Target, or Amazon.
The end! (and we don’t mean split ends…)
Whew! That was a lot to cover. I really hope this post was helpful and you have lots of tools to take along with you to get picture-perfect hair on your next trip to the parks.
One last thing…
I wanted to reach out on behalf of your hairstylist to ask you to please avoid some products that are absolutely awful for the health of your hair. They cause a buildup of wax and parabens in your hair that cause long-term damage to the cuticle of your hair. They might be cheap, make your hair feel/look/smell good, but they are actually causing long-term damage that will cause severe breakage. On behalf of your stylist and your hair, please avoid: Pantene, Garnier Fructis, Suave, White Rain, Aussie, & Tresemme.
Are you considering a trip? This is a great time to plan your perfect vacation! Having a travel advisor means someone there to have your back in any occurrence. There is no additional cost to you and you have peace of mind knowing that your vacation is in good hands.
Contact our friends at Key to the World Travel® for a free, no-obligation quote for your next trip. Click here. If you love following along for the most up to date park information and news, follow us on Instagram too: @themeparkprofessor
Lead Image Photos from: @disneytravelingprincess and @disney_tricks on Instagram
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