One of our favorite things about summer is hitting the beach and coming home with gorgeous, perfectly tousled beach hair. And unless you happen to live a fabulous life of hanging out ocean-side year round, then you’re probably part of the majority who are in the market for a sea salt spray to recreate the surf-inspired style at home. A sea salt spray adds a lived-in look to tresses and works on all hair types to deliver chic results. It adds texture to fine strands, enhances natural curls, provides straight hair with waves, and it breathes new life into a flat-lining blowout when the third day rolls around. Here are tips on how to use sea salt spray on wet or dry hair.
Wet Hair
If you want to add texture to fine hair or enhance natural curls, spritzing product on damp (not soaking wet) hair will give the best results. Frizz and texture do not mix whatsoever, so keep in mind that using a towel to dry your hair is a big no-no since the fibers in a towel are the culprit behind frizz. Use a cotton T-shirt or microfiber cloth to get any excess water out instead. Lightly coat hair in your sea salt spray of choice from the mid-shaft to the ends and lightly scrunch it using that cotton tee to build up the texture or accentuate your curls. You can choose to diffuse hair on a low heat or cool setting afterwards, but air-drying will do the trick.
Dry Hair
When hair is in a dry state, sea salt spray can work its magic and it’s an incredibly low-maintenance and easy way to style. If you’re done heat-styling or air-drying your hair, add in any moisturizing serums or creams before spritzing a salt spray — meaning, this product should be the last step. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can certainly spray your roots with a sea salt spray, but it works best when used on the lengths. Use a light hand when spraying so that you don’t overwhelm hair with texture or weigh down fine strands.
The Products
Bumble and Bumble’s famed salt spray got a recent upgrade when Surf Infusion was created. It’s made for all hair types, but works well with dry and coarse hair since the formulation is infused with a blend of oils and botanicals that condition while still providing that tousled texture it’s known for. R+Co’s spray has our favorite scent of all and is also made with good-for-your-hair ingredients so that hair is touchable and sexy — not crunchy or sticky. Finally, there is the drugstore revival of John Frieda’s Beach Blonde version that was everything for a gal in the 90s. The packaging is modern and there is no need to shake this bad boy to get the same great results we all remember — and yes, its addictive coconut scent lives on.
Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion, $29 at Sephora; R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray, $25 at R and Co; John Freida Beach Blonde Sea Waves, $8.99 at Target
DIY Version
With a few household ingredients, you can even whip up your own sea salt spray in just minutes. Simply use a spray bottle from the drugstore (or reuse an old one) and fill it with a warm cup of filtered water (the heat will help mix up the ingredients). Then, pour in a mixture of 1 to 2 teaspoons of sea salt (depending on how much texture you want), 2 tablespoons of leave-in conditioner, 1 dime-size amount of water-based gel and 1 teaspoon of coconut or argan oil (or a mix of the two). Shake your bottle full of your concoction and let it cool before you spritz away.
[ Next: Buy or DIY: Sugar Sprays Are the New Sea Salt Sprays ]
