Everything you need to know about this summer's must-have men's styling product.

Sea Salt Spray, what is it? Why should you be using it this summer? And how to use it? Beach or no beach this year, we're all entitled to have the hair of a bronzed Adonis and Dear Barber is here to help answer all of those questions and more with inside info from our professional barber colleagues.

What is Sea Salt Spray?

Ever longed for that new found texture, volume and natural curl that only seems to appear after a week on your jollies? It's no coincidence.

The salt contained in sea water absorbs the natural oils created by your hair follicles and helps to bind hair together giving your hair a fuller look.

Add in the direct heat of the sun and a few gusts of ocean breeze and it's no wonder you're now starting to look like Patrick Swayze from Break Point!

Salt Salt Baby

Unfortunately we're not all blessed with Swayze's flowing locks, buff bod and the chance to take a morning surf before work.

Enter, Sea Salt Spray, the hair industry's substitute for dipping your head in the North Sea (warmer seas are available!). Normally served up in a spray liquid format, the formulation includes that all important Sodium Chloride (Salt for those who didn’t pay attention in Chemistry class!) ingredient to mimic the beach-effect.

Applicable to wet or dry hair, easily applied, supremely versatile and relatively good value for money, it is fast becoming an essential go-to styling product for the modern day gent.

Why should I use it?

Versatile

Versatility is key. Sea Salt Spray works perfectly with many different hair types.

This beach-inspired product can add grip and texture to even fine hair. Adding body to your hair without leaving it feeling sticky, greasy, shiny or hard.

It works perfectly as a pre-blow-dry primer before adding in a styling clay, paste or putty.

Adds texture

Equally applicable to thicker hair, pro barber Danny Morgan @dannybarbs of Goodfellas Barbershop in Caerphilly, Wales, loves to use Sea Salt Spray to create a lot of texture in straight and naturally curly hair.

Danny loves that "it's a quick and easy product to apply" and that it "gives a more natural look" than most other hair styling products.

Product-free look

Sentiments that are echoed by Ash Mahoney @ashmahoneybarber Carlisle, UK, who loves that the Sea Salt Spray "sets most styles in without having to over use styling products" giving that product-free look to more textured styles.

He adds that "it gives such a great finish to most cuts I do as it smooths the hair and prepares it for final styling".

Check out the cut and finish below from Ash...

How do the pro's use it?

Now that we've piqued your interest, lets take a look at how a pro barber uses Sea Salt Spray. Here Danny Morgan walks us through his process step by step to achieve the textured look below:

• Wash with shampoo and condition the hair to reduce knots. Rinse thoroughly
• Once cut and still damp, apply 2-3 squirts of Dear Barber Sea Salt Spray, Danny recommends to apply at arm's length for maximum coverage
• Danny then used a diffuser in a circular motion on the crown area of the hair to increase the texture at the back of the head.
• Smoothen out the fringe with a small brush to create volume at the front
• Brush the product lightly with fingers through the hair whilst blow drying from crown to fringe to blend the texture from the back to the front of the head
• Once the hair is dry, Danny applied a 20p size amount of Dear Barber Shaping Cream to manipulate and fine tune the style, helping to achieve the smooth textured ends.

Just perfect if you ask us!!

How do I use it?

Needing that sea breeze fix without the trip to the barbers? We've got you covered with these super helpful quick how-to's below:

With Hair Dryer

Speeds up the drying process and allows you to work more volume into your hair

• Spritz 3-4 pumps of sea salt spray into your hair at various angles
• Work the spray with your hands through your hair from root to tip
• Set hair dryer to a medium heat with fast speed
• Dry hair, as you do work your hands through your hair in the direction you want your hair to set. This approach usually works well with a pushed back quiff style
• Once hair is dry finish by applying your favourite styling product to add definition and final hold. @ashmahoneybarber "often uses sea salt spray before blowdrying the hair, normally 3-4 sprays all over the hair which creates a great hold once the hair is dry, finishing with either Dear Barber Mattifier or Shaping Cream to dress the hair to the desired look."

Without Hair Dryer

Perfect for more relaxed, loose, "no-product" styles.

• Spritz 3-4 pumps of sea salt spray into your hair at various angles.
• Spritz into damp hair and let it dry naturally for more wavy/care-free styles,
• Spritz into well dried hair to create texture and flexible grip.
• Work the spray with your hands through your hair from root to tip
• Style your hair as desired.

…. Et Voila!! Sea Salt Spray, the perfect tonic for your hair this summer! (Shades, cocktail and beach chair recline optional this year!)

Are you a long-time Sea Salt Spray disciple? Or a recent convert (was our post really that good?!?)? Either way why not take advantage of our summer-time bundle offer and save 15% when you buy our Sea Salt Spray and multi-award-winning matter styling clay, Mattifier together?

Simply follow the link here and add both to cart, your discount will be automatically applied.

Smooth sailing guaranteed!