20 Sea Salt Sprays to Get Tousled Beach Waves—No Sand Required

As soon as summer rolls around, many of us look for every excuse to visit the beach as often as possible. One of the greatest things about a beachside adventure—other than that refreshing ocean breeze and getting a chance to work on our sun-kissed glow (with SPF protection, of course)—is the opportunity to achieve those effortless, windswept beach waves. That salty sea air really does work magic for most hair types.

Unfortunately, we can't spend every day of the year lounging at the beach to achieve perfect beach hair. However, we can mimic the results using sea salt spray, a styling product that creates perfect beach waves without ever having to step foot on the sand. With so many different formulas out there, it can be tricky to find the right one for your hair type. Luckily, we've done all the hard work for you. Continue reading below to discover the best sea salt sprays!

1. Best Overall Sea Salt Spray:

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Surf Spray

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Surf Spray is our favorite not-so-secret beauty secret for achieving an effortlessly tousled beach-day hairstyle. This spray is one of the most coveted hair products on the market for how easy it is to use and its stunning results. Simply spritz some on damp or dry hair, then scrunch and twist strands to add some texture, or let it air-dry for a more matte finish.

2. Best Salt-Free Sea Salt Spray:

AMIKA Bushwick Beach No-Salt Wave Spray

We understand the whole appeal of sea salt sprays is the salt—but in reality, salt tends to dry out your strands the more it's used. So for those who already have damaged hair, you could benefit from using AMIKA's Bushwick Beach No-Salt Wave Spray to give you those beachy waves you're counting on, without taking a toll on the health of your hair. It’s got key ingredients like zeolite, silica, and hyaluronic acid to fight frizz, absorb moisture, and provide hydration.

3. Most Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray:

ORIBE HAIR CARE Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray

This spray puts back the moisture that most other sea salt sprays tend to draw out of your hair. ORIBE HAIR CARE’s signature complex of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower protects your strands from dryness, damage, and color fading, while a blend of exotic oils keeps your hair soft, silky, and shiny for hours on end.

4. Best for Fast Styling:

SACHAJUAN Ocean Mist

While some sea salt sprays work best when you allow the hair to air-dry, this award-winning formula is designed to work flawlessly whether you let the hair dry naturally or you decide to speed up the process with a diffuser and blowdryer. No matter how you allow your hair to dry, the non-sticky formula will create volume, texture, and definition that looks like you just stepped off the sand.

5. Best Lightweight Sea Salt Spray:

R+CO Sail Soft Wave Spray

Wave goodbye to crunchy hair and say hello to tousled, touchable beach waves with this R+CO spray. The lightweight formula features ingredients like alma to nourish and condition the scalp, plus sea kelp to help you look like a total beach babe with waves that are soft, shiny, and voluminous. Yes, it’s true: You can achieve beachy hair without your strands feeling dry and brittle.

6. Best Sea Salt Spray for Color-Treated Hair:

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Sea Waves® Sea Salt Spray

Blondes aren't the only hair color that get to enjoy the fun of JOHN FRIEDA's Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray. Every hair type and texture, especially those with color-treated hair, will appreciate the volume and fullness this beach spray provides. Effortless? Check. Matte? Check. Made for you? Obviously.

7. Best Sea Salt Spray for Curly Hair:

PLAYA Endless Summer Spray

Give your curls a boost with the PLAYA Endless Summer Spray. Along with salt, this spray also contains sugar, which plays well with your hair's natural texture to boost volume in a way that won't leave your strands feeling sticky or stiff. You can even use it in between wash days to reset your curls whenever they need a refresh.

8. Best Sea Salt Spray for Frizzy Hair:

SUN BUM Sea Spray

Spritz this lightweight sea salt spray onto damp hair to effortlessly master that windswept, post-beach day hair. The formula is made with Hawaiian black lava sea salt and sea kelp (which helps to create more defined strands and texture), with properties that block humidity and frizz—so you can be sure your hair texture looks wavy, not frizzy.

9. Best Drugstore Sea Salt Spray:

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

Looking for a spray that won't break the bank? Say hello to this spray from NOT YOUR MOTHER’S. For a fraction of the price of other sea salt sprays, this product works just as well to deliver touchable beach waves with a light matte finish. All that without having to deal with beach traffic? Sign us up!

10. Best Sea Salt Spray for Everyday Use:

OUAI Wave Spray

For a spray you can use every day without drying out your hair, we recommend the OUAI Wave Spray. Crafted with rice protein and coconut water, this texturizing spray will give you that fresh-out-of-the-ocean waves you crave. You can even use this mist with styling tools to really amp up the beachy hair look.

