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- Wave sprays are a quick and easy way to achieve textured beachy waves without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
- Our top pick is the Ouai Wave Spray because it adds shine and volume while giving you effortlessly chic tousled waves.
There's nothing quite like a day at the beach. Besides having a relaxing time lounging in the sun, all it takes is one quick dip in the salt water to give you perfectly textured wavy hair. Since beach trips and tropical vacations aren't always an option, beauty brands have decided to bottle up the beach's essence in the form of wave sprays to give you those tousled beach waves every day.
Wave sprays not only give you piece-y, mussed waves just like the ocean would, but they often add volume, shine, and texture to your hair. Some feature ingredients that offer UV protection for your locks, while others help restore moisture to dry and damaged strands.
To help you find the right wave spray for you, we've done the research and trawled through hundreds of buyer and expert reviews to find the best option. Whether your hair is fine, thick, frizzy, or damaged, these products will give you the beachy waves of your dreams.
Here are the best wave sprays you can buy:
- Best wave spray overall: Ouai Wave Spray
- Best wave spray for fine hair: IGK Beach Club Texture Spray
- Best wave spray for thick hair: Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray
- Best wave spray for frizzy hair: OGX Moroccan Sea Salt Spray
- Best wave spray for dry/damaged hair: Herbivore Sea Mist Beach Wave Hair Mist
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best wave spray overall
Why you'll love it: The Ouai Wave Spray is a lightweight wave spray that smells great and works well.
The Ouai Wave Spray is one of the best-selling items from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin's haircare line. The weightless spray is specially formulated to create beachy waves while enhancing texture and adding shine.
Unlike other wave sprays that feature sea salt, Ouai's wave spray uses rice protein, so it is safe to use on both color-treated and keratin-treated hair. It is also made without any parabens and sulfates and is not tested on animals.
Shoppers love how the spray gives them perfectly tousled waves and its beautiful floral smell. Not only is it an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner, but the magazine's Deputy Beauty Director also said it was the only spray that, "gave my hair a cool, messy texture that lasted all day."
The spray has over 40,000 likes on Sephora with a 3.7-star rating. One shopper wrote, "I have very thick straight hair that has just enough wave to make it impossible to let it air dry and go. I tried it with this spray and it dried beautifully with lots of volume and natural wave. I have been skeptical that a wave spray would work on my type hair but I loved this stuff. It is a bit pricey but would be great to have on hand if you are running late."
A few reviewers said the spray can make your hair crunchy if you apply too much too closely, so they recommend spraying lightly from a distance until you see how your hair dries with it.
Pros: Lightweight, gives beachy waves, texture, and volume, adds shine, can be used on color-treated and keratin-treated hair
Cons: Can leave hair crunchy if you spray too much too closely
Buy the Ojai Wave Spray at Sephora for $26
The best wave spray for fine hair
Why you'll love it: The IGK Beach Club Texture Spray gives voluminous waves to even the finest and thinnest hair.
If you have thin or fine hair and have issues keeping waves or adding volume, give the IGK Beach Club Texture Spray a try. The salt-free texturing spray is extremely lightweight so it won't weigh down hair.
The spray's glycerin and gluten-free hydrolyzed wheat protein formula leave you with textured waves without leaving behind any stickiness. The aerosol can delivers an even finish and can be used on both wet and dry hair.
It has a 4.4-star rating with more than 10,000 likes on Sephora. One reviewer wrote, "I have fine hair with a hint of a natural wave that I'm always trying to draw out. I've tried a multitude of sea sprays, texturizing products, dry shampoos, and mousses. So far, this is my favorite."
A few customers were put off by the high price, but you can buy a miniature size for $14 first to try it out before spending a lot on the full-size spray.
Pros: Great for volume and texture, lightweight spray, won't leave hair sticky, gives you piece-y tousled waves
Cons: Pricey but comes in a test size to try first
Buy the IGK BeachClub Texture Spray at Sephora for $29
The best wave spray for thick hair
Why you'll love it: The Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray is a texturing wave spray that works great on even very thick hair.
The Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray is a two-in-one hairspray that will give you tousled waves as well textured and shiny strands. It is a buildable aerosol spray so you can add as much as your hair needs, making it perfect for thick hair that tends to soak up products quickly.
The wave spray is formulated with kaempferia galanga root extract that offers natural UV protection, as well as safflower seed oil that works to soften and condition hair. It can be applied to both wet and dry hair and won't leave it grainy or sticky.
It has 4-stars on Birchbox with more than 24,000 reviews. Most shoppers can't get enough of the fresh fruity smell. One reviewer wrote, "Didn't think it would work with my thick hair but it really did! After I washed my hair, I used this after towel drying and my hair turned out great.”
The spray is much more expensive than the average wave spray but most users said it was well worth the cost.
Pros: Buildable spray, adds texture and shine, natural UV protection, softens and conditions hair
Cons: Expensive
Buy the Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray at Birchbox for $42
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