How to DIY Your Own Sea Salt Spray for Beachy Waves

Trendy hairstyles come and go, but if there's one that's stood the test of time decade after decade it's beachy waves. We love an air-dry moment, and considering how busy our lives are, sea salt sprays are often the most convenient pick. And while there are plenty of sea salt sprays on the market that we love, making your own DIY sea salt spray is definitely an option.

To make your own sea salt spray at home, you'll just need water, oil, salt, and a spritzer bottle—plus a few expert tips (when using a drying ingredient like salt, it's important to listen to the pros.) So ahead, we tapped three celebrity hairstylists who shared everything there is to know about creating and using a sea salt spray at home.

Materials:

• 1 tablespoon of Epsom or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of olive, extra virgin coconut, or jojoba oil
• 1 cup of warm water
• Spritzer bottle
• Essential oil (optional for fragrance)

To DIY sea salt spray, you'll only need a few ingredients, but the exact recipe will depend on your hair type and desired outcome. Another bonus of creating your own spray? You get to pick the signature scent with your favorite essential oils if you so choose.

"If you want to mix your own at home, I use one cup warm water and one tablespoon of sea salt," says celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson, adding that oil may be necessary for thick, dry, or coarse hair types. "If you think [about] what salt is, it can be very, very drying on the hair and rough up the cuticle. So an essential oil or oil, in general, helps to add moisture to the hair."

When choosing an oil, celebrity hairstylist and colorist, Tina Outen says to first see which mixes best with the water to avoid greasy spots. Then, pick your salt. "Epsom salts are by nature a detoxifying agent, so you're likely to draw impurities out of your hair as well as your natural oils which condition, so keep in mind what you’re doing in terms of stripping your hair if this is your salt of choice," she explains.

How to Make a Sea Salt Spray for Hair:

1. Bring the water to a simmer. Use a glass measuring cup in the microwave or a pot on a stovetop as this will help the salt completely dissolve when you combine the two in the second step.
2. Pour in the salt. Stir thoroughly until there are no more visible crystals floating around.
3. Transfer to a spray bottle. You may need to invoke the help of a funnel for this part, as things could get messy.
4. Add your essential oils. Should you choose to add fragrance, do it here.
5. Shake. Once all the ingredients have made it safely into their new spritzer bottle home, be sure to give it a good shake to blend all the ingredients. Voilà!

How to Apply Sea Salt Spray to Hair

Gibson says to start by shaking the bottle thoroughly to combine the ingredients for the best result—if you used oil, note that it will separate from the water, so that re-mixing will be necessary before each use. Next, spray the mixture onto damp hair from mid-length to ends. "You can let it air dry if you like, but sometimes it's great to get a little volume out of it by using a blowdryer," explains Gibson. Use your fingers to twist or scrunch the hair into shape as you blow-dry for a fresh-from-the-ocean beachy look that will last until your next shampoo.

According to celebrity stylist Anthony Turner, the possibilities are endless when it comes to styling, "You can do as little or as much as you need," he says. "Take into consideration that leaving salt spray to dry naturally might make your hair feel a little more rigid; using a hairdryer and your hands to create movement breaks the product down in your hair, meaning that you will have a great, sexy texture without the stiffness."

Keep in mind that less is more with salt sprays. "Salt spray works best when it’s built up slowly, so go little by little, starting at the ends and going up to the roots," Outen says. "See how it drys, and if you got the desired result, if not, then add more and repeat."

Does Sea Salt Spray Work for Every Hair Type?

Proceed with caution when using a salt spray on thick, coarse, or dry hair types. "If you have thicker hair, I would always mix some oil in your concoction," Gibson says. "When you have thicker or coarser hair, it tends to make that hair type very dry and chalk-like. So oil helps to cut down the salt and make it more manageable for thick hair." When using it on curly or kinky hair, he again encourages the notion that oil is your best friend.

Gibson also gives the green light to use salt sprays on textured hair "as long as it's on the finer side," while Turner advises against using too much salt, "Textured hair tends to need more of a moisturizing product, and salt spray mattifies the hair."

Of course, if you have the time and extra money to spend—or do not mingle with DIY projects—stylists recommend purchasing a good salt spray. Outen says she suggests spending the money on something that protects the hair from damage, "Pro products have oils and conditioning agents as well as a different type of salt to create the base, they are formulated to re-condition as they work which cannot be done with most at-home options."