How To: Beachy Waves Without The Salt Spray

My current go-to hairstyle is beachy waves, it’s easy to achieve, quick to do and also perfect for summer. My hair is coloured and so when it comes to styling my hair I have to not only protect the colour but stop it from drying out from products or heat from my styling tools. Remember when salt spray was all the rage? I mean it’s still quite heavily used but it really had its phase at one point. I was victim to it, spraying it all over, little did I realise it was drying out my hair the more I used and was actually making my hair in worse condition.

Now I’ve put down the salt spray and I’ve recently discovered Paul Mitchell’s Neuro Liquid range which has been designed to withstand the heat (prevents thermal damage up to 86%) and protect the hair when styling. This range has really impressed me, my hair feels and looks in much better condition just from one use.

The science behind it? It’s formulated with HeatCTRL™ technology, a proven blend of proteins and silicones that activate with heat to help create a protective barrier against damage caused by daily styling, blow-drying and smoothing. I blow-dry my hair, straighten it and wave it, so I am more than guilty of subjecting it to heat damage. Without heat protection your hair can become dehydrated, which can make it appear dry, frizzy and unmanageable. I spend so much time trying to rehydrate my skin, that I genuinely don’t consider my hair and the damage I could be causing.

Well that’s all about to change, here is how I create my signature beach waves style using the Paul Mitchell Neuro Liquid range.

WASH

Firstly I wash my hair with the Neuro Liquid Shampoo and Conditioner. These are both lightweight and start the heat protection process. It’s safe for coloured hair and I personally find it leaves my hair feeling lovely and clean and smells nice too. The conditioner made my hair less tangled and easier to brush through before drying. There is also a conditioning treatment product which is an intensive repair for stressed out strands. The rich formula helps to smooth and condition dehydrated hair and the HEATCTRL™ technology reduces the rate of heat transfer when using styling tools. You can leave this on for anywhere between 5-10 minutes and then rinse off. One thing I noticed was my hair was incredibly shiny after using these.

PREP

Before drying the hair and to help add volume to the roots I add a pump of the Neuro Liquid Volume Foam. This unlike a mousse is so light to the touch and won’t weigh down the roots. I have fine hair so I hate anything sticky or heavy. This is perfect and helps add body, volume and a medium hold. You can apply this from roots to ends, I tend to apply it from roots to about mid-way as for the ends I use the Blowout Primer, which helps to protect the hair again from heat damage whilst blow-drying and keeps the hair smooth and glossy. I really liked this combination before drying my hair, it doesn’t feel weighed down and was easy to blow-dry quickly too.

STYLE

After drying it’s time to get those beachy waves. I have naturally wavy hair but I always use a styler as I prefer the finish. The range pairs perfectly with the Paul Mitchell Neuro Unclipped Styling Rod. It has a long barrel rod which is helpful for longer hair like mine and heats up to 230 degrees in seconds. I do like my styling tool heat up high, I always feel I get a better result with my hair, so to protect it from this I spray the Paul Mitchell Neuro Liquid Hairspray on my hair in sections before I wave it. Don’t let the name hairspray put you off, this is a much lighter spray without any stickiness. It’s a fine mist and is great for holding in the waves, it also helps reduce humidity and blocks out frizz.

FINISH

To set the style I use the Neuro Liquid Style Spray which helps set the waves. This really helped keep them in and they were still going well into the next day. To be honest I never really use a whole regime of the same products, but with these it really does benefit to use them all together. After styling Danny said my hair looked more volumised and healthy and I definitely agreed, it felt great running my hands through it and not dried out which it can often feel like after using heated tools.

Paul Mitchell Neuro Liquid range is available now at www.paul-mitchell.co.uk.

This post is sponsored by Paul Mitchell.