For those wanting to spice up their straighter locks or temper unruly curls, loose waves can be a good compromise for that carefree and “cool-girl” post-beach look.

However, in typical Australian summer style, the last thing we want to do is pick up a heat tool on a 40 degree day, which thus poses a moral dilemma: stand under a hot curler (or Mermade Hair Waver) for 20 sweaty minutes? Or, make it to brunch on time – but with a vague feeling of annoyance that these bouncy waves seem accessible only to those naturally blessed or with extreme aircon?

With neither of those options seeming particularly desirable, and, factoring in the heat damage that can come from a little too much reliance on your curling iron – we decided to round up our best products and tips for creating beachy waves, sans heat.

RIVA Hair Towel Wrap

We know that waterlogged hair = more fragile and breakage-prone, but it also means those hair products you dropped half your pay slip on aren’t absorbing. The first step to styling any hair (heat or no heat) is to dry it properly, ensuring your strands are less fragile and better prepped for your look. Our microfibre RIVA Hair Towel Wraps are the perfect way to begin your hair routine, absorbing almost 5x their weight in water. While you can leave on for as long or little as you like, we recommend at least 5-10 minutes for optimal results, (conveniently making time for a quick face mask before we head out). Not only will this ensure your hair is better prepped to absorb those beautiful new products, but makes it less prone to breakage – which is never conducive to our hair goals.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE SURF SPRAY

This next product is perfect for all hairstyles for effortless sun and salt kissed-looking tresses. It’s for those wanting to channel “beach day” vibes but don’t necessarily want to wet their hair fully – or, have wet hair, but want something ultra-low maintenance to pop in before 5pm cocktails.

Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray is exactly what it sounds like – the ocean in a bottle. If you’ve ever felt victimised by a particularly rough wave but conflictingly miss the sea-induced mermaid hair, this product will be your new best friend. Apply by spritzing onto damp or dry hair, beginning at the roots and working your way down to the ends. Twisting strands will help to enhance the texture, with sea salt and mineral blends adding body and volume to hair… et voila: sexy, salty and effortless beach hair. While we love to let our locks air-dry, if you’re not ready to part with your blow dryer just yet, blow drying with a diffuser is a gentler option (and also gives great body).

Tip: Use on roots between washes for volume and a fresher look.

If your hair is particularly dry or coarse, their sister product, the Surf Infusion, gives the same results, but is a salt-meets-oil blend, for added moisture and conditioning.

Images credit: MECCA Brands

SAM KNIGHT COOL GIRL BARELY THERE TEXTURE MIST

This next one is for those whose hair is lacking in thickness (but makes up for in personality). While thick, voluminous locks are often sought after, it too often seems the trade off is a product that leaves our hair feeling crunchy for days. Enter: Sam Knight Texture Spray. A super lightweight hair mist designed for that off-duty model vibe, this is your secret weapon for effortlessly tousled locks. Thickening and texturizing, it will transform even the thinnest hair from limp to luscious in no time, without leaving your hair feeling crunchy, dry or heavy. In the spirit of effortless beauty, flip your hair upside down and spray generously through hair and roots for ultimate (and speedy) volume. Or, if you have an extra couple minutes on you, section hair off and focus on roots, before working your way down to the ends.

Image credit: MECCA Brands

BRIOGEO CURL CHARISMA RICE AMINO + AVOCADO LEAVE-IN DEFINING CREAM

If you’ve been blessed with natural waves / curls but find the humidity threatens to ruin the party, look no further than Briogeo’s curl and wave-defining crème. Formulated with rice amino acids to seal the hair cuticle and keep fuzziness at bay, the result is smooth, relaxed waves (or curls, depending on hair type) that look straight out of Baywatch. Hydrating and nourishing, this will promote curl and wave formation, keeping the hair “together”, as such, eliminating fly-aways and dehydrated hair (frizz). Walk from beach to bar in no time, applying a coin sized amount on damp hair from root to tip to ensure your mane is looking soft and smooth all night. 

Images credit: MECCA Brands

KEVIN MURPHY ANTI.GRAVITY LOTION

This last one is perfect for all hair types and is a signature product within their VOLUME range. This volumizer and texturizer powerhouse duo allows for thicker-looking and bigger hair instantly, built for an undone and effortlessly sexy beach look. It’s also oil-free, meaning you don’t have to worry about any product build-up or a ‘slick’ looking finish. But if that wasn’t enough, it also has a fantastic long-lasting, weightless hold, in addition to controlling fly-aways (it truly does everything). Kevin’s tips for usage are to apply on damp roots to tips before styling, allowing hair to air-dry. Or, if we’re still at the point in the article where we haven’t convinced you to ditch the heat, blast roots briefly for added volume, and then attach a diffuser to gently dry the rest of your hair.

Image credit: KEVIN.MURPHY

Finally, if you’re like us and prefer to spend your time at the beach and not the bathroom, protect your tresses with one of our chic DAHLIA or AMELIE shower turbans. Not only will they extend your ‘do by another couple days (AKA more time for pre-dinner margaritas) – but they’re also gorgeous enough to wear on the beach to protect your hair from the UV / water / sand that your kids accidentally throw on you.

Perfectly imperfect, healthy summer waves: incoming.

Cover image credit: https://www.vogue.com/article/beach-waves-hair-type-thin-thick-coarse