Alternative post title: The Only Way I Style My Hair These Days. This super minimalist hair routine is bringing me lots of joy this season because it means I not only have more time to do the things that are important to me, but I also have great wavy hair.

IN A NUTSHELL:
Put your air dried hair in 2 French braids and sleep on them. Wake up to wavy hair, add some salt spray for texture.

STEP BY STEP:

1. Start with air dried hair. Yep, dry hair. When I do this with wet hair I get more of a crimped look instead of the wavy look I’m going for. I love to take showers in the evening and my hair is fine so it dries within a couple of hours. If your hair is thicker, you could either shower earlier to allow more time for drying, or do a rough blow dry on low to speed up the process.

2. Brush hair and apply this Air Dry Creme. It’s like lotion for your hair. It adds shine and will help the waves really look their best when you take out your braid. I’ve done this process without this step and the results are better when I use the Air Dry Creme so now that’s an essential step for me!

3. Divide hair into 2 sections and French braid both sections. I use these small clear hair bands to secure the ends, but use whatever you have.

4. Go to bed!

5. Take out the braids in the morning. Once they’re out I like to flip my head over and side to side and shake up the waves a bit, and I’ll add some salt spray for extra texture and separation. I like Love + Salt right now (10% off with Nat2020). It’s really light, smells great and not drying like some of the other salt sprays I’ve tried. If I feel like my roots are flat and I need more body, I’ll use a little bit of Dry Lift for that.

6. Enjoy your day with fabulous, damage-free waves. Repeat the same steps when you go to bed again. I wash my hair every 3-4 days but I re-braid it every night to keep the waves in tact. Here are some photos of day 3 waves with this exact process:

Questions or any other easy, no-heat hair ideas? Leave ’em below!