Beauty Wednesday: Lotus Shield Frizz Control Anti-Frizz Treatment

71 Comments

1. This is a really basic question, but what exactly is a blowout? I blowdry my hair every morning (otherwise it takes hours and hours to dry, frizzes up, etc.) but I sense a “blowout” is something different. Please explain? Is this just standard blowdrying for people who are blessed enough to have fast-drying hair, plus maybe some added product? Do salons charge different prices for a “blowout” and simply blowdrying your hair after it’s been washed before a cut (sometimes I see blowout listed as its own line on the price list).

   1. As far as I understand it, a blowout is a nice blowdry. I.e., rather than aiming your dryer at you hair just to make it dry, you style it w/brush, products, whatever.
      I don’t think salons charge differently b/c they just do a professional job (or at least try), which always involves some “styling.”

      1. I’ve become more and more acquainted with blowouts since becoming “public” with this blog — my hair is unreliably frizzy/wavy/curly and so it’s the safest option for anything I do related to this blog.

         A blowout is basically a professional blowdry — like when you get your hair cut. The “blowout” price is if you go to the salon for them to *just* wash your hair and blowdry it (without cutting it). In NYC I can find places that do my medium- to long-hair for $35-$45, so it’s worth it to me if I have a day or two of events.

   2. A “blowout” is when those of us with curly or wavy hair blowdry our hair straight. Generally, it’s more expensive to go into a salon and get a cut and blowout where the stylist actively straightens my hair with a big round brush and hair dryer, then a cut and blowdry, which in my case just involves them putting me under a dryer.

2. My favorite technique for controlling frizz is refusing to let anyone tell me that my natural curls are unprofessional and should be tamed. The expectation that a woman should change her natural hair type to meet an arbitrary standard of professional appearance is as fascist and absurd as the idea that a person should, say, change her accent or skin color in order to appear professional. I ‘control’ my frizz by figuring that if it was good enough for my beautiful, beloved grandmother to pass down to me, I’ll keep it, thanks.

   1. This is an interesting topic, and not one we’ve talked about on this blog — I’ll definitely add it to the list of post ideas. My own perspective is a bit different because my hair has only *just* started to be actively wavy in the past year or so — so I feel much more like “me” with my straight hair. (I’m trying to embrace the curls, though — wanted them my whole life!)

      1. I’m on board with Anonymous on this one – I have very curly hair and let it do its thing! But to control the frizzies that like to break free from the ringlets, I love Ouidad’s heat and humidity gel and Carol’s Daughter curl oil (forget what it’s called). I also like DevaCurl’s Mister Right for spritzing and refreshing after going out for lunch etc.

      2. I’m the same anon from above – Kat, I didn’t mean my comment as an attack on your decision on how to style your hair, just my own viewpoint toward my own hair. But as someone who’s had curly hair through all my life, hair that I was teased over and is so stubborn it will not lie straight no matter how much I burn it, spray it, or pay someone to style it, I feel pretty strongly about the topic.

      3. Kat, this has actually come up more than once in the comments, actually, if not as the original focus of the post. I love my curly hair, and only use a tiny bit of serum to control the mouse, but others have commented to say that they think it’s equally rude to tell other women that they MUST keep their hair natural. And that the rules are different for African-American women (<— great idea for a guest post? and it would add diversity in! ;).

         Would love to hear from more people on this topic, but we have actually discussed it a few times.

   2. I’ve got your back. Preach on.

   3. I think there is a drastic difference between someone with slightly wavy / frizzy hair (i.e., me) and someone with natural curls or body. I am insanely jealous of my work friends who have naturally curly and go with it. Mine however is not the kind of curly I can go with. Without straightening or purposefully curling, it looks rumpled or like I slept on it funny. I would never tell my friends with curls to straighten or tame them for work. Curls can be totally professional.

      1. I’m not trying to dictate how other people style their hair, but I sometimes wonder whether people who say they have frizzy hair that doesn’t curl are giving their curls a chance. I (now) have lovely curls, but before I went to a curly hair salon (my choice is Devachan) and learned to deal with them, my hair was in the “yucky frizzy” category. Curly hair (especially hair with softer curls) has to be treated in a certain way for the curls to curl rather than frizz. This doesn’t invole “purposefully curling” it in the sense of a curling iron etc., but rather using the right products and techniques.

         Just a though.

