Sea salt is seemingly the panacea for every ill under the sun, from sore muscles to a bland meals. But it's also great making us feel like we're under the sun... and at the beach. Homemade sea salt sprays are easy to make and add natural texture and volume to your hair while reducing oil and weight. My friend Emily (who also happens to be one of the brilliant minds behind the ongoing ReadyMade redesign) recently sung the praises of her own sea salt concoction. Perusing the internet for recipes, it seems she's not alone. During these long, wintry months, we may not be able to go to the beach, but at least our hair can.

The Basic Recipe:

1 cup (or 8 fluid ounces, if you're judging by the volume of your spray bottle) distilled water to 1Tablespoon Sea Salt

While I understand the desirability of distilled water, as it lacks the solvents and chemicals found in tap water, it seems slightly illogical to spend the extra money given the fact that we all have to shower with whatever water source we're given. In other words, if you're washing your hair with hard, unfiltered water, spritzing some distilled water on your hair isn't going to make a huge difference.

Water aside, there's a whole lot of discrepancy about what else to mix into your sea salt spray. A number of recipes call for adding a bit of hair gel to cement that beachy wave. For me, the attraction to a natural sea salt spray is the absence of sticky additives that irritate my skin and coat my pillowcase; I'd rather dream of la mer than mar my pillow at night!

That said, sea salt has a tendency to dry your hair out, so adding a bit of conditioner or drop of Watt's Beauty Moroccan Argan Oil (which mixes better than a viscous conditioner) will help counteract dehydration. Adding pure argan oil also allows you to have better control over the scent of your spray, which you can customize by adding your favorite essential oil. There are a number of wholesale essential oil purveyors on the Internet. I like Wellington's site for its interface, and the fact that they carry 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils, each accompanied by a general description of its benefits and plant source.

They also tell you the exact number of drops to add to your bath in case you're inclined to soak (which you absolutely should--a tiny bottle of essential oil will last you a long time). Personally, I'd like to recreate the scent of Malin + Goetz's Sage styling cream in my sea salt spray, which calls for a blend of sage, chamomile, and verbena. Some people also recommend adding a tiny bit of lemon juice for hold and scent, though don't overdo it or your spritz will be overly sticky.

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