Now that I have kids, the idea of “traveling light” is laughable. There is just SO MUCH STUFF you have to pack for the kids that I barely have room to pack anything for myself. I find that I only pack the absolute essentials now just to make life easier, and that often means leaving my collection of toiletries and hair products at home. So anything I can easily create at our destination for the duration of our trip is a huge win in my book. On our last trip to the beach, I decided to try to make my own hair texturizing spray to help accentuate those beachy waves or add volume using stuff I already had on site. And it worked pretty well! Here’s a super simple way to make your own DIY sea salt spray, so there’s at least one less thing you have to pack.
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Supplies:
- Travel spray bottle (You probably already have one of these packed anyway or can easily find one at your destination. But it is also small enough to pack empty and fill once you get there.)
- Ocean water (easy and free if you’re at the beach!)
- Aloe vera gel (You probably have some in case of sunburns. Be sure to get 100% pure.)
Instructions:
Step 1: Measure ¼ cup of ocean water (or fill half of a four ounce travel spray bottle if you don’t have a measuring cup handy).
Step 2: Add 1¼ teaspoons of aloe vera gel (or about a one second squirt from a bottle).
Step 3: Put the cap on the bottle and shake for one minute or until well mixed.
You can also vary this by adding a natural conditioner to help ease dryness or essential oils for scent, and you can add lemon juice if you want a natural hair lightener as well. But I was trying to make this as simple as possible to be more travel friendly. Keep in mind that if your hair is already oily you wouldn’t want more conditioner or oils added, and if your hair is extra dry, adding a natural conditioner is helpful because sea salt spray can also be drying.
first image: Getty/Rafael Elias, remaining images: Chandra Fredrick for Momtastic
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