Learn how to do anything: How to Get Beach Hair

Beachy, windswept hair might be the most effortless hairstyle of all. It's a popular look worn by everyone from A-listers to the surfer girl next door. Even if you don't live close to the ocean, you can get this cool hairstyle yourself!

EditSteps

EditStyling Your Hair

Braid your hair while it’s damp and let it air dry for defined waves. Dampen your hair in the shower or mist it with a spray bottle, then separate your hair and make 4-8 braids, depending on how much hair you have. Leave the braids in until your hair is dry, then remove them.^[1]
- For the best results, spray your hair with a salt spray to dampen.
- Experiment with different braids like French braids or fishtails to see what kind of curls they create in your hair!
Twist damp hair into 4 or more buns and let them air dry for extra volume. Spray your hair with a salt or texturizing spray before dividing your hair into 4 or more sections. Twist each section so it forms a bun, then place at least 2 of the buns on top of your head and 2 at the nape of your neck. You can use U-shaped bobby pins to secure the buns so they don’t leave creases in your hair.^[2]
- If you have thin hair, add a volumizing spray to your roots before putting your hair into buns. Once you have pinned up your hair, blast your roots with your hair dryer until they are dry, and allow the rest of your hair to dry naturally.
- The more buns you do, the smaller your waves will be.
Create beachy waves with a curling wand. Wrap sections of hair around your wand for 10 seconds each. Once you've finished all of your hair, run your fingers through your hair to make the curls look messier.^[3]
- Don’t curl the bottom of your hair if you want natural-looking waves.
- For an extra messy look, twist your hair as you wrap it around the wand.
- Alternate the directions of the curl to get a wind-swept look. Curl some sections of your hair towards your face and others away from your face. The sections of hair nearest your face should be curled back away from your face for the most flattering look.^[4]
Pull your hair into a ponytail and curl sections for quick waves. Place your hair in a ponytail as high on your head as possible. Take of your hair and wrap it around your curling wand, starting at the ponytail elastic and working your way down. Repeat this until you’ve curled the whole ponytail, then take your hair down.^[5]
- For natural-looking waves, don’t curl the bottom of each piece of hair.
Twist your hair and go over each twist with a flat iron if you don’t have a wand. You can usually do this by dividing your hair into 2 sections, but if you have very thick hair you might want to do 4 sections. Twist the hair as tightly as you can without it curling back on itself, then run your flat iron slowly down each twist. When you unwrap it, tousle the waves with your fingers and spray with hairspray.^[6]
Add light highlights to your hair to mimic a sun-kissed look. If you spend time in the sun, your hair will naturally become lighter. You can get this same look by adding honey-colored or blonde highlights to your hair.
- Try misting your hair with lemon and water and leaving it in the sun, or go to a professional salon!

EditKeeping Your Waves Overnight

Apply a moisturizer to your hair before you style it. Beachy waves are often made with salt sprays, but these can be extremely drying for your hair, just like real sun and saltwater can be. Protect your hair by applying a lightweight moisturizer to the ends of your hair, or to all of your hair if your hair is thick or coarse.^[7]
- Having soft, nourished hair will help keep your waves from getting too brittle or crunchy overnight.
Finish your style with volumizing hairspray. Lock in your look with a hairspray that is strong enough to hold your curls but flexible enough to look natural.^[8]
- For best effects, try spraying your hairspray into the air, then walk into it to let it gently mist your hair. Or you can try holding the hairspray about from your hair when you're spraying it.
Braid your hair or wrap it in a scarf while you sleep. To keep your waves from frizzing as you lay on your pillow, try braiding them before you go to bed. This will add extra curl overnight!
- If you don't want to change the shape of your waves, wrap your hair in a scarf before you lay down. Even with a scarf, they still might be a little flattened the next day.

EditMaking Your Own Salt Spray

Mix warm water and salt in a spray bottle. Pour of warm water and of sea salt into a spray bottle. Shake the bottle well to make sure the sea salt has fully dissolved.^[9]
Add coconut oil and leave-in conditioner. Pour or coconut or argan oil and of leave-in conditioner to the spray bottle. Shake the bottle well to combine the ingredients.^[10]
- For extra hold, replace the leave-in conditioner with hair gel.
Add 1-2 drops of an essential oil if you want a scented spray. You don’t have to add any fragrance, but if you do want to, think of a scent that will work well with your tropical waves, like coconut or citrus. If your leave-in conditioner is scented, you may not want to add any additional fragrance.^[11]
Store the mixture in the spray bottle. Salt sprays will last until the water evaporates. If the salt mixture clogs up the spray nozzle, place the nozzle in warm clean water and pump it until it flows freely again.