Easy Steps to Beautiful Beach Waves

     

Relaxed curls are a great look for Summer! They are easy to achieve and look so effortless! Whether you are heading to the beach, a barbecue, or running errands, beach waves are pretty! It is so simple to add in a headband, flower, or hair accessory to change up the look a bit. It is super easy to achieve beach waves no matter what the hair type may be.

Step 1: Sleep in twists, braid it, bun it, twist it, or pineapple.

Wash your hair at night. You should always remove all tangles with a wide tooth comb. Next, choose your pick on how many braids or buns you feel comfortable sleeping in. The less braids, the bigger the waves will be! For example, I stick with two braids wrapped into buns to produce more loose flowy waves to change it up from my naturally tight coils. To increase the texture, use more braids! A smaller braid will result in smaller waves. When you wake up the next morning, let your hair loose! Don't comb the braids out! Use your hands to gently separate the hair from its braided position. If there is a little frizz, you can run a finishing serum through your hair. 

2. Use a curl extending styler.
This is for my naturally curly friends who have tight coils like myself. We need to stretch out our curls! Extending creams like Curly Hair Solutions Extenzz and Original Moxie Shape Shifter Re-Forming Cream are great for this! These creams allow you to manipulate your natural curl pattern without using harsh, damaging chemicals. After your next wash, your hair will return to its natural state. Apply extending cream onto wet hair after showering and then use your fingers to shape the size of the waves you desire. Try to air dry hair to stray away from disrupting the shape of the waves.

(When I used curl extender I noticed that the top of my hair
was less curly which added about two inches to the ends! Wahoo!
I was in a rush when I was getting ready this morning so I had to use the diffuser.
 If I was able to let it air-dry, my hair would have been more wavy.)

3. Use sea salt spray.

You know those gorgeous beachy, waves you achieve after swimming in the ocean? You can recreate this look without the shore. You can find sea-salt sprays at most beauty supply stores or you can make your own! There are plenty of recipes on the web! The key when using this spray is to use it on freshly washed hair, spray section by section, and scrunch lightly. If you scrunch too much, you will see more curl (which is okay, but not the look you are intending to achieve). 

My Everyday Hair Routine

I have become extremely low maintenance when it comes to my everyday hair routine due to my college lifestyle. I am also a self-proclaimed product junkie; however, this has changed a bit since I've been trying to save money for when I graduate. My ultimate goal for my hair is a little above waist length. It usually only takes me a few steps to get beautiful defined curls!

If I decide to take a shower at night which is not every often. I stick with the pineapple method. If you have never heard of this, you don't need an actual pineapple ;) When you get out of the shower, make sure your hair is still soaking wet. Comb through your hair, starting at the ends and working your way up. This prevents any damage. Next, grab a pony tail holder, flip your hair over and make a pony tail on top of your head. The very top. So you look like a pineapple. This allows the hair to dry in a more natural way while sleeping.

Most days, I shower in the morning. It helps me to wake up! I wash my hair with shampoo every other day, but condition every single day. I'm currently using Carol's Daughter Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner, but I haven't been that satisfied with the results of this product. Some brands I recommend are DevaCurls, Wen, and Eufora. If my hair is in need of a deep conditioning treatment, I skip my shampoo and conditioner completely and allow my hair to sit in the deep conditioner for my entire shower time. I use a basic coconut oil

conditioner that you can find at any drugstore in your area. This is my favorite trick of them all. When my shower is over, I wrap my hair in an old t-shirt. Towels are made with terry cloth which rubs against your hair causing friction and frizz. Secondly, most towels take a ton of moisture from your hair. We need moisture people!!  I swear this reduces my frizz by half.

My hair doesn't sit in the t-shirt for long because I want my hair to still be moderately wet when I use my comb. Like I said earlier, start at the tips and work your way up. I don't use a brush, combs only!

Once my hair is tangle free, I add in DevaCurls Ultra Defining Gel. This product is great! It allows my hair to be well-defined without the crunchy ramen noodle look. I flip my hair over like I'm on an inverted roller coaster and just scrunch it in my hair from tips to top.

Lately, I have been allowing my hair to dry on its own. If I am in a rush or need to have my hair dry, I use a diffuser. It's my second favorite trick and also cool because it looks like a weapon you see cartoon villains use. I try not to blow dry my hair all of the way either. Less damaging!

That's it! I can get ready in about 30 mins with my hair blow-dried and all! If you have any questions, feel free to comment!