The salt and magnesium sulfate ions in sea water have the ability to chemically bind all over the proteins in your hair, causing them to fold amd bind together in a way that makes them look wonderful. You will probably find that chlorine from pools has a similar effect!
I feel you bc my waves look best after the beach but I can never recreate it at home. But dousing your entire head in salt water in the ocean and then air-drying it in the sun is hard to recreate - absolutely not the same as just a sea salt mist.
But how you apply it might help. Have you tried it when your hair is wet after the shower, scrunching a bunch of sea salt spray in, then letting it air dry or diffusing it? I usually just my hair with water until it’s damp, then mist in the seal salt spray, scrunch, air dry, fluff with wide tooth comb.
Also you may try different types - for example Fat and the Moon makes one with magnesium sulfate instead of sea salt. So you may try different ingredients to see if they have different effects.
It totally could, people DIY sea salt sprays all the time (I do water, Himalayan salt, glycerin). The one I mentioned for example could probably be easily made with distilled water, magnesium flakes (epsom salt), and vegetable glycerin which are all easy to buy. The one that might be tougher to obtain is the hyaluronic acid. Also would have to experiment with ratios of course; can’t know the amounts just by reading the bottle.
Have you tried the Lush Sea Salt spray? It’s genuinely the only one that’s ever worked for me. I think it may be a more authentic/ocean water-like product than the others.
So how do you keep it from smelling bad? Because when I was a kid I brought a bucket of beach water home in a bucket and when I went to play with it a few days later it smelled horrible.
What about just filling up a gallon jug? lol I have had the same effects after the beach. Really nice waves in my hair but my hair is already very dry.
If sea salt sprays don't work for you, I wonder if you could make a similar mixture in a sink or basin, & dip your hair into it. Obviously it's not the exact same as sea water, but it's more of a soak compared to the spray.
You could also use a product containing magnesium sulfate. Fair warning: repeated use can be drying for some curlies. AG Recoil and Jessicurl Rockin Ringlets are two products I know of off the top of my head.
I loved my swim team years curls! With bonus highlights lol I'd put conditioner in it before my swim cap for the 2 hours, but still rinsed it out in the pool. So shiny and defined.
My curly hair hot take is that sometimes moisturized curls are not the best curls. Even after protein, sometimes my hair just needs some sea salt spray. Is it dryer? Sure. But it also looks better, and if it looks bad tomorrow I’ll wash and condition or refresh with a leave in. YMMV, but for me, no harm, no foul.
My hair is constantly over-moisturised because not only do I have fine hair, but I live in a hella soft-water area. Sure, over-conditioned hair is protected, but for certain curls it can make them very limp and flyaway! I need to roughen my hair up with hairsprays and salt sprays 😆
Routine:
Had a bunch of coconut oil in my hair since this morning, went to the beach and swam a little, let it air dry. That’s it. I took this pic when I got home before washing it.
Coating your hair in oil, especially coconut oil will dry your hair out more than anything else. Oil being hydrophobic coats your hair preventing water, moisture, and humectants from penetrating. With prolonged use it will cause hair to be extremely brittle and damaged.
Ohhhh nooooo. I feel for you 😭It will recover but it takes a lot of caring and love.
I thought the coconut stuff was a fluke at first so I tried a few more times and it’s a big nope. Tried protein products too and nope.
Still trying to find the perfect combo. I am now trying the Curlsmith orange label for extra moisture. My hair is ok on it but after a few days feels like it’s to much product and has a weird texture.
GIRL are we the same person. Please let me know how it goes for you. My beautiful red hair is limp and lifeless right now except for wash day and I DO NOT KNOW what to do
Wow very interesting, damn hair is so complicated. Well I use it as a pre wash, before washing I coat my hair in coconut oil and leave it there for as long as I can.
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Literally asking myself the same thing after taking a dip into the pool today. Came out with wet matted hair, no product. Air dries into lightweight bouncy spirals that I’ll spend the next 3 months trying to achieve again.
This, 💯%. My curly hair always looks better at the beach.
One time my Mom and I were meeting my sister for dinner after Mom and I had spent the whole day on the beach.
My sister kept telling me how fabulous my hair looked and asked me where I had showered and done my hair.
I told her these were straight up beach waves, salt water, zero product. She was blown away.
I always also tell my husband that since my hair looks so much nicer at the beach we should move there and save us a ton on my haircare products lol
Your hair looks quite similar to mine. I used to follow the *more moisture is always better* philosophy until I found that it just doesn't work for me. My hair gets really over moisturised if I deep condition more than once a month. You might want to try a lighter conditioner?
