The Sweaty Bangs Problem
How to Refresh Sweaty Hair on the Go
Continuing my hot weather beauty recommendations, I decided to update my “Sweaty Bangs Problem” post that I originally wrote for Dancers Beauty Guide (part of My Tango Diaries.) THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW, not a paid review. No sponsorship, free product or affiliate links.
When I wrote the first post, it was after struggling to:
not get sweat on my dance partners,
keep my hair looking reasonably nice until the end of the milonga.
I’m updating it now because of course I’m still struggling with getting overheated by the Texas heat. Any time I have to walk anywhere in the summer, I feel like I’ve just come from the set of Mad Max. When it comes to my body sweat and odor control, I’ve happily got that pretty well sorted (that’ll be a different post.) But my fine hair has been a constant struggle!
Let me start by saying, yes, there are antiperspirants formulated for the face. I’ve tried several of them and they usually don’t work and/or smell bad. I’ve never found one I could tolerate. Let me know in the comments if you’ve found one you like.
Here’s what works for me, 2026 version.
When I go to a conference, travel (or the next time I go to a tango festival) this is my pack list:
Dry Shampoo (obviously)
If my hair just needs a little refresher (as in, I’m not too sweaty), dry shampoo works great. My favorite has been Tap Secret by I Dew Care for years. I’ve had the same jar for over a year so a little goes a very long way. It says to just tap directly into hair but I really don’t recommend it. I tap it onto my brush, then brush my hair. No white powder residue.
But when my hair is already damp, powder just makes a bigger mess of it. I use travel hot tools instead (and use powder later if I still need it.)
Travel Hot Tools
Cordless, rechargeable and compact . .
For straight hair, Conair’s Cordless Heated Brush ($40US) works pretty well, though it’s more of a heated comb than a brush. For straight bangs like mine, it does the job and it’s very compact.
When I want to dry my hair a bit, and restyle it, I have this little guy: Rechargeable, Travel Cordless Hair Curling Iron Brush. I bought this on Amazon and frankly, it’s not a high quality tool. I wouldn’t really expect it to be from an Amazon shop called “dongxw” but it was cheap and it hasn’t caught fire. There are several to choose from on Amazon and they all look suspiciously the same (and are all around $40US. )
Any time I travel with hot tools, my styling iron storage pouch comes with me. I have an old Vidal Sassoon one (pictured), but there are many great ones on the market.
Both tools, and their charging cables, are small enough to fit in my storage pouch. I have a larger-than-average drawstring shoe bag, and it all fits, with my shoes, in that bag. They also fit easily in my tote bag and work backpack.
I’ve had really good luck with those 3 in my bag. But sometimes I just don’t have the time, or don’t want to bother finding somewhere to try to fix my hair. That’s why there are loads (and loads!) of pictures of me wearing a wide black scarf, wrap or headband instead.
I like the look well enough for milongas and social occasions, but when it comes to any professional setting, I keep my travel tools ready.
