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How to Get Perfect Overnight Beach Waves

Updated on August 3, 2025 | 5 min read

Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer

Carefree and subtle, but chic and slightly disheveled, beach waves are the official hairstyle of summer—and beyond! But for as chill as the vibe as they give off, nailing them isn’t always so straightforward. But with a little practice, the right tips and a few key products, overnight beach waves will change your life- or at least your hair. From prepping to using the right products and tips for different hair types and long-lasting waves, this is your step-by-step guide to the perfect overnight beach waves.

Key Takeaways

Overnight Beach Waves: Everything You Need to Know

Overnight beach waves are easy, heatless, and healthy—no hot tools needed.
Start with damp, clean, conditioned hair and use braid or twist techniques to create waves.
Apply a curl cream, mousse, or leave-in conditioner before styling to help waves form and hold.
Secure braids or twists overnight and unravel in the morning for effortless, tousled texture.
Enhance results with sea salt or texturizing spray for volume and grit.
Adapt the method based on your hair type—use volumizing products for fine hair, curl creams for thick or coily hair.
For coily or natural hair, use heat only when necessary and always apply a heat protectant.
Davines' LOVE CURL line preps, styles, and refreshes overnight beach waves with clean ingredients and salon-quality results.
Beach waves aren’t meant to be perfect—embrace a slightly messy, natural look!

What Are Beach Waves?

The beach waves hairstyle gets its name from the loose, slightly tousled look of your hair after spending the day at the beach. It's slightly textured, like hair that’s been roughed up by the salt from the ocean. Beach waves are a little messy and undone; while somehow still looking perfect and put-together. They look just as appropriate on the red carpet as they do in the real world, and work on all hair types, with bangs or without. And thanks to some styling tips and all-star products, you can recreate natural beach waves without living by the sea, or using damaging hot tools.

Heatless Beach Waves

Our favourite beach waves are heatless. Why? Because heat styling dries out and weakens the hair, disrupting the natural texture and leading to frizz, split ends and breakage. Over time, the excessively high temps on your hair can lead to damage that’s impossible to repair. So heatless beach waves overnight is a better option for the health and integrity of your strands. Plus it couldn’t be easier. Wondering how to get beach waves overnight? Let’s take a look at some of the ways.

Braiding

A single loose braid will give you larger, softer waves, and multiple smaller braids create a tighter wave pattern. Try different types of braids for different effects.

Twisting

Take sections of your hair while damp and twist them tightly, securing with a clip. Repeat all over your head and let air dry for soft waves.

Headband or Sock Curls

Split your hair into two sections and wrap each round a sock; or wrap your hair around a headband, securing in place and waiting until dry to remove.

The Best Way to Get Beach Waves Overnight: Step by Step

Our favourite heatless style? We love quick, overnight braids for beach waves. They’re beginner-friendly, low maintenance and easy to throw together in a pinch. Plus you don’t have to have a degree in braiding, the most basic braid will have an impact. Ready to get the best beach waves of your life? Here’s a quick step by step heatless beach waves overnight tutorial.

1. Start with damp hair

After washing and conditioning your hair, let it dry until it's damp, not soaking wet.

2. Prep your strands

While it's still damp, coat your hair with a leave-in conditioner/curl cream/mousse.

3. Part your hair

Create a middle part or a side part, depending on your preference.

4. Divide into sections

Split your hair into two sections along your part for pigtails.

5. Braid the sections

Take a small section of hair from the front and cross it over the back section. Add more hair to the front and back sections as you braid, creating a braid, twisting the sections as you go.

6. Secure the braids

Tie off the ends of the braids with hair ties or scrunchies designed to leave no creases.

7. Let it dry

Allow your hair to dry completely overnight.

8. Unravel and style

In the morning, gently unravel the braids and shake out your hair. You can use your fingers to style the waves and add texturizing spray for extra volume and hold.

Tips for Different Hair Types

This overnight beach waves tutorial works well for all hair types, as long as you start with clean, moisturised hair, and make a few tweaks based on type.

For fine hair, use a volumizing mousse or spray to add body.

For wavy or curly hair, embrace your natural texture with a sea salt spray or mousse to define and hold the waves.

For thicker hair, divide it into sections and use a curl cream or jelly to manage volume and frizz.

It’s important to note that if you have natural or coily hair, heatless may not cut it and you may have to pull out the heat for natural beach waves. Prep with a heat protectant and blow dry your hair smooth, then use a curling iron to add beachy waves. The tighter the natural curl, the larger the iron you'll want to use.

Tips for Perfect Natural Beach Waves

In addition to the steps above and the right products (which we’ll get into in a minute!) These tips will give you long-lasting overnight beach waves.

Always start with clean, conditioned, damp hair.
If your hair is fine, apply a volumizing product at the roots to give your hair lift and hold.
Secure your braids with two inches of the ends left out for more natural looking waves.
When you take out your braids, gently brush through them to loosen and create a more tousled effect.

A sea salt spray can enhance the tousled, beachy texture.
For added grit and a messier look, use a texture spray.
If you have naturally wavy hair, scrunching can help define your waves.
Set with a brushable hairspray to hold waves without making them crunchy.

Avoid over-styling. Beach waves should look effortless.
Beach waves are naturally imperfect, so don't be afraid of a few flyaways or a little frizz.
If you have natural or coily hair, you may have to break out the hot tools, just be sure to protect your hair by priming with a heat protectant.

The Best Hair Products for Enhancing Overnight Beach Waves

Your overnight beach waves wouldn't be possible without a few must-have products and this is where we’re breaking them down. Stock up on:

Curl shampoo to keep your curls clean, hydrated, frizz-free, manageable and ready to be styled.
A curl mask to protect your curls when they’re styled into beach waves.
Curl cream to shape curls in naturally wavy or curly hair.
Curl mousse to prolong the life of your natural curls, and add body to fine hair.
Sea salt spray to create beachy waves fast.
Curl spray for reactivating curls and bringing second day waves back to life.

Perfect Overnight Beach Waves Made Easy with Davines

When it comes to the overnight beach waves, get your best results with Davines' Love Curl line, our curl-enhancing and moisturising products for curly or wavy hair. Featuring almonds sourced from a farm in Noto, Italy, rich in proteins and vitamins that elasticize and add volume to curly hair. A few of our favourites for beautiful beach waves and curls include:

Overnight Beach Waves - Final Thoughts

Beach waves are the official hairstyle of summer—and beyond. Messy and undone; while somehow still looking perfect and put-together. They look just as appropriate for formal occasions as they do for every day, and can work with all hair textures and lengths.

But for as chill as care-free as they appear, nailing them isn’t always so straightforward. But with a little practice and a few clutch products, overnight beach waves will change your life- or at least your hair. From prepping to using the right products and tips for different hair types and long-lasting waves, follow our step-by-step guide, refer to the tips and stock up on all your favourite Davines products, and you’ll nail the perfect overnight beach waves.

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