Beachy waves are just so effortless and cool. They give off carefree but still stylish and put-together vibes that I think a lot of us aspire to. The problem is beachy waves do require some sort of effort, especially if you’re not even remotely close to the beach and can’t take advantage of what the fresh air does to your hair texture. You need a curling iron, flat iron, or curling wand to achieve those loose, sexy waves.
But if getting out your hot tools makes you want to give up your beachy-wave dreams (or if you don’t have a lot of time to style your hair), there is a quicker option for you. Enter sea salt sprays. These sprays give you that natural wave that you would get from spending a day at the beach. They can add texture and volume to your hair, and they even absorb excess oil.
To use, you’ll want to spritz it on damp hair. You can twist and scrunch your hair to add waves and let it air-dry. Or use a diffuser attachment on a hair dryer for a little bit more volume. And voilà, the beachy waves of your dreams.
Want to give the sprays a try? Take a look at some of my favorites below.
Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray is one of the OG salt sprays. I remember using it in college, and that was over 10 years ago. In addition to magnesium sulfate (aka Epsom salt), it contains seaweed extract to moisturizes the hair and kelp extract to add shine and make the hair more manageable.
Sun Bum’s formula not only leaves some nice waves, but it also blocks humidity and provides UV protection.
You can use Oribe’s spray to create piecey texture—it contains a beach-wave complex that swells the hair shaft and leaves a light hold. It’s also moisturizing, with a blend of safflower-seed oil, marigold-flower extract, and amber extract.
Along with pink sea salt, Rahua’s salt spray contains guayaba sugars to add moisture and hibiscus extract to strengthen the hair and add shine and bounce. It also has a nice tropical scent.
Instead of sea salt, Ouai’s Wave Spray is made with rice protein, so it’s safe for color-treated and keratin-treated hair. And you don’t just get beachy-wave benefits here. The spray has a floral fragrance with notes of bergamot, Italian lemon, rose de mai, violet, and white musk.
Formulated with sea salt and sea kelp, this sulfate-free spray will give your hair texture and volume and leaves a matte finish.
Sachajuan’s light scented spray delivers beachy waves and a whole lot of volume. Spray it on your roots and midway down your hair.
Fake a day at the beach with R+Co’s Rockaway Salt Spray. It’s infused with cranesbill that swells the hair shaft, yarrow-plant extract that adds body and fullness, and balm mint to protect the hair and prevent color fading.
The long-lasting formula keeps your hair bouncy and full for hours. It contains rice protein extract, algae extract, and Mediterranean sea salt to give the hair texture, volume, hydration, and nourishment.
You can use this product on wet or dry hair. It’s infused with magnesium sulfate for that texture, plus glycerin and moringa-seed extract to hold the waves and protect the hair from pollution.
Here, you don’t have to worry about that crunchy feeling some hair products give. The sea salt spray leaves your hair shiny and manageable. It even has UV protection.
Verb’s light sea salt mist is formulated with sunflower-seed extract to nourish the hair, increase its manageability, and provide UV protection. The seaweed extract and kelp in the formula get rid of any excess oil and leave the hair hydrated.
The color-safe spray gives that rough texture you get from spending a windy day at the beach. It doesn’t leave any residue or stickiness behind.
Want beachy waves and a side of shimmer? This spray contains mica to add a subtle gold shimmer to the hair, and it can work on all hair colors.
Along with Dead Sea salt, this spray has a flex-strength complex to prevent breakage from hairstyling; caviar extract to restore moisture, elasticity, and shine; and sea silk to hydrate and nourish.
Amika’s three-barrel hot tool might be one of the easiest ways to get beachy waves. It doesn’t leave any creases, and the negative-ion technology in the device seals the cuticle.
You can customize the heat settings up to 430°F with this gold-barrel curling iron. It delivers constant, even heat while in use.
T3’s styling wand has a smart microchip inside that monitors and adjusts the power to maintain a consistent temperature. The ceramic barrel ensures the hair stays frizz-free and shiny.
