How to do hair care for beach vacation

Beach, salty water and brilliant sun – sounds like the dream, doesn’t it? What makes our inner beach babe squeal with excitement is a rather scary matter for our beloved locks. So let’s take a look at hair care for a beach vacation.

(If you are wondering what I know about it: I grew up at the seaside, but have naturally dry and curly hair. So I had to learn a trick or two in order to not end up being a wild frizz ball every day.)

Read on to learn about my tips for beach hair care, hair products for your next beach vacation and generally how to protect your hair at the beach!

Related: 7 cute summer hairstyles for long hair
Related: Camping hair: tips for the right hair care while camping

Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Best hair products for a beach vacation

Let’s start with the best hair products for your beach holiday.

Number 1: Hair sunscreen!

Sun Bum Revitalizing 3 in 1 Leave-In Conditioner Spray Detangler | Anti Frizz , Paraben and Gluten Free, Vegan, and Color Safe with UV Protection | 4 oz

UV radiation affects your hair, just like it does your skin. But unlike your skin, your hair is not “alive”.

So if you prefer a sun-bleached beach look, there is no real need to put SPF sunscreen on your tips.

But (and now come two important buts):

1 – Your scalp and ears definitely need protection from the sun.

I know you are here to find out how to take care of your hair at the beach, but I cannot NOT talk about protecting your skin in this context. Namely, your scalp and your ears.

So how to avoid that burnt feeling on top of your head where sun meets skin?

Easy: just use a spray bottle like this one* to distribute sunscreen on your scalp.

After spraying some sunscreen on your head, massage it in to properly distribute it. It might look a little oily, but hey: Let’s call it a wet look. Plus, you are going to go swimming anyway, aren’t you?

Women Floppy Sun Hat with Wide Brim—Foldable Roll-Up Straw Beach Hat UPF 50 Beige

 If just the thought of sunscreen on your scalp is giving you the crawlies, you could also get a cute summer hat*. I love those and always feel kinda fancy wearing them.

Related: Zinc sunscreen: The good, the bad, and the recommendation

2 – Your hair might get crispier than you like

Now let’s get to the second reason for using some UV protection on your hair:

Even if your locks don’t get a sunburn, the hot sun rays will still have an effect on them. A drying one. For someone like me who already fights dry and breaking hair, this is not really desirable.

And honestly, I don’t know anyone who REALLY loves super dry and frizzy hair… More on frizz below.

Anyway. This is where oils with some natural UV protection come in. You can buy some Jojoba oil here* or go for one of the countless hair sun protection products.

Or, you know. Wear that cute hat*!

Sun Bum Revitalizing 3 in 1 Leave-In Conditioner Spray Detangler | Anti Frizz , Paraben and Gluten Free, Vegan, and Color Safe with UV Protection | 4 oz

Alba Botanica Sunscreen Spray for Face and Body, Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen, Hawaiian Coconut, Water Resistant and Biodegradable, 5 fl. oz. Bottle

Women Floppy Sun Hat with Wide Brim—Foldable Roll-Up Straw Beach Hat UPF 50 Beige

2. Hair oil or: How to protect your hair from saltwater

OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair-Texturizing Sea Salt Spray, Curl-Defining Leave-In Hair Styling Mist for Tousled Beach Waves and Textured Hold, Paraben-Free, Sulfate Surfactants-Free, 6 fl oz

Sea salt sprays have been trending for a while. People use them to get that wavy beach hair look.

But during a beach vacation, the saltwater becomes less of a treatment and more of a nuisance. Especially for people with already dry hair. (Me me me!)

To prevent damage and dryness through ocean water you’ll need to oil your hair. A lot!

And this doesn’t necessarily have to mean doing a full-on oil mask every day, although it can help. But you’ll definitely want to distribute a little bit of oil in your hair ends every day.

Related: How to use hair oils for healthy hair
Related: 7 curly girl approved hair oils for shiny locks

I have pretty long hair. Meaning, I have to use lots of oil to make it worth it. So as much as I lovelovelove Jojoba oil, for this step, I usually use something that is not quite as expensive. And most oils will do the job here, really.

