DIY recipe: make your own Sea Salt Spray for big beachy hair

It couldn’t be easier to make your own sea salt spray for your hair! 

Sea salt hair sprays are often used by hairdressers to add texture, a bit of volume and a matte finish to hair styles. You know when you go to the seaside and get bigger and more texturised beach hair? And if you're lucky enough, goes into lovely beachy waves? It’s the salt in the air and the sea water that does it. And is very easy to recreate a saltwater spray yourself at home. 

You can make a saltwater spray with as little as two ingredients, one of which comes from the tap and the other probably already in your kitchen. So by making a saltwater spray yourself, rather than buying one, you will definitely save some money in the long run. And if you use a bottle you already have or one that you can reuse over and over, you’ll be doing it the zero waste way, too. 

Find out how to make your own sea salt spray, how to use it effectively, and how to make it smell ah-mazing with essential oils. 

Is saltwater spray good for hair?

As well as making hair more manageable by giving it texture, definition and volume, our DIY recipe for Sea Salt Hair Spray has some natural benefits for your hair.

Saltwater by itself, though, can be drying for most hair types if it’s used too regularly. Salt draws moisture out of the hair and scalp, so it can make very dry hair or hair prone to frizz feel even more so. But our DIY recipe has the addition of Glycerine and Orange Flower Water which can help to counter-balance some of the drying effect.

Glycerine is a humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture from the air. This helps to keep hair hydrated, making it softer and more manageable. Glycerine also helps maintain the hair's natural elasticity, making it stronger and more resilient.

(It’s worth noting though, that if you’re in a very dry climate, glycerine might pull moisture from the hair instead of the air. So if that’s the case, you can just omit the glycerine from the DIY recipe and substitute it with aloe vera juice instead).

Orange flower water (also known as a neroli hydrolat or hydrosol) is naturally hydrating as well. The hydrolat is a by-product of the steam distillation process of neroli essential oil production. Orange flower water has antioxidants in which help to protect the hair.

I’ve included essential oil blend suggestions for your sea salt hair spray. The essential oils in the blends are hair friendly and hair their own hair benefits, too.

Although it’s technically a rock salt, not a sea salt, I do recommend using Himalayan Pink Salt for your recipe. But any salt, even table salt will work too (although table salt is bleached and has been highly refined). Himalayan pink salt has a higher mineral content and is deemed to have more health benefits than regular sea salt, but the main reason for me is that it gives the hair more texture when used in the spray. 

First, make up your saltwater

You’ll need to make up a small batch of saltwater for the base. If you’re not using Himalyan pink salt you may need to alter the amount of salt used and add a bit more.

1. Boil the kettle

2. Add a heaped tablespoon (about 20 grams) of Pink Himalayan Salt to 3 tablespoons (about 50ml) of boiling water

3. Stir well and let the salt dissolve as much as possible

4. Allow to completely cool to room temperature

5. Strain to remove any undissolved salt crystals

If you want to make up a bigger batch of saltwater, you can adjust the amounts shown above but keep the undissolved bits in. Keep it in a sealed mason jar where possible, it won’t be as fresh but should last a very long time.

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The best salt to get the beachiest of hair...
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How to make your own sea salt spray for hair

You will need an empty 100ml empty spray bottle for this recipe, and:

• 50ml of your saltwater

• 40ml of Organic Orange Flower Water

• 10ml of Glycerine

• 20 drops of essential oils (optional) 

Mix all of the ingredients together well and decant into your spray bottle. Label the bottle with the date and what is in it. Salt is a natural preservative so there is no need to keep it in the fridge between uses, but keep an eye on the date and use within 6 months.  

Suggested essential oil blends for your spray

You can use 20 drops of any essential oils of your choice. If you don’t have any in mind, you could try one of our essential oil blends (Floral, Citrus, Musk or Trio).

Or try this exotic beach-holiday inspired blend:

12 drops of Bergamot essential oil

4 drops of Neroli essential oil

4 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil

 

 

How to use a homemade salt spray for hair

Now your sea salt hair spray DIY is ready, it’s time to use it!

Using a sea salt hair spray is simple. Simply spray directly onto your hair, scrunch from roots to tips and leave to dry. 

If you have quite straight hair and want to try for beachy waves without having to reach for any heated stylers, spray evenly throughout the mid lengths and ends of the hair. Plait or braid your hair in large sections and leave long enough for the spray to completely dry. Undo the braids and loosely tousle your hair with your head upside down.

Saltwater spray can be left in your hair. You can sleep with the sea salt hair spray on your hair and wash in the morning, too, if you wish. I recommend not doing this too often though, as regular or prolonged use may dry out your hair as mentioned earlier.

It’s a good idea to follow up with really good conditioner whenever you've used saltwater in your hair, especially if it's already prone to dryness and frizz.

Now you know how to make your own sea salt spray

I hope you follow our DIY recipe and get the beachy waves hair of your dreams. You’ll save money when you make your own sea salt spray and you can really make it your own by choosing the essential oil blends that you fragrance it with.

For more natural hair care remedies, why not check out our full range of hair care DIY recipes and ingredients.

For more hair care tips, make sure to give us a follow on Instagram and Pinterest.

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Add a light neroli orange blossom scent and hydration to your sea salt spray
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