         1. Thought, not “though.” Sigh. I need a cup of coffee.

         2. Every time a stylist tries to “show me what my curly hair can do” by letting the curls go, I HATE it. They ooh and ahh over how cute it is, but I look like an electrified poodle. Maybe I’m not going to the right places…

            1. Ha ha, I agree actually. I usually look like a poodle coming out, but when I use their techniques at home (without the MASSIVE amounts of product and that over-head hairdryer device), it looks great and not poodle-ish.

               But as I said, I don’t want to ever tell someone else what to do, since I would hate it if someone told me I “should” straighten my hair.

      2. What you said. My hair is a crazy combination of curly in the back and straight on top and in the front. It requires me to do “something” either way. On the plus side, I’ve been able to go either straight or curly, and I love the versatility. On the negative side, even though I don’t have beautiful all-over curls, my wavy/curly hair is getting more unmanageable and impossible for me to blow dry and flat iron straight at home. It’s just a mess all the time (and I’m 34 and have learned to deal with my hair–this is new incorrigibility post-pregnancy).

         I go Monday for my keratin treatment. I’m excited because it should leave me able to get a sleek blowout at home AND able to go curly if I want. I just can’t deal anymore with being constantly unable to run my fingers through my hair. I love curly hair, and I love my hair. I just need it to be easier.

         1. I have hair that takes work curly or straight & the keratin treatment has changed my life . I get the volume/ wave of my curls w/out the frizz.

            I know, I know… blahblahblah it’s bad for you… but oh it is soooo good!

      3. Yeah, I tried to say something similar in the ponytail discussion this morning. Any texture of hair can be beautiful and professional. It’s when you have a little of everything–as I do–that it’s just a mess unless you intervene, one way or another.

         Some kind of uniformity all over my head is my goal.

      4. Anon, this is me too! It’s not cute, all-over curls or waves. It’s more like, “hmm, why is that part in spiral curls, this part is flat and straight and this part is in strange waves?” Absolutely like I slept on it funny, not the gorgeous, natural curls and waves others may have. You are right, curls are just as professional as straight hair. My hair, left to dry naturally or with no styling? Really, really not.

      5. “Mine however is not the kind of curly I can go with.”

         Me too – my hair is mostly stick-straight with some weird wavy curls that show up when it gets to a certain length. It also frizzes out something terrible in humidity and looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket, but only partway. I appreciate learning about new anti-frizz products because I use one every day to keep flyaway/frizz contained and help straighten out the weird waves I get. I am all for people wearing their hair however they want – if they don’t want to “tame frizz” then more power to them – but I need help with mine. So thanks, Kat, for sharing this product recommendation. I was planning on ordering some things from Avon anyway and I’ll add this to my order.

   4. Completely agree! Love my curls and I find that they are very professional as long as I use the right product.

3. huge fan of Kerastase’s Ciment Thermique. I feel like I have tried everything out there for my more curly than wavy hair (it will dry in kinky ringlets if I do nothing) and a small dab of this stuff gives me an amazing blow-dry. I have never mastered the flat iron and with this stuff, I don’t need to. On hair-washing mornings I wrap my head in my absorbent hair towel, do makeup and teeth and whatever else first, and then blow dry till mostly dry on a lower heat setting, then bust out the round brush and the higher setting till it’s done.

   1. I second this stuff. It is AMAZING. It tames & softens my hair without making it weighed down, smells so good and I can either pull it back wet and end up with a frizz free top & nice waves or get a great blowout. I have thin hair mixed in with some coarser hair and TONS of it, the bottom of it is curly ringlets and the top wavy. Uggh. If anyone has a condioner rec I would love it – I used to love Fekkai glossing but the changed the formula & it weighs my hair down now. So if anyone can reccomend something very moisturizing but still lightweight….

      1. Avalon Organics Olive & Grapeseed Moisturizing Conditioner

         It is fragrance free (bonus for me, I can’t buy anything with fragrance) and leaves my curls soft but not weighed down.

      2. I have fine straight hair, so my conditioner recommendation might not help. But I have had issues for years with conditioners that leave my hair ridiculously oily and weighed down and I recently tried herbal essences hydralicious featherweight conditioner (it’s a white-ish bottle with orange). I love it. I have never loved a conditioner and I love it. Also it’s about $4, so if it doesn’t work, you’re only out $4.

      3. i swear by the loreal vive pro smooth glossing conditioner. comes in two flavors: “dry frizzy with medium texture” and “dry frizzy with thick texture.”

