After a swim in the sea, rinse the salt out of your hair before reaching for Perfecting Hair Mist. It is not meant to be used in the water, and it cannot replace a rinse. Use it afterwards only if you plan to blow-dry your hair as instructed: apply it to damp hair, then use a hairdryer without applying another styling product first.
Rinse the salt out first
Salt stays on the hair fibre until you rinse it out. The mist helps protect hair from humidity and frizz when you use it as instructed; it does not form a protective barrier while you swim. Even if you are skipping the mist, your hair still needs that rinse.
Save the mist for blow-drying
To use the mist as instructed, you need to blow-dry with warm air while brushing gently. Applications should be spaced out, rather than repeated after every wash. If you used it during your previous wash, a day at the beach does not mean you need another application.
You can find the full method in how to apply and activate Perfecting Hair Mist. If humid air is making your hair frizzy, whether you are at the beach or back home, the article on frizz and humidity covers that. Static electricity has different causes, explained in static hair.
What to know before packing it for the beach
The mist does not replace a heat protectant you already use with your hairdryer. After applying the mist, blow-dry as instructed, without putting on another styling product immediately beforehand. The formula contains silicones, so this is not a silicone-free beach mist.
Letting your hair air-dry is not the recommended method; the instructions call for blow-drying while brushing gently. If you are worried about heat from your hairdryer, take a look at the article on heat protectants.
Back from the beach
Once you are out of the water, rinse away the salt and squeeze out the excess water. If your hair is due for a shampoo, wash it, then gently squeeze out excess water with a towel. Apply the mist while your hair is still damp, rather than waiting until it has dried in the sun. Spray generously, section by section, and work it through with your fingers or a detangling brush. Then blow-dry with warm air while brushing gently, without applying another styling product first. Leaving wet hair wrapped in a towel to air-dry is not the recommended method.
Going back in for a second swim that afternoon? Rinse again afterwards. That does not mean you need a second application of the mist: the instructions say it does not need to be reapplied after every wash, and a rinse is not always a wash. Apply it when you are ready to style your hair, keeping the recommended spacing between applications.
If the salt makes your scalp itchy, rinse it out. The mist is meant to help with frizz and humidity on damp lengths during blow-drying. It is not a treatment for your scalp in salt water.
No hairdryer to hand? Save the mist for later, but rinse out the salt straight away.
Frequently asked questions
Can I spray it on before going into the water?
No. The instructions say to apply it to damp hair, then blow-dry. They do not describe it as protection for swimming. Rinse the salt out before using the mist.
Should I use it immediately after every swim?
Your hair needs a rinse after each swim, but the mist does not need to be reapplied after every wash. An afternoon spent going in and out of the sea does not call for three applications.
Does it remove salt?
No, you need to rinse the salt out. Use the mist afterwards on clean, damp hair only if you are going to blow-dry it as instructed that day.
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