As someone who’s a full-time commerce reporter by day and a full-time product reviewer by night (ahem, all the time, actually), it’s no surprise I have both new and years-loved items on hand. Toss in an obsession with taming and smoothing out my naturally-wavy-sometimes-curly hair and we have this guide right here: the very best wavy hair products.
I’ve spent three consecutive years really raiding beauty counters and new formulas to put together what I consider the only guide for wavy hair you need. If you have I-woke-up-like-this beachy waves, you know it’s a blessing and a curse. For one, *everyone* always tells you how #blessed you are to have the hair you do (or, should I say ‘do). But, on the contrary, you know that how your hair kinks and flows is a gamble each time you shower, air-dry or blow-dry.
There are plenty of products for curly hair, like curl creams and mousses, and a roster of tubes and bottles for straight hair, like anti-frizz sprays and hydrating, set-it-straight hair masks. What doesn’t receive love all too often is the in-between state, the Goldilocks texture that you simply want to enhance, smooth out and tame to Instagram selfie-level perfection.
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Ahead, find the amalgamation of worthy hair products that should line your bathroom counter and imbue your hair routine in the best way possible. In short, you’ll definitely thank me for this tried-and-true list.
Pros:
- Offers a long-lasting hold
- Excellent value for the price
- Fresh scent and lightweight feel
Cons:
- May not be the best for ultra-thick hair as it’s fairly lightweight, though it’s buildable
The AG Care Frizzproof Argan Anti-Humidity Finishing Spray is the answer to long-term hold. Whether I’m letting my natural waves run their course (aka, air dry) or style with one of my favorite blow-dryer brushes, I know I’m set when I spritz on this fresh, lightweight product.
What’s more, it doesn’t dry out my natural waves; this finishing spray only enhances them. I love focusing the product at the tips of my hair and scrunching my waves upward to give me that bit of casual, everyday volume.
Pros:
- Salon-level quality with root-lifting benefits
- Incredible to use at the front portions of your hair, near your hairline
- Fresh scent and easily absorbable foam
Cons:
- May have a reverse thickening effect if too much is used, so be wary when applying
Everyone’s out here talking about the Dream Coat Supernatural Spray (which I can tell you is a great product) but I reach for the COLOR WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer more. It’s a foamy texture that isn’t as heavy as a traditional mousse but offers the same root-lifting benefits. It smells amazing and a little goes a long way.
With nearly 13,000 beauty lovers singing its praises on Amazon, it’s no surprise COLOR WOW is putting the wow factor into this versatile styling product. I love focusing the product toward the crown of my head and grazing it downward.
Pros:
- Closest hair product to mimic a beach resort you’ll find
- Airy cream that doesn’t weigh down your hair
- Doubles as a heat protectant
Cons:
- May not be the best on super fine hair as it’s a cream and not an even more lightweight mist
The IGK Beach Club Style-Memory Blowout Cream has the perfect, beach waves-inspired packaging and a formulation that’s just as perfect. It’s a bit of everything, which is why I use it often.
First, it smells like a trip to the beach. I use it in the wintertime to remind myself of summer and, of course, in the balmy weather to have my hair looking and smelling amazing. It’s also a heat protectant offering protection up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit, helps tame the frizz around the top of my head and produces an airy shine. All in all, it’s surely worth the $29 spend.
Pros:
- Affordable price point
- Smells fruity, fresh and citrusy
- Makes the hair super shiny
Cons:
- Should only be used once every two weeks, so not as wonderful of a value as some other products on this list
It’s a bold statement, but the Raw Sugar Living The Deep Cleanse Clarifying Shampoo is the best-clarifying shampoo I’ve tried. I was amazed, my mom was amazed — hey, everyone I know was all amazed — at how it naturally lightened my hair to enhance its natural color and produced the most incredible shine. Words simply won’t do it justice.
And, for less than $15? I’ll beg you to buy it and give it a go. Infused with charcoal, matcha and aloe, it offers a deep yet gentle cleanse while smelling like yummy goodness while scrubbing. Oh, and if you want to have the *everything shower* and give your scalp some love, use the brand’s Rosemary Vinegar Hair Rinse ($12). It’s wickedly good, too.
