Summer beauty is all about the look of natural beauty — glowing, sun-kissed skin, not to mention the epitome of summer beauty: beach waves. There are tons of products that promise to give you wavy tresses. What if I told you that you do not need any of those products to get gorgeous, tousled waves?
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1. Condition and shampoo
I am not going to recommend a specific shampoo or conditioner, just tips on how to use the products you may already have on hand. Create a pre-shampoo (pre-poo) treatment for yourself using your most moisturizing conditioner. A hair mask, if you have one, is great to use as a pre-poo. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water. I say cool water because you don't want all the mask to leave your hair. You need some of it left behind to prevent your shampoo from stripping your hair.
Now apply and work your shampoo through your hair creating a nice lather. Take a detangling comb and comb the excess lather from your hair. Rinse the shampoo from your hair with warm water. If you suffer from dryness and brittleness, follow your shampoo with a daily conditioner. If your hair is healthy and in good condition, you can skip the daily conditioner. Next, give your hair a cool water rinse to close your hair cuticles and boost natural shine.
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2. Prepare the set
Using your hands, gently squeeze excess water from hair, then towel blot your hair. Now it is time to wet set the hair. Detangle hair and part it. If you have long hair, part hair in six sections. If you have shorter hair, part into 10 sections. Take one of your sections, divide into two sub sections. Twist these two sub sections of hair from the root down to the tip. Secure the end of the twist with an elastic, hair clip, or hair roller. If you need a fast set, sit under a hair dryer for 15 to 30 minutes. I recommend leaving the twists in overnight to allow your hair to air dry completely.
3. Break the waves
After your hair has dried completely, unwind the twists. You will end up with deep wavy sections. Further break down these waves by separating them at the root and continue to separate them down to the tip. To get that tousled look you can flip your hair over and muss it up that way. Or just shake your hair and use your hands to tousle it so the waves can look freer and a little wild.
This method for creating beach waves does not require the use of additional hair products. Just adjust how you condition so your hair is a bit lighter. Lighter hair allows you to get a tousled effect that has more volume. Less product used after shampooing means less product buildup on your hair. Ditch those texturizers and salt sprays this summer so your waves can be light, free-flowing and gorgeous.
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