Ouai Wave Spray vs Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray
Two of the most popular beach sprays on the market are Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray and the Ouai Wave Spray.
True bestsellers, both are designed to give you that effortless, beachy look, but they take completely different approaches. Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray is a true sea salt formula that adds grit, volume, and that slightly undone, just-left-the-ocean feel. Ouai Wave Spray omits salt from its formula altogether, leaving you with softer, more touchable waves without the dryness.
I’ve used and loved both beach sprays, but you really don’t need both. They promise similar results, but the finish, feel, and hold are very different depending on your hair type. Whether your hair struggles to hold a wave or you struggle with frizz and dryness, one of these will likely work much better for you than the other.
Below, I compare Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray and Ouai Wave Spray head to head (no pun intended). Sharing before and after results, pros, cons, tips for making the wave sprays work for you, I share which wave spray ultimately works better for different hair types and hair goals, helping you pick right product for the perfect lived-in, beachy results.
ouai wave spray vs bumble and bumble surf spray
ouai wave spray results
The Ouai Wave Spray was recently reformulated and given new packaging, so if you were previously underwhelmed, I recommend trying their new formula.
The updated version of Ouai Wave Spray is a traditional wave spray, so it’s slightly salty/ gritty, but not messy. Your hair feels like it has product in it, but it doesn’t feel grimy or heavy. It works better if you have natural texture to your hair; the formula is too gentle for my straight hair unless I create a little texture with a curling iron first.
But once I heat style, I love the look you get with the Ouai Wave Spray. Where some wave sprays focus on grit, making your hair dull, this spray adds lots of shine and the texture is movable yet undone.
pros
Gives you piece-y beach waves
Enhances natural texture
Stronger formula gives you a little bend even if you have straight hair
Not sticky
Adds shine
cons
Using too much will make your hair crunchy
Floral scent isn’t my favorite, but isn’t overpowering
how to use the ouai wave spray
The Ouai Wave Spray can be applied to wet or dry hair. Always shake the bottle first!
If you have straight or wavy hair:
For wet hair, spray from 6-8 inches from roots to ends. Then scrunch, braid, or squeeze to add texture.
I have straight hair, and find I get the best results when I loosely braid my hair instead of scrunching.
Air dry, or blow dry in sections. (Tip: use the blow dryer while your hair is still in braids for more defined waves).
For dry hair:
Apply a heat protectant.
Next, create texture using a curling iron, waver, or flat iron. I prefer a cheap $20 curling iron for all my heat styling.
Spray from roots to ends, then scrunch to enhance texture.
For a more lived-in, undone look, brush gently with your fingers.
For curly hair:
Follow your curl routine.
Apply the wave spray 6-8” from your hair.
Scrunch your curls into shape.
Use a diffuser, flipping your hair upside down for extra volume.
bumble and bumble surf sea salt spray results
The OG beach spray, Bumble and Bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray creates texture, volume, and a matte, beachy finish. It’s formulated with magnesium sulfate (a type of salt) to add grit and structure to the hair, to mimic the effect of a day at the beach; the salt adds grip to help your hair hold waves and creates that slightly messy, tousled look.
Key features include:
Lightweight salt spray
Matte (but not dull) finish
Adds volume and grip
Helps enhance natural waves; no heat styling required
Surf Sea Salt gives you piece-y beach waves with a little volume and natural, slightly gritty texture. Because it doesn’t contain conditioning oils, the spray focuses primarily on texture and hold rather than hydration, so it can feel drying for some.
pros
Adds natural-looking texture without heat styling
Gives you a true beachy, piece-y look
Strong enough to add texture to straight hair
Adds volume
Mild beachy scent
cons
Can be drying due to the salt content
Will make your hair feel gritty or dirty if you use too much
Does not have hold (like texturizing or hairspray does)
Can cause tangles or frizz
how to use bumble and bumble surf sea salt spray
To use on damp hair:
Spray evenly, focusing on mid-lengths to ends.
Start small as this product is very gritty and a little goes a long way!
Scrunch your hair to add waves and body; you can also twist small strands for a piece-y look.
Air dry.
To use on dry hair:
If you have straight hair, I recommend starting off with a curling iron, waver, or straightener to add bends and waves to create a little texture - they can be very subtle and just a few pieces; don’t think they have to be perfect or that you have to spend a lot of time on your whole head.
Spray evenly focusing on mid-lengths to ends.
Scrunch your hair, or twist a few strands for piece-y sections.
If necessary, touch up a few pieces with a curling iron, waver, or straightener to create more definition (like around face-framing layers).
Allow to set to create a tousled, beachy look.
ouai wave spray vs bumble and bumble surf spray results comparison
key differences between ouai wave spray vs bumble and bumble surf spray
Technically, Ouai’s is a salt-free wave spray, whereas Bumble and bumble’s Surf Spray is the OG sea salt spray. Salt makes a huge difference, but is not the only difference between these two products. Here’s my full breakdown:
texture and hold
If you want true beach texture, Surf Sea Salt Spray performs better. The results of Ouai Wave Spray are noticeably smoother and softer.