   2. Agree! And it smells amazing…have been using it for years….

      1. The Kerastase Ciment Thermique, that is…

   3. Wow, sounds amazing. Just what the doctor ordered for my hair.

4. I am giving in and getting my first Keratin treatment next week. My hair is frizzy and wavy, not in a nice way (think snowboarder Shaun White – not so pretty in the office). It doesn’t matter what combo of products I use, how good my straightener is, if I blow dry or naturally dry, the wave always comes back! And I am sick of wasting time every morning with a flat iron, only to have my hair frizz up by the time I’m done walking the dog a block. I’ll report back and let you know how it goes for those who are interested!

   1. Please do! I’ve held back on trying because of the cost. I’d hate to spend the time and money only to have it not work or seem like little more than a strong conditioner.

   2. Me too!! I’m going Monday and will report back.

   3. Do this! Do this! Do this!! You have to try a chemical process at least once. The time I save is worth every penny.

      FWIW, I have very thick hair with a pretty strong wave and the top layer always frizzes. I don’t get curls unless I have it cut short (or with lots of layers. ..think JuliaRoberts in the 90s). I wear it long now with layers but since big hair is not the thing, I was spending waaaaay too much time blow drying, flat ironing, etc. I couldn’t even wash my hair in the morning b/c I’d have to get up ridiculously early just to deal with that alone. Sorry, but I’ve got better things to do than wear out my blow dryer. I got it straightened a month ago and now I am wondering why I didn’t do this long ago.

      I do still have to touch up the ends w/ curling iron or flat iron if I don’t use a round brush to dry.

      Good luck!

      1. Sounds alot like my hair, very thick (amount of hair and strand!) with a wave and frizz. I can get curls if I wash it in the morning and put lots of gel and mousse and look like I live in the 80s. So glad to hear it worked for you, gives me lots of hope!

   4. I got a Brazilian Silk treatment a few weeks ago and am very happy with it. (Brazilian Silk is just one of many brands of straightening treatments.) Before the treatment, my hair was frizzy and, in places, wavy – I had to do *something* with it if I was going out in public. I was so sick of the time involved, not to mention having the humidity undo whatever something I did to my hair. Now, post-treatment, I can let my hair air dry and not look ridiculous! And humidity – even rain – doesn’t have any effect on my hair! I am in love! That said, my hair is very thin/fine and the Brazilian Silk treatment makes this more apparent. It also makes my hair very, very limp. Sometimes I counter the limpness with product (so far it seems mousse works best) and a few minutes with a blow dryer and a round brush, but it’s still pretty limp. However, for me, limp hair is an acceptable trade off – for others with thin/fine hair it may not be.

      1. That’s the big downside I’ve heard about keratin treatments. I can cap off my crazy hair with the fact that I have a lot of it. A ridiculous amount of hair. Even flat as it can get, its sheer volume gives me, well, volume. So I’m hoping that this side effect won’t be such a big deal to me. I’m worried about the 3 days of no washing, no ponytails, no tucking behind ears, etc.

         1. There is a 24 hour one now, that is the one I’m going to try. A friend of mine was doing th 72 hour and just switched to the 24 and says there was no real difference in results. She has finer hair so hers is a little limp (honestly it didn’t look limp at all to me, just pin straight and gorgeous), but she said her sister also gets the treatments and has thicker waivier hair and it still has tons of volume but no frizz and is straight, so I guess it really depends on the texture of the hair.

            1. I’ve been doing keratin express for a few months now. It doesn’t last as long – they say 6-8 weeks, and that been pretty accurate for my frizzy, slightly curly, very fine hair. I love it — not washing for 24 hours isn’t a problem (I get it done on Sunday morning and wash it on Monday before work). It’s also more affordable ($100 at Davis Salon outside Boston).

            2. ae – how long does it take to get the express done? I HATE going to the salon for hours. Also can I get it colored right before?

