The Best Beach Hair Spray For Every Price Point

When I see someone’s vacation pictures, one of the first things I get FOMO about is other people’s beach hair. Nothing makes me seethe with jealousy (and the desire to find my own best beach hair spray, stat) worse than a fine bitty with a mane of salt kissed curls, coconut in her hand, not a care in the world. It’s downright envious, but thanks to hair care companies, you can recreate sex on the beach hair with minimal effort.

In some circles, I’m considered a beach hair expert, probably due to a healthy mix of my voracious appetite for tropical ephemera and penchant for letting my wild curls rip all summer long. It’s this passion that brings to you three of the most recent (and most awesome) offerings for the Ariel inside of us all. Newcomers R+Co are bringing it, as is the drugstore standby John Frieda, and consistent bad hair slayer Oribe — and I want you to know all about it. Beach hair is an individual mantra, completely tailored to your personality, activities, and hair texture. I don’t think I have met anyone whose hair looked worse after a day at the beach, so it's a look worth trying to recreate. Whether you're extra curly, stick straight, or somewhere in between, nothing accessorizes the coming warmer months better than the OG mermaid look.

I mean...Best. Hair. Evar.

John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves,

John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves, $7, Amazon

This '90s classic made a massive splash on it’s return to market. Me and some xoVain girls just wouldn’t let it die. How does the new formula stack up to the old? Even though it says "beach blonde" It’s more for everyone now, in my opinion. The older formula, though perfect for my hair, used to grease up some super fine haired chicas, and this newer formula allows you to control the oil factor. It still makes my hair a gnarly amount of curly; I just need a pump of serum to go with it. Basically, I couldn't be happier that this bad boy is back, and I highly recommend you try it out.

R+Co’s Rockaway Salt Spray

R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray, $25, Amazon

R+Co is like an All-Star basketball team or '80s charity supergroup. Garren, a stylist at the top of his game teamed with two other industry stars to form this company, and the products reflect this union. Essentials like the Rockaway Salt Spray are outfitted with snappy packaging and a unisex scent. This spray is saltwater based, with magnesium salts as well as regular sea salt, and a pretty nice collection of plant extracts and antioxidants. Balm mint, sage, yarrow, and Vitamin C are all mingling with saltwater to give you what you crave, minus the sunburn. I liked this on wet hair to start the style as well as misted on second day curls to reactivate yesterday’s volume.

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray, $42, Amazon

When I first got all these products, a friend commented simply, “Oribe one is god.” She was so right. This is a new breed of wave spray, beach spray, and curl product. I haven’t tried a thing from Oribe that wasn’t the bomb dot com. This baby works best on damp hair, and gives you a near identical texture to a sea salt spray, but no crunchy feel that can happen when you overdo it or skimp on the conditioner. Total gamechanger. Simply mist (you don’t need much), scrunch, and go! With wheat protein and panthenol to swell up the volume and their high end silicones that don’t overly coat strands, the curls you get are soft and touchable. Your style can be easily recharged with a bit of water then next day.

Now that you have the surf hair report, you can face the coming set of anything with a carefree, summery vibe — even if March continues to insist on being lion-like.

Photos: Darnell Scott; Giphy