Surf Sea Salt Spray gives you:
Stronger texture
More grip and grit
Better for building volume
A little more frizz; can feel drying for some
Ouai Wave Spray is better for:
Softer, flexible texture
Less grit
Slightly smoother finish
Light shine
More hydration
Bumble and bumble gives you grit, volume, and texture; Ouai is for soft waves with light definition.
key ingredients
Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray gives the best grit and texture, and is a stronger formula that contains:
Magnesium sulfate (salt) - creates texture and grip
Seaweed and kelp extracts - light hydration and volume support
On the other hand, Ouai Wave Spray is a salt-free formula that prioritizes the feel of your hair, incorporating ingredients like:
Naturally Derived Polymers - provide a nonsticky, non-crunchy feeling on the hair.
Upcycled Jackfruit - hydrates and prevents frizz.
Vitamin B5 - leaves hair feeling soft and touchable with no sticky after-feel.
As such, I’d consider Surf Sea Salt Spray to be a true beachy formula. Ouai Wave Spray is more of a hydrating, salt-free wave enhancer.
finish
While they both give you beach waves, the finish is visibly different between these two sprays.
Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray gives you a matte, tousled finish. The salt makes for a slightly gritty, undone look - think “it girl” Olsen twin hair. It can feel dry if over-applied, so a little goes a long way. Ouai Wave Spray provides a softer, more natural finish. There’s a light shine, making your hair look healthy (but not glossy). Your waves feel soft and touchable, with very little to no crunch. If Surf Spray gives you Olsen twin hair, I’d say the results of Ouai Wave Spray are more similar to Serena van der Woodsen of Gossip Girl.
If you want true beach hair, get Surf Sea Salt Spray. If you do not want any crunch or stickiness, opt for Ouai Wave Spray.
hair type compatibility
The texture of these beach sprays makes them work very different and makes one much more ideal for certain hair types than the other.
Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray works best for:
Fine to medium hair
Straight or slightly wavy hair
Hair that struggles to hold texture
Oily, limp, or silky hair
Ouai Wave Spray works best for:
Medium to thick hair
Dry or frizzy
Hair that is prone to breakage (like color-treated hair)
Wavy or curly hair types
Anyone who finds salt sprays too drying
Because Ouai Wave Spray is salt-free, it’s generally gentler on dry or damaged hair. Conversely, Surf Spray adds needed grit to finer hair that struggles to hold a wave or curl.
hold and styling
Bumble and bumble Surf Spray has a medium to stronger hold, and helps styles last longer. It’s better for air-dried looks with lots of texture, and will adds grip, making it ideal for boho braids, updos, and extra volume. On the other hand, Ouai Wave Spray offers a lighter hold that enhances your natural texture, rather than creating it. It works well with heat styling and makes your waves softer and natural yet not completely undone and messy.
Ouai Wave Spray feels softer but is less texturizing, whereas Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray gives stronger grip and hold.
If you have straight or fine hair that struggles to hold wave, get Surf Sea Salt Spray. If you have medium hair with natural texture, you can get away with either. For thick or coarse hair that can feel dry, you’ll prefer the results of Ouai Wave Spray.
price
I love hair products, but I’m budget-conscious and always want the best deal; it’s important that a hair product feels worth the money to me, since they can be so expensive! Looking at the price of these products, Ouai Wave Spray is cheaper all around. It’s $30 for a 6oz bottle ($5 per ounce), whereas Surf Sea Salt Spray is $35 for a 4oz bottle, which breaks down to $8.75 per ounce.
Factoring in usage, I find you need way less of Surf Sea Salt Spray so one bottle will last you a long, long time. But when you compare the ingredients and feel, Ouai Wave Spray is more hydrating and less drying.
Taking all of that into account, Ouai Wave Spray is the better deal and cheaper product.
which is better - ouai wave spray vs bumble and bumble surf spray?
There’s nothing worse than purchasing a beach spray that doesn’t work for your hair, whether it makes your hair too sticky, too flat, or just a tangled mess. I will say both are effective formulas that deliver on their promises. However, you don’t need both.
Choose Surf Sea Salt Spray if you want:
Strong texture and volume
Slightly matte, beachy finish
Lots of grip
It’s also what I recommend if you have straight or fine hair because it’s strong enough to help create waves and texture.
Choose Ouai Wave Spray for:
Soft, touchable waves
Hydration and less dryness
A more natural finish
Subtle shine
Something to enhance your natural texture
The best way I can describe it is that Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt Spray creates texture, whereas Ouai Wave Spray enhances it. For those with fine, flat hair, Surf Spray is the clear winner. If you have dry, frizzy, thick hair (or it has natural wave/ curl), Ouai Wave Spray is the better product.