         2. With the Brazilian Silk treatment there’s no downtime – your stylist washes and styles your hair before you even leave the salon. Just one more thing to consider when comparing brands…

   5. I posted above, but I’ve done the K-treatment 2x now and I LOVE it. Throughout law school I did the Japanese straightening and found that it made my hair a little “too straight”… the flatness wasn’t natural on me and the harshness of the regrowth was pretty instant and terrible (it would shoot up with the curl and then fall straight back down, I looked like I had a bad weave after a few weeks).
      The K straightening makes my very curly hair just a little wavy and very frizz free (I naturally have the kind of hair that takes work to make it look nice curly or nice straight). The regrowth doesn’t look shocking (which means I can save money by doing it less often) and I just like it better in general.
      Post treatment, all it takes for me to look like I’ve had a salon blow-out is to spend 2 minutes with a large barel curling iron smoothing out the pieces around my face. AMAZING!
      Anyway, I really, really, really, love this treatment and would recc’d it to anyone with problem hair.

      Oh & PS the Loreal sulfar free shampoo is a cheapo and amazing way to make it last longer.

5. (Just in case it is confusing I meant the Kerastase)

6. I have long wavy hair and live in a humid climate. I generally straighten it with a blowdryer every morning to keep it looking somewhat professional. I have just about had it with my brushes though! Anyone have any favorite round brushes or other tools they recommend?

   1. Try a large paddle flat brush instead of a round one. Dry your hair on low with the dryer aimed at your scalp while brushing the hair in any direction (it’s called “head wrapping” because you’re using your head to shape your hair rather than the brush). My stylist showed me this trick, and it works pretty well.

   2. A flat iron. I don’t think anything else works as well.

7. I was just doing the math in my head this morning of how ahead I would be in my yearly hours if I could bill for all the time I spend washing, blow drying and straightening my hair. I’m in the camp of people that have to do something with it for it to look good. I have patchy curls and it just works better for me to blow dry. Otherwise I look like a kid who doesn’t know how to style her hair. In a pinch I just don’t wash it and wear it up. This is definitely one place men have it better!

8. My daughter is 13 and has the thickest, most beautiful curly hair, which looks its best when she comes out of the ocean and lets it airdry. But, that’s impractical most of the time, and during the school year, the top front of her hair gets really brillo-pad type frizzy, and she’d like to tame that down a bit. (Of course, on very special occasions, she likes the long straight blonde look that takes over an hour with a blowdryer at the salon). The Brazilian was great for a week, but worried about the chemicals and cost. A daily spritz that would keep the frizz down is what I’m looking for.

   1. Does the Brazilian Silk treatment only last a week?

      1. Brazilian Silk is supposed to last 10-12 weeks, longer if you’ve had multiple treatments over time. However, chlorine, salt water and shampoo with sulfates will shorten it’s life. I’m about one month into my first treatment and it’s going strong.

   2. She sounds like she has hair like mine (I’m the anonymous who ranted at 3:00pm above). I use Bumble and Bumble’s Curl Conscious line. It’s a bit pricey, especially for a 13 year old girl, but I love the curl cream. I use the one for fine curls but they make one for coarse curls too. Highly recommend it.

   3. Frederic Fekkai has a GREAT spray with saltwater in it – it’s called beach waves and comes in an orange bottle. I spray it on my hair then let it air dry and it’s perfectly curly and appropriate for work afterwards.

9. I have relatively straight hair. Can anyone recommend a product to put in my hair and let it air dry without becoming frizzy or unruly?

   1. Aargh. I have relatively ‘straight’ hair, which is super fine and pretty thin, with a tendency toward frizz and weird waves, but not any cute curls. I live in a pretty humid climate, which is totally hostile to anything but cute curls. What works best (which is to say, results in minimal frizz and a more or less ‘finished’ look) is either no product at all (and either no blow dry or just bangs/the top) or a *tiny* bit of serum (el cheapo drugstore brand seems about the same as super luxe bumble & bumble) on the ends, with a full on 20 minute blow dry using combo of paddle brush and round brush, finishing the last 5 mins on cool. None of it matters once the humidity hits. Might try this product for the full on blow dry exercise, just to see how it stacks up. One day, I want to go GI Jane, just for the ease of it! Need to get into GI Jane shape first though :).
      H8 (not really – just jealous) the girls with wild curls that can just let ’em go!

10. I’ve been getting the keratin straightener for about 2 years. Mine last between 3-4 months. I have super thick hair which can be curly if I treat it just right other wise it is frizzy. I love it straight it has made my mornings so much easier.

    The last month of the treatment I need a little more flat iron time. I had been using a T3 brand but it died. Any recommendation on good flat irons?

    1. Do you wash your hair every day? I work out a lot and wash it every day. My friends who have had it wash every 3rd day or so and it’s lasted for 4 months. Just wondering if it’ll last at least 3 with daily washing?