Pros:
- Easy applicator to disperse product where you see fit
- Salon-level product with a richly fresh scent
- Helps make the hair near the crown of the head more vibrant and vivacious
Cons:
- Not as lightweight as some other mousses and formulas on this list, but not a dealbreaker
The Drybar Southern Belle Volume-Boosting Mousse has been a bathroom staple for years now. It was one of the first mousses I used to offer a decadent foamy texture with a riveting salon scent to top it off. And, it really does up the ante on your hair volume.
Perfect for my wavy hair that is medium-thick, I love how this acts as a fine hair shampoo of sorts. It always leaves my hair and scalp feeling refreshed and ready for my blowout. Of course, I use the brand’s High Tops Self-Grip Rollers ($12).
Pros:
- Doubles as a hair spray and texture spray
- Holds that salon scent as many Drybar products do
- Helps matte down frizz
Cons:
- The price point may be unreachable for some, given how it’s a finishing product and not a leave-in treatment
Speaking of Drybar, I’d be remiss to ignore the Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 Finishing Spray. It smells just as divine as the brand’s Southern Belle product and is a misty, near-invisible topper to extend your hold but also add some natural texture and shine. I love using this as a dry shampoo actually; on next-day hair, I’ll spray it to the center folds of my waves and a bit at the bottoms to give my hair a bit more body.
Pros:
- Noticeably thickens hair with just one use
- Targeted spray applicator to use it wherever you see fit
- Travel-size packaging
Cons:
- Price point may be unreachable for some
If you’re like me, you’re skeptical about anything that claims to thicken your hair. You may be thinking, “yeah, I’m not going to get instantaneous results with two sprays of something.” I get it, and I hear you, but the Bumble and bumble Thickening Spray puts your skepticism to shame.
The Bumble and bumble Thickening Spray is a truly iconic product that is in my hand every time I have a social event where I know I’ll be taking plenty of pictures. The reason? The bounce and shine is incredible and it doesn’t leave your hair frizzy, dry or “floofy.” It smells amazing and feels like you’re misting miracle water on your hair. It’s that incredible.
Pros:
- Doubles as a heat protectant and blow-out spray
- Probably the most alluring scent among all hair products used ever (and that’s a tall order!)
- Leaves the hair super smooth yet and not flat, which is excellent for waves
Cons:
- Price point may be unreachable for some
The Kérastase Genesis Défense Thermique Fortifying Blow-Dry Fluid is one I’ve inspired so many of my friends to pick up for themselves, mainly because it’s both a heat protectant and blow-dry spray. Once they tried to steal it from my bathroom, I simply wouldn’t let that happen.
The brand is one I swear by and, while a splurge, is worth it for your hair health. The scent is unreal, much like a bakery shop and fresh floral boutique merging into one. Because it increases the shine of my hair, too, it’s a versatile post-shower product I seriously can’t live without.
Pros:
- Affordable product to enhance natural beach waves
- Vegan product that was keenly formulated with ingredients to help produce shine
- Excellent for travel
Cons:
- Doesn’t help tame frizz as much as some other products tested, though not a dealbreaker (especially if you want to create a tousled look)
For an affordable beach wave spray, the Pacifica Beauty Salty Waves Texture Spray is top of the line. For less than $15, you’re receiving the ocean in a bottle, just a bit more cosmetically fabulous to use on your hair.
Because the final formulation contains sea algae, banana and chia, it offers the ultimate beach-inspired, hair-good feel whenever I spritz it on. Formulated without sulfates, parabens and petroleum, it’s also a clean-abounding brand that always allows my waves to feel enhanced, well-hydrated and beautifully styled.
Pros:
- Lightweight and easily absorbable foam
- Amazing for frizz control
- Excellent for travel
Cons:
- Not the best for those who have ultra-thick hair as it may create a flatter look on textured hair
The AG Care Cloud Air Light Volumizing Mousse is an ultra-hydrating mousse that I love applying to my air-dried hair just as much as to my locks before my fresh blowout. Sugar cane extract allows it to have a natural volume but I also find it enhances the shine and smoothness of my hair, too.
I’d recommend this product for anyone prone to subtly frizzy hair as it seems to tackle that concern. Impressively, the mousse is infused with natural corn starch which, if you bake often, you know helps to help thicken. The same effect is seen on my hair, which I wholly appreciate.
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