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Jpop825 11-16-2012 05:54 PM

Humidity or Dew Point?
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I can't get a grasp on relative humidity vs dew point. I understand the chemistry of what each mean, now how does this apply to frizz? I found this app that I LOVE for humidity. Is that a good enough indicator of what products to use? Especially glycerine?

Ml001 11-16-2012 06:22 PM

I am just beginning to understand it myself and found this article to have good info

rbb 11-17-2012 07:15 AM

dew point is what we need to know for our curls. it is never higher than the actual temp. for instance, snowing and 20 degrees out -- so the humidity is 100% but the dew point is 20 or lower, can even get into negative numbers.

so if the air is dry (dew point) if the products we use have lots of humectants like glycerin high on the list, the product will pull moisture wherever it can. so if the air is dry, it will pull it from our hair.

you can find the dew point on the homepage here, frizz factor. you can also go to many weather sites. i use, put in my zip code, and it gives me temp and dew points. then i wash my hair! LOL! seriously.

there is also a curl chemist article here on dew points/humidity. put it in the search box. honestly, you don't have to understand it, you just need to know what the dew point for that day is. also, some bldgs are overheated in winter, so you have to factor that in. makes the air very dry.

rbb 11-17-2012 07:18 AM

also, basic rule of thumb (can vary from head of hair to head of hair!) is this:

medium dew points 40 to 60 are good for our hair. no moisture coming in or going out.

below 40 -- low dew points, avoid humectants, most use a sealant

above 60 -- high dew points. lots of moisture in the air. some hair cannot tolerate extra moisture being drawn in, making it swell, so again some people use sealants.

my hair happens to love moisture. so high and mid dews are good for my hair. it is low dews that are terrible so now i always use heavier leave ins and seal.


Jpop825 11-17-2012 06:33 PM

Thank you both so much!!! That's exactly the info I was looking for!


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