It's summertime and we want to add that beachy lived-in texture to our hair! I don't know about you but when my hair comes out the salt water, it looks like a wet mop. Instead, I try to fake it with a help from a few products. This is a list of beach texture products that I have tried; good, bad, and ugly. These products come in multiple formulas like salt sprays, leave-in conditioner for air drying, scrunchy gel/spray, etc.
To give you a quick run down on my hair, I have naturally blonde hair with high/low lights throughout. My mother is a hairdresser so I do get it chemically treated quite often (lucky girl, I know). My hair is really thick and curls very easy. If I go to bed with my hair wet, I can wake up with wavy hair which I would tweak with the below products to make it presentable. If I need extra help, I will use a hair wand (curling iron, etc.) to give my hair a more "structured" curl and then spray products in after to give texture (and smell)!
First thing I want to mention, I am all about smells. If I am going to spray a product into my hair, especially a finishing product, it better smell good! Some of the below items I have eliminated based on smell...sorry not sorry. Also, I don't like anything to make my hair crispy looking or sticky.
- Alterna Bamboo Beach - This smells like sun tan lotion, but in a good way for summer. It also hydrates your hair and helps prevent UV damage. This collection usually comes out only around summer. Link
- Biosilk Silk Therapy Beach Texture Spray - I have re-bought this product because I love the smell of Biosilk. It gives slight hydration but not much. This is one of my favorites on the market because it does give my hair that texture I'm looking for. Link
- IGK Beach Club Spray - This is more of a finishing spray. My hair is already thick so I wasn't the biggest fan of this product. If you have thinner hair, it may be nice to give you some volume. Link
- Ouai Wave Spray - I sprayed this once and haven't used it since. The smell is so perfumed that I simply couldn't take it. I like my hair to smell good but this immediately gave me a headache. I like other products from Ouai but this isn't a good one, in my opinion. Link
- Bumble & Bumble Surf Infusion/Surf Spray - Both of these products are so similar that I wanted to bundle them together. If you are going to get one over the other, I would suggest the Surf Infusion because it also has oil in it to give your hair a little hydration. This one is a cult favorite but, to be honest, there are better products out there so save your money. Link
- Bumble & Bumble Foam Spray Blow Dry - This product is used more like a mousse. You are spraying it throughout your hair before blow or air drying. It's ok but to be honest, when I blow dry it takes the wave out so I don't really understand this product. Link
- Drybar Mai Tai Spritzer - You are buying this for the name and smell. I do really like it but it wasn't anything to write home about. Again, there are better products out there. Link
- TIGI Catwalk Texturizing Salt Spray - This spray made my hair crispy so I used it sparingly and doesn't smell very good. I remember using this up but will not repurchase. Link
- Redken Beach Envy Volume Wave Aid - Bad smell, crispy (more so than the TIGI) and I used it only twice and moved on quickly. I even have the shampoo/conditioner and wasn't wowed. If I am planning on using salt sprays I like to use hydrating products in the shower because I don't want to mess up my cuticle and give too much texture. See tip below. Link
- Pureology Style + Protect Beach Waves Sugar Spray - This smells like a cleaning product, similar to the Ouai, so I didn't use it after my first use. Link
- Pureology Sea Kissed Texturizer - This helps if you have highlights to give you a little lift in your color. I did notice a little brightening in my hair but nothing extreme. (Couldn't find the link, it's probably discontinued)
- Herbivore Sea Mist - If you want to give your hair a boost of smell, then you could use this. This is more of a hair fragrance than a texturizer. It has a fresh, coconut smell that isn't too overwhelming. This does nothing to the texture of my hair. This product is simply over priced for what it does. Link
TIP - If you are using a salt spray, I suggest using a deep conditioning mask in the shower after because it does tend to dry out your hair. The hydrating formula helps a little but to keep your hair healthy, put on a hair mask in the shower. A great product to use that can be found in your kitchen is coconut oil. Put it on your hair before the shower and leave it on for 20 minutes or so. You might want to shampoo your hair twice to get all of the oil out but it really helps seal the cuticle and helps me dry my hair faster.
I really want to find some good ones at the drugstore so I will probably do another post soon with those!
