What it is

Sea salt sprays are salt dissolved in water, usually with a little polymer, oil or aloe. The aim is the dry, tousled look of seawater-dried hair. See styling products explained.

How it works

The mechanism is presumed. Salt crystals dry on and between strands, which adds friction and stiffness, and the hair dries in waves. A drying risk is suggested by stylist experience but has not been measured. Our searches found no hair studies on sodium chloride, sea salt or seawater-treated hair fibre.

What the studies show

In a controlled within-person study, a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt bath improved skin barrier function in people with raised water loss, and reduced roughness and redness (Proksch 2005). It was done on forearm skin, not hair.
A systematic review of bath additives for eczema listed Dead Sea salt among those with possible benefit (Maarouf 2019).
These skin findings do not transfer to hair styling. For hair, the evidence is E.

How it's used in studies

The skin study used a 5% Dead Sea salt solution for a 15-minute forearm soak (Proksch 2005). That is not a styling dose.

Side effects and safety

Frequent use on a dry or flaky scalp may cause dryness or irritation. Salt can dehydrate fine or damaged hair, so follow with conditioner. Both points are stylist advice without a study.

Bottom line

A cosmetic texturiser for fine, straight hair that needs grip and wave. Skip it on dry, bleached or itchy scalps. Our confidence is low, because there are no data.

Fun facts

Despite the beach-wave marketing, we could not find a single hair-fibre study on salt.

Studies 2

Proksch E et al. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Int J Dermatol. 2005

Design: other
Who: volunteers with atopic dry skin (forearm, not hair)

Tested: 5% Dead Sea salt solution, 15-minute forearm soak

Result: Improved barrier function in those with raised water loss and reduced roughness and redness. A skin study; it does not transfer to hair styling.

Read the study ↗

Maarouf M et al. Bathing Additives for Atopic Dermatitis - A Systematic Review. Dermatitis. 2019

Design: systematic review
Who: people with atopic dermatitis

Tested: bath additives

Result: Dead Sea salt was among the additives with possible benefit for eczema skin.