DIY Surf Spray

I'm interrupting the flow of food posts, to bring you a far more rare kind of post, but just as fun. DIY! I usually get DIY inspired in the fall and winter months, but this summer DIY project totally rekindled my love for all things DIY. I was so DIY inspired that I had to draw a pretty chalk sketch to go with my creation. 

Once upon a time on a beach trip in some year I don't remember, I recall thinking that I loved the way my hair got wavy after some combination of ocean water, sand, and too much sun that surely burned my freckled skin. 

Years passed, and post college (when I stopped cutting my hair way shorter than I ever should have cut it) I discovered surf spray. Herbal Essence used to make it. It was in a blue bottle and you had to shake it before every use. I stocked up on two bottles every time I ran out. I remember when my Walmart stopped selling it. I panicked and then discovered Herbal Essence had a section of their website that told you what stores sold the products you wanted. I found it at Walgreens! I stocked up and then they discontinued it. I tried other products, but nothing was ever the same. My hair hasn't seen beach waves since. Until today!

I pinned this DIY recipe for surf spray long ago, not having super high hopes. I got a hair cut Tuesday and then saw this adorable hair style on Pinterest. I knew I could do it with my hair as is, but couldn't help think of how much cuter it would be with beach waves. Then I began to long for beach waves. Which then lead me to add Epsom salt and hair gel to my shopping list. 

I doubled my recipe and altered it a bit from the Pinterest one. What I'm posting are the products and amounts I used. If you don't plan on using it as often as I do, you might want to do less like the Pinterest one did. Also, you'll notice I slightly decreased the amount of hair gel (she says four squirts for the smaller batch, but in the comments when someone asks how much each squirt was she says tablespoons) and added the Surf Hair stuff. I LOVE this stuff. It's my go to product. I like it better than any gel or hairspray. When I curl my hair, I run Surf Hair through it and it holds way better than any hairspray AND with a soft bouncy hold. It also helps keep my bangs in place. Knowing how great that product was, I wanted to add it to my concoction.

Ingredients: 

• 6 teaspoons Epsom salt ($2.98 for a HUGE bag at Walmart)
• 7 tablespoons water-based hair gel (one that smells good!)
• 1 tablespoon Garnier Fructis Surf Hair Texture Paste (optional)
• 8 ounces of water

Directions: 

You can add all the ingredients to the bottle you want to use and shake, but I feel like I have more shaking power and control with a Mason jar and also less spills. I added all ingredients to the jar. I added slightly warm water to help the mixing process. Shake shake shake. If you use Surf Hair, it doesn't like to mix quite as well. I had to whisk it in and break it up, then shake more. I used a funnel to fill my bottle. 

Look! Perfect, messy beachy wavy curls! I am certain I'll have to make another batch of this next week. Use it on damp hair for best results. You can also spray it on your roots for some lift and use it for touch ups on dry hair. Be sure to shake before each use.