How to get beachy waves for Summer

Get that straight-off-the-beach wavy look with our how-to guide

Summer is coming and bringing with it the hottest trend in hair – relaxed beachy waves. You know the vibe: you look like you’ve spent the day swimming in the ocean or lounging by the pool as you effortlessly take your beachy waves from day to night.

But you don’t have to simmer in the sun or soak in the surf to get wavy locks. Whether you use a styling tool or want to know how to get beachy waves without heat, we’ve got the tips and tools to get this season’s hottest look in hair.

Prep your hair for beachy waves

Keeping your hair healthy throughout the warmer months is going to make styling it easier. We suggest adding Moroccanoil Original Treatment or Juuce Solar Enz to your regular hair routine to keep it nourished and moisturised, and provide protection for the extra elements that come with fun in the Summer sun.

 Next up, you should know that the best beachy waves are built on texture. If you’re blow drying your hair, do it upside down or go against the natural direction of your roots. Whether you’re blow drying or air drying to avoid heat, you’ll also benefit from applying a mouse or thickening spray first for extra texture and volume. We love Juuce Xagerate Mousse for fuller, thicker looking locks with control, and milk_shake Volumizing Styling Spray to create volume and structure without weighing your hair down.

How to get beachy waves with heat

So, you’ve got a curling wand, straightener or diffuser, and you’re not afraid to use it to get your hair into its best wavy shape. Great!

Before you start, you’ll need to use a heat protectant to avoid damaging your hair. Our favourites are Nak Thermal Shield to protect your hair from extreme temperatures during styling and milk_shake Lifestyling Blow-Dry Primer Lotion, for body, texture and protection from heat, with the added bonus of preventing colour-fade.

Now that you’re ready, here’s how to style those waves:

1. Start by dividing your hair, pinning up the top half while you work on the bottom half. Curl your hair in rough sections – it doesn’t matter too much how thick your sections are or which way you curl at this stage, as it won’t really be seen. Toward the front though, make sure you curl away from your face.
2. For the top half of your hair, take thicker sections for looser waves and thinner sections for tighter waves. You can curl either toward or away from your face, or alternate for a more tousled, natural look. Remember, always curl away from your face at the front.
3. Curl the whole length of hair in each section and run your fingers through the curl for those beachy waves.
4. To help relax hair that looks too curly, roughly run your straightener over it so it’s less bouncy and more beachy.
5. If you need more volume, add a touch of thickening spray by lifting your hair and spraying underneath. But don’t overdo it as it can weigh your hair down. You can also use a styling balm or cream, like Davroe Formation Styling Lotion, and scrunch it into the ends.

If you’re armed with a hair curler, you’ll want to make sure the size is right for your hair length. Shoulder-length or shorter hair will be best styled by a narrow wand, while longer and thicker hair will need a wider or longer wand.

And if you’re using a hair straightener, be sure to wrap the section of hair around your straightener and hold it tight as you pull it down, keeping tension in your hair to create the curl.

For a no-fuss option to beach waves, you can blow dry damp hair with a diffuser. It’s simple but not as thorough as the other heat methods – a great option when you don’t have a lot of time but want some relaxed beach vibes.

1. Face the diffuser up, placing the end of your hair on top and coiling it in layers as you lift the diffuser higher.
2. Hold it there with three or four layers of hair on top for about 10 seconds at a time and your hair will dry in waves.

How to get beachy waves without heat

For a straight-from-swimming-in-the-ocean look without the time or slickness of a heat-styled approach, try a sea salt spray. These products will add the texture, volume, wave and effortless beachy look you’re after with a simple spritz.

To use a sea salt spray, it’s best not to wash your hair with shampoo first. Just dampen your hair or let wet hair air dry until it’s damp. Spray your hair in sections and scrunch it as you go, focusing on the mid lengths of your hair through to the ends. Don’t overdo the roots as they’ll get weighed down.

Then, let the product do its thing as your hair air dries. Simple!

Our favourite sea salt products are:

• milk_shake Lifestyling Texturizing Spritz – a bodifying spray with matte finish for beach-effect voluminous waves
• Nak Surf Wax Pomade – get the sea salty beach texture with natural styling control and shine.

If you need a bit more help to achieve the beach look without heat, take your hair at about 90% dry and plait it from the very top of your head. You can leave your hair a bit loose as you pull it into the plait, but make sure the plait is tight all the way to the end. Then, sleep on it. In the morning, pull out the plait, run your fingers through your hair and spritz with a sea salt spray.

If the sea salt spray leaves your hair a bit rough or crisp, add a touch of leave-in styling cream, like Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream to smooth and soften your ends or Nak Hydrate Detangling Mist for moisture and to help with styling. You can also add texture with milk_shake Lifestyling Shaping Foam to up the volume.

Finish your look and extend your style

Once you’ve got those beautiful beachy waves flowing, finish off your look and keep it in place to get the most out of your style.

The Nak Shine Mist Spray will add some gloss to dress up your beachy waves, and the milk_shake Lifestyling Strong Eco Hairspray will hold it strong but will brush out easily when you need to.

Preserve your waves by only washing every four to six days and using a dry shampoo in between to extend the look. We recommend milk_shake Lifestyling Dry Shampoo, which uses an ultra-fine mist for instant results, leaving hair light without any product residue.