    2. I have a Hot Tools one, the black w/ purple plates that I really like, ceramic. I also have a smaller Hot Tools red w/ silver plates that is terrible! I have a CHI one that is awful too, but I think that is because it has fixed plates, definitely stick to the ones that have the plates that wobble a bit.

11. OK, don’t laugh, but I gave up my Chi flat iron (which was fine) for the InStyler, the spinny thing you see on infomercials but is also available at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. I love it – gives me more of a blowout bounce (and I have wavy-frizzy, fine hair) than the stick-straight flat-iron look. It is overpriced at $99, but that is cheaper than a good flat iron.

    1. Good to know! I have been wondering about it for a while.

       1. Has anyone with long hair used it? I heard it breaks in shoulder length or longer hair.

    2. FYI there are cheaper versions that are rated better on Amazon. The Paris Hilton one has really great reviews & my mom bought a different version at Target I believe as well for about $50.
       Just search in-styler on amazon to see the reviews/different versions.

12. sulfate free shampoo! I promise, it will change your life!

    1. just curious — why?

    2. I’ve tried both and haven’t been so impressed that I feel like I have to use non SLS shampoos exclusively. There’s no doubt that some people have problems with sulfates, but that’s not the case for everyone.

    3. I use sulfate free and it hasn’t done much for my texture, but I always had itchy scalp issue which are pretty much gone now, so I recommend it for that.

    4. Yes! I started using the loreal one for my keratin treatments and it makes my hair SOOOOOOOOOOOO soft. Plust it makes the k-treatment last longer!
       I don’t think I’ve ever posted as much on corporette as I have w/ this post. ;-p

13. I’ve finally come to terms with the curly/frizzy hair. First — dry with a T-shirt, not a towel, squeeze the moisture out, don’t rub. The DevaCurl products are marvelous (the conditioner I use every day — the shampoo once a week). Marvelous products. And, I live in a humid climate.

14. Ah, frizzy hair. I used to look like a poodle and rejoice in it, but after an illness my hair has been reduced to very fine and very limp. I have to keep it short because otherwise the limpness is even more pronounced. On the upside, it takes five minutes to air-dry, even in winter, and humidity does nothing to it.

    I suppose we always want what we haven’t got when it comes to hair…

15. My stylist introduced me to the Shielo Bounce Style Creme to me about 6 months ago and I have been using it ever since. It helps control the frizz, even when its very humid out. It also makes your hair very soft and shiny without weighing it down.

    I have a short cut and I still have lots of body when using this. You only need a small amount too which is great because a bottle lasts you a long time. Just be careful not to use too much or your hair could look greasy.

16. Over the past few years I have had trouble maintaining my hair because I started coloring it. I’m 31 years old and even when I used other anti-frizz products the wind would thrash my hair!! I had my hair professionally colored for the first time, and of course, it looked gorgeous when I got done! I was told to use a sulfate-free shampoo & conditioner. My best friend said he had seen Shielo used on TV. I bought the Shielo Color Protect shampoo & the Shielo Hydrate conditioner and it is totally awesome as well. On my brothers wedding day I used their Shielo Antioxidant Leave in Protectant spray for my hair.

    I used two pumps of the Shielo Antioxidant Protectant and rubbed it in my hair after towel drying. I normally let my hair air dry. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and took a road trip to the beach that day. With the window down in the car most of the ride there and back my hair, obviously, being tangled by the wind. That evening after getting home. I brushed my hair out of the ponytail, which normally makes my hair totally poofy!

    This product works wonders! I can’t say enough good things about this product.

17. Living in the North (Alberta, Canada) this, combined with super hard water and really dry air makes for a mess of static. All 3 of my daughters have very curly, fine hair, and they sometimes like to straighten it too but because it is so fine and the air is so dry, I hate to do it because of the static. We have tried everything and have even used bounce laundry sheets to try to control it. The Shielo Restoration Oil stuff WORKS!!

    One word of caution: you only need to use a LITTLE of the Shielo Shine Oil (like it says, a drop for my long hair is enough). So what I do is to dry it, straighten it and then rub a bit of the oil on my hands and rub my hands down lightly from the top where the frizz starts and then down to the ends where the static is the worst. I use NOTHING else (no gels or mousse) and then a light hairspray at the roots to finish it off.

18. a great anti-frizz product I can recommend is the pro naturals argan oil leave-in treatment! trust me, it removes ALL the frizz

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