8 sea salt sprays that'll give you beach hair without the crispiness.

by Kahla Preston January 8, 2016

Image: No beach? No worries.

We can all agree that fresh-from-the-ocean-hair is wonderful, yeah? Seawater is a magical elixir that can somehow add shape and structure to unruly curls and make otherwise flat, fine strands textured.

The problem is it’s a little hard to achieve beach hair on a daily basis if you live hours away from the coastline, or if it’s freezing outside, or if the only thing you ever surf is the internet. That’s where salt sprays come to the fore.

These frankly ingenious products go a long way in recreating post-surf hair — minus the damage and knots — but can be notorious for leaving strands a little more “crunchy” than “tousled”. Here are eight salt sprays we’ve road-tested and recommend from the

roots of our hair

bottom of our hearts.

Toni and Guy Casual Texturising Sea Salt Spray

A couple years ago I somehow ended up with a bottle of Toni and Guy’s messy salt spray for men, and loved it (despite not being a man). Happy to report this ‘casual’ version is just as effective — it doesn’t make my strands crispy or stiff when it dries, and it feels nice and light in the hair. If you’re a little cash-conscious, this will deliver good bang for your buck. ( $15.99)

One for guys and girls.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

This is the king pin of the salt spray canon. Celebrities love to name-drop it, and it's got an almost mythical status among hairdressers and styling enthusiasts. It's probably the priciest option out there, but Surf Spray does live up to the hype — I loved the matte (but not dry) texture and body it created in my hair. Any deflation is easily fixed by a quick scrunch throughout the day. You can read a full review here. ( $39)

This is what Bumble and Bumble salt spray does to my hair. (Could this photo be any more MySpace?)

I wasn't exaggerating about the legendary status — here are some of the A-listers who adore Bumble and Bumble. (Post continues after gallery.)

Celebrities who love Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

Lara Bingle WorthingtonLara Bingle Worthington told OK! Magazine: "I wash [my hair] every day, but I dont use conditioner because it makes it fluffy. If I want it to be gritty I put in Bumble and Bumble sea salt spray, but I just let it dry naturally. Image via Getty.

Kristen Stewart

"I never put any heat on my hair. Right now I'm into Bumble and Bumble Surf spray for texture." Stewart said in an interview.

Rachel Bilson.

Rachael Bilson's hair stylist told InStyle that he adds movement to Bilson's hair by using Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray after curling it.

Rose Byrne

Rose Byrne's hair stylist told Byrdie.com.au that he uses Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray to give her hair an undone look and extra texture.

Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson told InStyle that when it comes to her hair "There are no flat irons involved. I get out of the shower and I go. So its like heaven. Theres Bumble and Bumble spray and thats it.

Sarah Michelle Gellar has gorgeous new hair

Sarah Michelle Gellar's hair stylist told InStyle that Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is the secret to the texture in Gellar's hair.

Kristen BellKristen Bell told Marie Claire that she always has Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray in her purse. "I love the way hair looks after the beach, when there's all that salt in it," Bell said. This re-creates that." Image via Getty.

TIGI Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray

Light and texturising with good hold and a deliciously sweet scent — yep, my hair and I are officially fans of this Tigi spray. The end result was dishevelled without being messy. It's also a salon favourite, which is a good sign. ( $3 0)

Catwalk-ready.

evo Salty Dog Salt Spray

The result promised on the Salty Dog bottle is "windblown; interesting; urban fisherman." I'm still trying to figure out what that looks like, but I will say this spray has awesome styling potential — scrunching it into my hair created noticeable beachy waves* that held longer than I expected. (*I do have natural waves, but they tend to be a bit lazy and require assistance.)

Plus, it smells delightful; it's got a really clean, fresh fragrance reminiscent of a lot of popular unisex perfumes. ( $29.95)

Tough call, but I *think* this one might be my favourite.

Watch: Salt spray isn't the only way to create texture and oomph - site producer Lizzie swears by hairspray and chalk. (Post continues after video.)

Schwarzkopf Osis Session Label
Salt
Spray

I used this product over the Christmas break while I was holidaying on the Northern NSW coast, which can be a pretty humid part of the world in summer. The spray did a valiant job of rescuing my hair from frizz and general awfulness while maintaining the tousled, textured look — and making me look like more of a beach bum than I actually am. ($ 24.95 from The Ritualist)

My shining knight in the war on humidity.

KMS California Hairplay Sea
Salt
Spray

HairPlay and my curls were the best of friends from the get-go. It was love at first spray. At the risk of sounding like a wine reviewer, the waves it created were quite "full-bodied" — but still soft and natural-looking, and they held their shape for ages. Very impressed. The formula also felt really light and not at all stiff in my hair. ( $33.95)

I mean, just look at that wave.

John Frieda Beach Blonde Ocean Waves

This cult favourite was discontinued for seven years before returning to our shelves in early 2015, thanks to a passionate online campaign. Despite the name, you don't need to be a goldilocks to benefit from Beach Blonde — it's our (brunette, curly-haired) writer Brittany's number one pick.

"With my curly hair, salt spray can often make my hair look greasy and rock solid, but this is surprisingly light and gives a really authentic beach wave look. I also love the ocean smell," Britt says. Sold. ( $16.99)

Back by popular demand.

Fudge Salt Spray

My hair also responded favourably to Fudge's salty spray — a bit of finger-twisting and scrunching left it with more waves than you'd find at Bondi. I did find I was slightly more prone to crunchiness with this one, but that was easily fixed by using less of it and brunshing it through with my fingers.

If you're a sweets over like me, be warned — this spray smells like mango and coconut, so you might be tempted to open your mouth a little while misting it. Don't do that. ( $19.99)

Smells good enough to eat.

General notes:

If you find the matte feel of salt spray a little off-putting — or you're just used to super silky hair — try applying a little bit of hair oil first.

Your hair will get crunchy pretty fast if you're too trigger-happy, especially on wet hair. You can always add more in, so go easy at first and see how it turns out.