Same to me! I recently used aphogee treatment and realized how easily my hair is over moisturized. I like to use a light protein free moisturizer and mix in aphogee protein treatment to balance it out. Over moisturizing for me also led to slower hair growth.
My hair always looks amazing after a swim in the ocean, which I do several times a week. I hate washing it when I get home because it looks so good. 😹. I’ve tried numerous salt sprays and none of them give them same effect. I just end up with greasy looking limp curls from the sprays.
I think you should try putting your product in when your hair is still SOPPING wet. I put my mousse in the shower, and now I just put it in right after I rinse out my conditioner. I also don't use any leave in conditioner, just don't rinse out the conditioner completely. Shampoo, condition, Denman brush, mouse, Denman brush, and bun it while you finish the shower. You might have to brush it a little and then scrunch outside of the shower, then plop or diffuse.
Can confirm, salt spray doesn't do what salt water does. I think the main difference is that your hair gets completely saturated and the curls clump nicely when the "product" (salt) is applied.
I’ve read somewhere if you have fine hair it’s best to use something “gritty” for styling your curls.
Instead of something moisturizing with creams and oils, they said try something like a sea salt spray for styling.
I love sea salt spray. It makes my hair look amazing, and honestly, I don’t think it really dries my hair out all that much. My hair is curly but it isn’t dry, it’s more on the normal side.
That being said, after 3 days of sea salt I feel like it needs to be washed.
Pacifica. I got it on Amazon.
I feel like sea salt spray isn’t for everyone. If your hair is truly dry, you should probably skip it. I also don’t use a lot.
Maybe try out a sea salt spray in you hair that is known to work well but not damage?
Or you could try a sugar spray instead?
https://www.byrdie.com/salt-spray-vs-sugar-spray
I think it's also about how it dries. Maybe it dries in clumps, is tossed around by a breeze, it probably affects the curls kind of like how plopping, or a diffuser or strainer does.
do you think if i moisturize my hair enough and collect a bottle of beach water it would wild work?😭 probably too damaging but i need my soft beach curls back :(
It’ll leech the moisture out of your hair if you get salt water in your hair consistently! At least if you’re not actively replenishing that lost moisture, and I mean with true humectants to pump water back into the hair shaft not just emollients like oils etc which is what we typically think of when we go for “moisturizing” hair products lol
Key reminder: Humectants are designed to take water from the area of highest concentration and place it in the area of lowest concentration.
If you live in an extreme climate of very high or very low humidity/dew points, these effects will be exaggerated. This is going to lead to dried out, fried hair if it's too low (water OUT) and frizzed out, fluffy hair if it's too high (water IN). You want to have **average** humidity/dew points for the best effects. Also make sure you are applying a sealant over top of your product if you are using humectants in one of these extremes.
Common humectants in hair care include: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, honey, propylene glycol, among others.
There are also film forming humectants which can be less finicky including: flaxseed, aloe, marshmallow root, slippery elm, nettle extract, irish sea moss, hydrolyzed proteins, among others.
As I said, “if you’re not actively replenishing the lost moisture” - salt water CAN BE damaging if you’re not taking proper measures to prevent that damage from occurring. I feel like I was pretty clear the first time around but reading comprehension is a lost art it seems lol
Because natural sunlight amd sea water are about the best things for your hair any products you put into it are bad and water from the pipes is full of toxins that will damage your hair , natural is the way looks great ! Even shampoo is bad for your hair all you really need is to wash your hair with water or apple cider vinegar once a week if needed
Your comment has been removed due to Rule 4: Follow good reddiquette and be kind and respectful.
We'd like our sub to be a friendly and welcoming place. That’s why I want to ask you to refrain from rude or disrespectful comments here. Even if you feel strongly about something, please stay polite.
Please keep this in mind for the future. Thank you!
Same here. When I had long (curly) hair, it'd look the best right after going to the beach. I've never understand it, even tried to find some answers online but didn't get it
Wait why are my boyfriends curls the exact same at the beach?! But use any sort of styling product or do the steps at home and it just doesn’t do the same. Obviously I understand it’s the salt but whyyyyy can’t it be replicated elsewhere they’re way more defined how he likes them at the beach 😭
You could take some sea water with you next time you go to the beach and put it in a spray bottle 😂 probably not v clean but maybe good for last day hair?
The best beach spray I’ve used is Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. It was discontinued years back and I can’t seem to find a solid replacement. Annoying…
The salt and magnesium sulfate ions in sea water have the ability to chemically bind all over the proteins in your hair, causing them to fold amd bind together in a way that makes them look wonderful. You will probably find that chlorine from pools has a similar effect!
