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16 Of The Best Sea Salt Sprays For Big Beachy Textured Waves
A fast-track to surfer babe hair without the actual surfing.
If your summer hair-care routine is a painstakingly long task of trying to emulate the Olsen twins' dishevelled and accidentally immaculate waves, it's time to invest in a sea salt spray for your hair.
Unlike tongs or straighteners, they require no skill at all. A few spritzes of sea salt spray through dry hair before leaving the house is the difference between flat, uninspiring lengths, and textured tousles that are destined to induce hair envy.
Celebrity hairstylist George Northwood recommends 'ensuring that a salt spray distributes evenly in your hair, by working with hair that’s quite wet. So, after you wash your hair don’t vigorously towel dry it. Once you spray the product onto your hair, the excess moisture will help distribute the salt spray evenly.'
Northwood advises to apply it 'with your head tipped over. Keeping the bottle about 6-8ins away from your head, spray the product onto the underside of your hair, using your fingers to lightly work it through your layers. To avoid a hard and crunchy finish, avoid spraying directly onto the top of your head.'
We've whittled down the very best sea salt sprays for your hair that won't leave your lengths feeling sticky, matted or uncomfortably heavy.
L'Oreal Tecni Art Beach Waves Spray Salt Texturiser - £16.50
Spotted backstage at the Bora Aksu SS22 show, hairstylist Daniel Martin used this Spray Salt Texturiser to attain the 'cool girl that just got out of bed look.' Martin played with each girl's natural hair texture, embracing those with wavy hair by tonging loose beach waves and spritzing this through the ends to get a 'semi-bed head' look.
Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist - £25
Sometimes when you have poker straight hair it's impossible to fake beachy waves by just spraying product onto towel dried hair (no matter how much you spray, trust us we've tried). So when going sans heat isn't an option, try manipulating loose waves with a pair of straighteners, flip your head over and spray Cool Girl with abandon. Be prepared for waves that look effortlessly undone (check) and hold all day (check check) without any tell-tale crispy styling residue. Plus, the scent (floral with a hint of pepper and spice) is in a league of its own.
R+Co Dreamhouse Cold Pressed Watermelon Wave Spray - £27
If you're lucky enough to actually be heading to the seaside, you'll want to throw a bottle of this in your straw bag. Why? Not only does this leave your hair smelling incredible (think woodsy, rustic beach-house vibes), it defines waves while keeping them soft and protects hair from the damaging effects of UV rays. Not to mention, the packaging is adorable.
Innersense Create Waves - £24
For lovers of ritualistic beauty routines, Innersense's Create Waves spray might just be the holistic addition your hair needs. Formulated with aloe vera to give moisture to your hair, amethyst crystal powder (yes really), and scented with lavender oil, not only does this spray deliver surfer chic waves, it'll also leave you blissfully calm.
Sun Bum Texturizing Sea Spray - £15.99
A true gem of the ocean, this salt spray contains black lava sea salt, seaweed and sea kelp to harness that windswept, tousled beachy hair without the unfortunate dryness that a day in the sun can impart. Oh, and the formula helps to shield hair from humidity, meaning your waves will stay relaxed and frizz-free.
Fudge Professionals Sea Salt Spray - £11.50
This spray is as close to the sea as your hair can get without getting your feet wet. Drawing on ingredients such giant sea kelp, red algae and ocean salt minerals, it also contains UVisiShield technology to help protect hair from UVA and UVB rays and leaves a tropical scent trailing behind you all day.
Evo Salty Dog Salt Spray - £22
Want that dried-in-the-sun beach wave look without having to leave your bedroom? This is a great choice for straight and wavy hair types as it adds fullness as well as definition.
Percy & Reed Beyond The Beach Texture Spray - £16
Harnessing the saltiness of the British Coast, this texturising spray is infused with Cornish sea salt and Pro Vitamin B5 to leave hair tousled and soft but with a lasting finish.
Sachajuan Ocean Mist - £21.90
This is basically the Mediterranean sea, bottled. Its ability to make locks look accidentally perfect, voluminous and mermaid-like sans the gritty, brittle feel is pretty much unrivalled - no wonder it has a huge celeb following.
Playa Beauty Endless Summer Spray - £27
Formulated with sea salt harvested from Southern California, Playa's nourishing formula protects your hair from damaging UV rays whilst giving your lengths the most realistic Cali girl waves ever.
Philip B Maui Wowie Beach Mist - £25
Essentially like taking a trip to a tropical beach, this contains a blend of coconut, aloe vera and orchid, to give you those naturally perfect island beach waves without any dryness.
Ouai Wave Spray - £22
Jen Atkin is the queen of carefree, windswept waves, so adding this baby to her award-winning OUAI collection was always a given. For flexible, shaggy and windblown waves, veil over damp or dry hair, run your fingers through, et voila. Think Kim Kardashian at the 2014 VMAs.
We Are Paradoxx Volume Texture Salt Spray - £20
This vegan formula gives waves endless amounts of texture without leaving hair feeling weighed down or crunchy. It also adds a sunlit gleam to ends, so hair looks a whole lot healthier.
Davines Sea Salt Spray - £18.50
If you're looking for a salt spray to add a bit of grit to hair to solidify those curls, this is the one for you. It acts like hairspray (without the stickiness) to keep waves intact all day long.
Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray - £10
Not sticky or overly salty, Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray is the closest thing to a dip in the ocean - and it doesn't come with a mouthful of seaweed. For that dishevelled, beachy look, tip your head upside down and go wild.
Redken Fashion Waves - £16.30
Slip backstage at Fashion Week and you'll spot a bottle of Redken's Fashion Waves near most hair stations. Harnessing epsom salt, it separates layers to give hair amazing definition while imparting a semi-matte, effortlessly tousled finish. Kate Moss, eat your heart out.
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