Thanks to a recent Instagram trend, sea salt spray is no longer the only way to get beach-inspired hair. People are amping up their tousled waves by dyeing their hair ocean blue. This blue hair dye craze seems to be taking over our social media feeds — as of June of this year, #oceanhair has been tagged on Instagram over 12,000 times. So if you’re looking to add some tropical vibes to your style, ocean hair might be the new look for you.
What Is Ocean Hair?
Ocean hair isn’t just one shade of blue — this new trend is more complex than you might think. Stylists use a combination of cobalt, turquoise, teal, and subtle hints of green to create vibrancy and depth with the style. This mixture of colors gives the illusion of ocean-like movement in your hair, so you can have waves in your style and color at the same time! We have California-based hairstylist, Brittany Holland, to thank for this ocean hair trend. She posts her original hair color creations on her Instagram, and a lot of her clients have been requesting blue hair color for their own ocean-inspired look. Located in Bakersfield, Holland often longs for the beach, so she set out to create a hairstyle that would make her feel closer to the ocean. The entire ocean hair process takes roughly four hours. In order to create the perfect base for the blue dyes, she must first bleach a client’s hair, so be prepared to wait patiently for your ocean hair!
PHOTO: @cozmic.color
Maintaining Your Ocean Hair
This hair trend may seem simple on the surface, but just like the ocean, the process involves a lot of depth. Most people don’t realize that vibrant dyes like blues and reds don’t penetrate all the way into the hair shaft, but rather, sit on top of the hair. This means that the color fades much faster than natural permanent or semi-permanent dyes. For ocean hair upkeep, colorists recommend using a shampoo that is color-safe and sulfate-free and to wash hair as infrequently as possible. So don’t blame your stylist for your dye fading quickly because fashion colors don’t develop and process the same way as natural colors do. Maintaining a vibrant color such as ocean blues takes investment and time.
PHOTO: @bree_shair
Has the allure of the ocean inspired you? Before you make the decision to be the girl with blue hair, there are some important things to consider.
Tips for Going Blue:
- Don’t just rely on pictures of hair. It’s always important to bring photo references so your stylist is 100% aware of what color combinations you want in your hair, however, try to think outside the box. In addition to photos of specific hair colors, Brittany Holland suggests that you also provide photos fish, crystals, or even denim. All of these things will help your stylist create a personalized color palette for your new hairstyle.
- Be careful with pastels. Pastel blue hair tends to fade very quickly. Luckily, ocean hair contains such a dynamic set of colors that it doesn’t wash out as quickly as pastel-rich colors. However, in order to prevent your hair from fading after a couple of weeks, Holland recommends that you wash your hair with cold water to prevent bleeding and always to use a heat protectant when using hot tools.
- Take skin tone into account. Not every shade of blue is going to perfectly complement your skin tone, so be careful when making the final color decision. Lighter skin may look washed-out with pastel-heavy combinations, and darker skin needs higher contrast colors. If you are unsure of what shades to choose, consult a professional stylist to help you pick out the perfect ocean colors for you.
Choose Your Ideal Shade
One of the great things about the ocean hair trend is that you have complete control over the colors you want to include. Lucky for you, there is plenty of inspiration out there.
Classic Ocean
Hairstylist, Kasey O’Hara, told Allure that she uses royal blue, teal, mint green, and sky blue to create her version of ocean hair. If the dark to light blue hair color isn’t enough to convince you, O’Hara also swears that this combination of colors and the subtle fade out flatters all skin tones. Also, in all of her photos, O’Hara includes the specific dyes she uses with each style. So when you go to your own hairstylist, you can request those exact colors.
PHOTO: @hairbykaseyoh
Deep Ombre
Georgia-based stylist, Jessica Bassett, favors the subtle ombre style when she creates ocean hair. This style reminds us of the varying depths of the ocean, with a deep, almost-black blue at the roots and ending with a lighter teal color at the ends. If you have naturally dark hair, this color combination would be perfect for you.
PHOTO: @jessidreamsincolour
Midnight Moon
Want your hair to look like wet denim? Give this color a try! Mix black and silver shades with the ocean color to give it unparalleled dimension and vibrancy. Style this color with natural, beachy waves, and your hair will really look as if it’s moving like the ocean.
PHOTO: @hairbykristinamarie
Electric Ocean
Want to try something lighter? Speer also created this glowing teal ocean look. Calling it Electric Ocean, she added green hues for a more tropical feel versus darker colors that resemble the depths of the ocean.
PHOTO: @saraihairwizard
A Hint of Green
Some colorists add blue green strands to create the immitation of mysterious seaweed. You can use green color for highlights or peek-a-boo effect. Turn on your fantasy and feel like a painter!
PHOTO: @chrisweberhair
50 Shades of Green
Seaweed, pickle, sage, olive, parakeet, mint and other shades of green work brilliant together. Subtle blue and azure highlight will frame the face and add more ocean mood to your palette. One tip: use calmer pastel hues as a basis to make this look more casual.
PHOTO: @chelscaruso
Vibrant Ocean
Bob and lob hairstyles are easier to experiment with, so what are you waiting for? If you’ve always dreamt of blue hair, then ocean trend is right for you today. Mix your favorite shades of ligher and darker blue and enjoy looking fresh and vibrant!
PHOTO: @glamiris
Whether or not a trip to the beach is in your plans for this summer, you can still bring the ocean to life with this tropical hair trend. Follow the tips above to find the right ocean shades for you, and you’ll be ready for some sun and sand to go with your nautical hair!