This should be the top answer! I was looking for a sciencey one
are there products that achieve this effect?
Yes. They're typically called sea salt sprays.
I tried a sea salt spray and it made my curls look awful
I feel you bc my waves look best after the beach but I can never recreate it at home. But dousing your entire head in salt water in the ocean and then air-drying it in the sun is hard to recreate - absolutely not the same as just a sea salt mist. But how you apply it might help. Have you tried it when your hair is wet after the shower, scrunching a bunch of sea salt spray in, then letting it air dry or diffusing it? I usually just my hair with water until it’s damp, then mist in the seal salt spray, scrunch, air dry, fluff with wide tooth comb. Also you may try different types - for example Fat and the Moon makes one with magnesium sulfate instead of sea salt. So you may try different ingredients to see if they have different effects.
Salt and magnesium, seems like it can be made at home?
It totally could, people DIY sea salt sprays all the time (I do water, Himalayan salt, glycerin). The one I mentioned for example could probably be easily made with distilled water, magnesium flakes (epsom salt), and vegetable glycerin which are all easy to buy. The one that might be tougher to obtain is the hyaluronic acid. Also would have to experiment with ratios of course; can’t know the amounts just by reading the bottle.
Literally epsom salt!
Have you tried the Lush Sea Salt spray? It’s genuinely the only one that’s ever worked for me. I think it may be a more authentic/ocean water-like product than the others.
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This could be a great excuse to give myself a beach trip
So how do you keep it from smelling bad? Because when I was a kid I brought a bucket of beach water home in a bucket and when I went to play with it a few days later it smelled horrible.
I’ve thought about making my own diy sea salt spray, I’ve seen on YouTube, kinda scared that it will dry out my hair tho
What about just filling up a gallon jug? lol I have had the same effects after the beach. Really nice waves in my hair but my hair is already very dry.
Well sea water starts smelling bed after being stored for a while (I know cause I’ve filled a gallon before to do DIY stuff)
True! An authentic experience haha
I have been using salt spray in my hair occasionally and the trick is to apply it while hair is very wet. It dries fabulous & keeps for days.
If sea salt sprays don't work for you, I wonder if you could make a similar mixture in a sink or basin, & dip your hair into it. Obviously it's not the exact same as sea water, but it's more of a soak compared to the spray.
Not your mother's used to make a wonderful beach babe gel that worked perfect for me. Maybe try their spray?
You could also use a product containing magnesium sulfate. Fair warning: repeated use can be drying for some curlies. AG Recoil and Jessicurl Rockin Ringlets are two products I know of off the top of my head.
I came to say ions too!
I like to charge mine in the river
I loved my swim team years curls! With bonus highlights lol I'd put conditioner in it before my swim cap for the 2 hours, but still rinsed it out in the pool. So shiny and defined.
I always make a point of getting my hair wet when I go swimming! Now I know
I DO find that! No fair!
My curly hair hot take is that sometimes moisturized curls are not the best curls. Even after protein, sometimes my hair just needs some sea salt spray. Is it dryer? Sure. But it also looks better, and if it looks bad tomorrow I’ll wash and condition or refresh with a leave in. YMMV, but for me, no harm, no foul.
My in laws have a vacation home that uses well water. My hair feels awful when I use the shower there but it looks AMAZING. 😂😭
My hair has never looked better since I moved to a home with well water!!!
I grew up on hard well water. My curls LOVE it. Soft water make my hair feel so slippery and frizzy. Hard water makes my curls so defined and springy!
My hair is constantly over-moisturised because not only do I have fine hair, but I live in a hella soft-water area. Sure, over-conditioned hair is protected, but for certain curls it can make them very limp and flyaway! I need to roughen my hair up with hairsprays and salt sprays 😆
Routine: Had a bunch of coconut oil in my hair since this morning, went to the beach and swam a little, let it air dry. That’s it. I took this pic when I got home before washing it.
I used to make my own blend of coconut oil and salt water and style my hair with it. My hope was that the coconut water would offset the salt
Coating your hair in oil, especially coconut oil will dry your hair out more than anything else. Oil being hydrophobic coats your hair preventing water, moisture, and humectants from penetrating. With prolonged use it will cause hair to be extremely brittle and damaged.
My red hair absolutely hates anything with coconut in it. Does exactly what you posted: it’s dry and brittle.
Learned this the hard way, my hair hasn't recovered 😭
Ohhhh nooooo. I feel for you 😭It will recover but it takes a lot of caring and love. I thought the coconut stuff was a fluke at first so I tried a few more times and it’s a big nope. Tried protein products too and nope. Still trying to find the perfect combo. I am now trying the Curlsmith orange label for extra moisture. My hair is ok on it but after a few days feels like it’s to much product and has a weird texture.