My favorite is Tiki Tiaré Monoi oil, as it comes in some pretty nice and summery fragrances. Oiling your hair doesn’t have to mean smelling like the salad bar!

You can order Monoi Oil here*!

Related: How to pick the best hair oil for your hair type

3. Best shampoo and conditioner for beach vacation

After your beach day, you will probably want to shower off all that sand and sunscreen. After all, one of the nicest feelings in the world is to be all relaxed and clean after a day of sunbathing…

So, of course we can’t talk about the best products to use at the beach without going into the basic needs of hair care: shampoo and conditioner.

During a beach vacation, there are two things you need from those products:

1. looooots and lots of moisture for your hair
2. as much gentleness as possible

Basically, you want to clean your scalp of irritants like sand while keeping the stress for your hair as low as possible. And, of course, while moisturising, moisturising, moisturising.

Aquaphor Baby Wash and Shampoo – Mild, Tear-free 2-in-1 Solution for Baby’s Sensitive Skin – 16.9 fl. oz. Pump

You could even consider if you really need to use shampoo. Maybe water and a conditioner will be enough to rinse sand and sweat off? Shampoo usually is much harsher than conditioner and leaving it out could give your hair a well-deserved break.

However, if you feel your scalp being irritated or itchy, opt for a very gentle, moisturising shampoo instead of skipping it!

Shea Moisture

Secondly, using a very moisturizing conditioner like this one from Shea Moisture* can help fight off any dryness and restore your hair to bouncy and shiny.

Related: What’s the best leave-in conditioner for a beach vacation?

Don’t forget after beach hair care!

After rinsing everything out, check what your locks feel like. If you followed all the tips above, they should not be extremely dry or damaged.

But if you want to give them some extra care, consider using the LOC method or simply a nurturing hair gel after washing. (You can find a recipe for a homemade hair gel here or a list of curly girl-approved hair gels here!)

Especially the ends will benefit a lot from that extra care. And who wants to come back from a relaxing vacation with crispy ends?!

Related: How to fix crunchy hair – all the solutions

Advanced beach hair care: avoid frizzy beach hair

Do you know the following feeling?

You’ve been at the beach, swimming and sunbathing all day. Now you feel super relaxed. Your skin is all tanned and you just want to quickly throw on a sundress and go have dinner as the sun sets. Life is good.

Before leaving you glance in the mirror and – what is THAT on your head? Say hello to the frizz of frizzes!

Frizz can come from various sources: dryness, humidity, and air movement.

If you protected your hair from sun and saltwater as described above, you’ve already done quite a bit to avoid frizz.

But there is one more thing you can do that will make a significant difference!

Wrap your hair!

I know. “What, at the beach, how am I supposed to…?” I felt the same, trying to come up with a solution for this.

But fashion has an answer for us (imagine a drum roll here):

The turban headband!

MarchQueen Fashion Headbands for Women Elastic Twisted Criss Cross Hair Bands for Girls Turban Headwraps Hair Accessories 6Pcs

Letting your hair dry in there will prevent the sea wind from ruffling up your hair and making it all frizzy.

And don’t worry, with the blazing sun at the beach drying won’t take forever.

So, no more excuses, check out the huge variety of turban headbands and get your fashionista hair protection turban now!

Related: How to get rid of frizz: the ultimate guide

YONUF Boho Headbands For Women Fashion Wide Headband Yoga Workout Head Bands Hair Accessories Band 6 Pack

Ivyu Headbands for Women Head Bands – Fashion Womens Headband Diademas Para Mujer De Moda Hair Accessories Hairbands for Girls No Slip Cute Black Pink Gray Headband Gift for Women

Huachi Turban Headbands for Women Wide Head Wraps Knotted Elastic Teen Girls Yoga Workout Solid Color Hair Accessories, 6 Pack

Thank you for reading my tips for hair care for beach vacation. Did I forget any beach hair care tips? Let me know in the comments!

*These links are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.