11. Best Sea Salt Spray for Fine Hair:

PACIFICA BEAUTY Salty Waves Texture Spray

Give fine, flat hair extra volume and texture with this texture spray. Not only will you be able to fool everyone into thinking you just got back from the beach, but you'll also have them believing your hair is thicker and more voluminous than it actually is. But don't worry, we won't spill your secret. Oh, and did we mention that this spray smells like coconut and banana? One spritz and you’ll be transported straight to the beach with a mai tai in your hand.

12. Best Sea Salt Spray for Beginners:

DRYBAR Mai Tai Spritzer Sea Salt Spray

DRYBAR's Mai Tai Spritzer Sea Salt Spray works well with just about every hair type out there, making it the perfect choice for those who are new to the sea salt spray game. Even if it’s your first time using this type of styling product, this spray is a foolproof way of creating beachy texture and tousled locks. You'll be able to achieve soft waves with a piece-y look in a matter of minutes. Bonus: It also happens to smell like a Hawaiian getaway.

13. Best Sea Salt Product for a Stronger Hold:

MOROCCANOIL Beach Wave Mousse

A sea salt spray can only hold your beach waves for so long before they start to fall flat. MOROCCANOIL Beach Wave Mousse, on the other hand, boasts an innovative argan oil-infused formula that offers long-lasting hold. Plus, mousse textures are easier to style and apply than a spray, so you have more control over the final form of your waves.

14. Best Sea Salt Spray for Thick Hair:

DAVINES This Is a Sea Salt Spray

Thick hair can fall flat fairly quickly when the right texturizing spray isn't used. That’s why we’re obsessed with this sea salt spray that’s ideal for thicker strands. The product acts almost like a hairspray for those with hair that needs a stronger hold, except it doesn’t sacrifice touchability for staying power—so you’ll find that your strands will still be soft to the touch, just with an extra bit of body and bounce.

15. Best Sea Salt Spray for All Hair Types:

IGK HAIR Beach Club Texture Spray

Whether you have straight, fine hair, wavy hair, or thick, tight coils, this texture spray will work for any and all hair types. Providing texture, hold, and volume in a vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and paraben-free formula isn't easy, but this product pulls it off. It even offers UV protection and heat protection to keep your scalp and hair safe from the sun's damaging rays (which you need even when you’re not actually at the beach!).

16. Most Conditioning Sea Salt Spray:

VOCÊ HAIRCARE Surf Mist Textured Beach Waves

You don't need to be a surfer to achieve that surfer hairstyle, as long as you have the VOCÊ HAIRCARE Surf Mist Textured Beach Waves in your arsenal. Mallow flower, lemon peel, and burdock root extract work seamlessly to condition your strands with their rich nutrients, all while giving you effortlessly windswept waves in the process. This sea mist leaves hair feeling soft, touchable, and never crunchy.

17. Best Sea Salt Spray for Damaged Hair:

IT HAIRCARE It Essentials No. 12 Amazing Surf Spray

Feeling a little nervous about using a sea salt spray on your damaged hair? You’re not alone. But not to worry, because IT HAIRCARE’s It Essentials No. 12 Amazing Surf Spray is here to save your strands. With this product in your kit, even if your hair is damaged, you can still achieve beachy waves without further stressing damaged ends. That’s because, unlike other sprays, this product repairs and strengthens your hair with nourishing jojoba seed oil and shea butter while it adds texture to your hair to create those effortless waves you’re aiming for.

18. Best for Straight Hair:

ODELE Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

Those with stubbornly straight strands know that achieving "effortless" beach waves isn't actually as effortless as it's made out to be. If you sometimes struggle to get your hair to embrace the waves, try this formula that's infused with natural sea salt. It's specifically designed to bring life to those limp strands, finally unlocking a tousled texture that stays.

19. Best for Shorter Hair:

BILLY JEALOUSY Ocean Front Texture Sea Salt Spray

If you don’t have cascading hair past your shoulders, don’t fret! There’s quite literally a sea salt spray for every hair type and characteristic. If you have shoulder length or sport a shorter cut and love simple, back-to-basics products, try this spray from BILLY JEALOUSY.

Pat Parsi, Hairstylist and Founder of BILLY JEALOUSY shared some tips for creating waves with us. “After applying spray, twist hair into different directions for more of a wavy look. Blow drying will help create a more natural look.”

20. Best for Oil Balancing Fine Hair:

VERB Sea Spray

Those with fine hair know the struggle to bring balance to their locks. Just as one needs to keep excess oil production under control on their face by hydrating with various skincare products, the same process goes if you have hair that becomes greasy quickly after washing. This VERB spray has a dry finishing texture and oil-balancing ingredients, making it ideal for those with fine hair that tend to have to wash it often. It creates a loose, tousled look for that fresh-off-the-sand finish. It’s like a sea salt spray and dry shampoo in one!

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