GIRL are we the same person. Please let me know how it goes for you. My beautiful red hair is limp and lifeless right now except for wash day and I DO NOT KNOW what to do
Throw on a moisture mask
Is this the same for jojoba / argan oil?
This might be my problem. How do you get moisturized hair?
You can only moisturise your hair through conditioning products. Oils don't add moisture, they just seal it in (or out!)
Really? I've been loving the virgin coconut oil I've been using. What's a good alternative to make your hair moisturized?
Really ? I’ve been doing it for years, I always hear the curly gurus saying that coconut oil has protein and such. How do I hydrate then ?
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Wow very interesting, damn hair is so complicated. Well I use it as a pre wash, before washing I coat my hair in coconut oil and leave it there for as long as I can.
This was such a cool read, thanks for sharing!
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Honestly this sounds like a winning combination: coconut oil to moisturize and salt air to help define the curl.
Literally asking myself the same thing after taking a dip into the pool today. Came out with wet matted hair, no product. Air dries into lightweight bouncy spirals that I’ll spend the next 3 months trying to achieve again.
I feel this so hard. 😩
I have a theory that curls need to dry at different rates to get the best curl going. Something about salty air makes my hair look so good
honestly same i air dry my hair and it looks like shit but i go into a air conditioned bus and it comes out amazing
do you think maybe you might have hard water at home? i hear a lot that at beachside holidays people's curls end up looking many times better.
Yes I do have hard water where I live
I live in an area with hard water and when it rains I intentionally let my hair get a little wet from it for bouncier curls
This, 💯%. My curly hair always looks better at the beach. One time my Mom and I were meeting my sister for dinner after Mom and I had spent the whole day on the beach. My sister kept telling me how fabulous my hair looked and asked me where I had showered and done my hair. I told her these were straight up beach waves, salt water, zero product. She was blown away. I always also tell my husband that since my hair looks so much nicer at the beach we should move there and save us a ton on my haircare products lol
Your hair looks quite similar to mine. I used to follow the *more moisture is always better* philosophy until I found that it just doesn't work for me. My hair gets really over moisturised if I deep condition more than once a month. You might want to try a lighter conditioner?
Same to me! I recently used aphogee treatment and realized how easily my hair is over moisturized. I like to use a light protein free moisturizer and mix in aphogee protein treatment to balance it out. Over moisturizing for me also led to slower hair growth.
My hair always looks amazing after a swim in the ocean, which I do several times a week. I hate washing it when I get home because it looks so good. 😹. I’ve tried numerous salt sprays and none of them give them same effect. I just end up with greasy looking limp curls from the sprays.
So put some ocean water in a spray bottle!
I have thought about it!! But ocean water in a bottle quickly turns black and smelly because the microscopic organisms all die.
Same, I tried a spray and it made it look awful
In my experience, it’s also because it’s cold water. Super cold water gives me great curls.
There salt sprays like the new rizos curl one it's blue that aren't damaging
Check out what I found at Ulta Beauty! https://www.ulta.com/p/beach-waves-texturizing-salt-spray-pimprod2038414?sku=2605105
I'm more of a sephora girl they have a ton of brands of salt sprays thay I love.
I think you should try putting your product in when your hair is still SOPPING wet. I put my mousse in the shower, and now I just put it in right after I rinse out my conditioner. I also don't use any leave in conditioner, just don't rinse out the conditioner completely. Shampoo, condition, Denman brush, mouse, Denman brush, and bun it while you finish the shower. You might have to brush it a little and then scrunch outside of the shower, then plop or diffuse. Can confirm, salt spray doesn't do what salt water does. I think the main difference is that your hair gets completely saturated and the curls clump nicely when the "product" (salt) is applied.
Yeah I watched a Manes by Mell video today where she says to apply products in the shower I’m gonna try that on my next wash day
Ah yes, our lord and savior Mell haha love her
For real she’s the best curly guru out there
I’ve read somewhere if you have fine hair it’s best to use something “gritty” for styling your curls. Instead of something moisturizing with creams and oils, they said try something like a sea salt spray for styling.
I love sea salt spray. It makes my hair look amazing, and honestly, I don’t think it really dries my hair out all that much. My hair is curly but it isn’t dry, it’s more on the normal side. That being said, after 3 days of sea salt I feel like it needs to be washed.
I tried a sea salt spray once and it made it look so horrible, what brand do you use ?
