Unless you are blessed by the beauty gods, perfect beach waves don't just happen. The secret to getting that tousled I-just-rolled-in-the-sand look lies in one product: salt spray.
Salt sprays are exactly that: a hair styling product formulated with salt. According to celebrity hairstylist and NatureLab Tokyo ambassador Andrew Fitzsimons, these sprays —when formulated well and used properly — give hair texture, separation, and a little lift.
But they aren't all built alike. Fitzsimons explains that a bad salt spray is basically just salt (a.k.a. sodium chloride) and alcohol. "You may see some of the benefits of added texture and volume, but it’s really because it’s just stripping your hair of all its natural moisture," he says. For him, a great salt spray combines salt with a mix of softening, volumizing, and shine-enhancing ingredients to help nourish hair during styling.
The Best Salt Sprays
IGK Beach Club Texture Spray
Now 17% Off
Bumble and bumble Bumble and bumble Surf Infusion
Beachblonde John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray
Herbivore Sea Mist Coconut + Sea Salt Beach Wave Hair Mist
Now 30% Off
Captain Blankenship Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hairspray
UNITE Hair UNITE Hair Beach Day Spray
Sachajuan Ocean Mist Spray
Verb Sea Spray
Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Soft Waves Spray
Garnier Garnier Fructis Style Beach Chic Texturizing Spray
Oribe Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray
Kristin Ess Kristin Ess Soft Shine Beach Wave Spray
Playa Endless Summer Spray
R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray
David Mallett David Mallett Australian Salt Spray
WHO NEEDS A SALT SPRAY?
Salt sprays work with most hair types. He advises those with naturally coarse or curly hair hair to look carefully at ingredients before using — the same applies for those with color-treated or chemically damaged hair. "[Those] strands are probably naturally very dry, so adding salt is just going to dry them out even more," says the hairstylist. He suggests looking for spays that contain ingredients that nourish (oils, for example) and help lock in moisture; you don't want to end up dehydrating strands and leaving them prone to damage.
HOW TO USE THEM
Salt sprays are super easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Fitzsimons personally likes to spritz the product mid-length to the ends on damp hair (he says you can scrunch up your hair as it dries for texture and lift), but encourages everyone to play around to find what works best. Start with just a few spritzes, then add more if you want even more griot. Easy to use with great results, a salt spray is the perfect summer essential.
Audrey Noble is a freelance writer and reporter. She writes celebrity profiles and does deep-dive features about the ways race, gender, sexuality, and other forms of identity impact society via the beauty industry. Her previous work experience includes editorial positions at Vanity Fair, Refinery29, and Allure. Her writing can also be seen in Vogue, Harper’s BAZAAR, Bustle, HelloGiggles, and more. You can keep up with her on Twitter.
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