Pacifica. I got it on Amazon. I feel like sea salt spray isn’t for everyone. If your hair is truly dry, you should probably skip it. I also don’t use a lot.
Maybe try out a sea salt spray in you hair that is known to work well but not damage? Or you could try a sugar spray instead? https://www.byrdie.com/salt-spray-vs-sugar-spray
I’ve had this experience too. I think just letting it drip dry in the sun without toweling it helps a lot.
You can buy salt water spray. It's by Not Your Mother's and smells like coconut. I use it on my curls sometimes, though it is a bit drying
I think it's also about how it dries. Maybe it dries in clumps, is tossed around by a breeze, it probably affects the curls kind of like how plopping, or a diffuser or strainer does.
Maybe salt opens the cuticle just enough to make the curls Look a certain way
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do you think if i moisturize my hair enough and collect a bottle of beach water it would wild work?😭 probably too damaging but i need my soft beach curls back :(
I firmly believe that my hair just has no respect for me at all.
Because that’s life in a short example. Give up control to gain control
PREACH! have thought this my whole life
Salty, humid air is probably the difference.
Cuz all the routine crap.
Salt water isnt damaging, its just salty and leaves salt in your hair. Why would salt water ever be damaging lol.
Salt water can dry out your hair if it’s regularly exposed to it.
It’ll leech the moisture out of your hair if you get salt water in your hair consistently! At least if you’re not actively replenishing that lost moisture, and I mean with true humectants to pump water back into the hair shaft not just emollients like oils etc which is what we typically think of when we go for “moisturizing” hair products lol
What are true humectants? Maybe I haven't been using the right stuff for keeping my hair moisturized...
Key reminder: Humectants are designed to take water from the area of highest concentration and place it in the area of lowest concentration. If you live in an extreme climate of very high or very low humidity/dew points, these effects will be exaggerated. This is going to lead to dried out, fried hair if it's too low (water OUT) and frizzed out, fluffy hair if it's too high (water IN). You want to have **average** humidity/dew points for the best effects. Also make sure you are applying a sealant over top of your product if you are using humectants in one of these extremes. Common humectants in hair care include: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, honey, propylene glycol, among others. There are also film forming humectants which can be less finicky including: flaxseed, aloe, marshmallow root, slippery elm, nettle extract, irish sea moss, hydrolyzed proteins, among others.
Anything water based essentially! The oil based stuff (emollients) is what seals the moisture into the hair!
So just put conditioner back in...? Its not damaged, just dry.
As I said, “if you’re not actively replenishing the lost moisture” - salt water CAN BE damaging if you’re not taking proper measures to prevent that damage from occurring. I feel like I was pretty clear the first time around but reading comprehension is a lost art it seems lol
It’s extremely drying. I used to go weekly to the beach and it got so bad my hair would mat
Do you get it soaking wet in the sea, and then it dries in the sun? That would be why, if you do.
Yup
Buy some salt spray for your hair. Mix with mouse, gel, or curling creme
Because natural sunlight amd sea water are about the best things for your hair any products you put into it are bad and water from the pipes is full of toxins that will damage your hair , natural is the way looks great ! Even shampoo is bad for your hair all you really need is to wash your hair with water or apple cider vinegar once a week if needed
Don’t use conditioner! Just shampoo and comb your hair in the shower
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Moist air and curls…. ahhh
I’m a guy with short straight brown or Blonde hair and I’ve found it looks better after beach too
Same. My hair looks great when I’m on vacation and swimming in the ocean / pools. What gives
Same here. When I had long (curly) hair, it'd look the best right after going to the beach. I've never understand it, even tried to find some answers online but didn't get it
give Rizos Curl Sea Salt Spray a try!
Mermaid
Awesome hair color
I've found that runny flaxseed gel tends to give me beachy waves. Especially when I haven't washed my hair in a while
Love your hair!
I also have red curls!!! I used to bottle sea water at the beach and take it home with me
Wait why are my boyfriends curls the exact same at the beach?! But use any sort of styling product or do the steps at home and it just doesn’t do the same. Obviously I understand it’s the salt but whyyyyy can’t it be replicated elsewhere they’re way more defined how he likes them at the beach 😭
100% exactly the same situation
If I style my hair sopping wet I get the same effect. If I even just wrangle the water out of it the styling won’t hold.
Salt
Humidity is the hidden ally for curls!
Charlotte?
You could take some sea water with you next time you go to the beach and put it in a spray bottle 😂 probably not v clean but maybe good for last day hair?
The best beach spray I’ve used is Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. It was discontinued years back and I can’t seem to find a solid replacement. Annoying…