Thoughtful. It is, in our opinion, how we should approach everything in life - including our beauty routines. It’s also one of the reasons Playa was created; to bring intention and thoughtfulness back into haircare without sacrificing any of the effectiveness we’ve gotten used to from professional salon brands.  For founder Shelby Wild, a Venice Beach transplant who’s since fully ascribed to a laid back Cali-girl lifestyle, Playa’s products, packaging and brand ethos reflect her back-to-basics lifestyle. She also hopes it’ll change people’s minds about what it means to use natural ingredients in beauty products. The Playa collection –and it’s very much meant as an entire routine, not a single product– includes a shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, salt spray, and nourishing hair oil. Each product is amazing on it’s own, but works even better in harmony with each other. Like riding the perfect wave, when you adopt the Playa routine, you’ll appreciate the power and beauty of nature.

Beachy, textured hair is at the center of the Playa philosophy and is the focus of every product in the collection. When we talk about a ‘Playa routine’, the style goals are volume, texture and those subtle, effortless waves you get after you spend a day at the beach. Obviously in order to achieve this look on a daily basis you need healthy hair that isn’t weighed down, dried out or overworked. Much like the way Shelby noticed her and her friends in Venice Beach were committed to their own health and wellness habits, she wanted Playa to be an easy-to-adopt commitment to healthier hair and safer products as opposed to a trendy quick-fix. She also wanted real style results and learned that –like in skincare, eating or exercise– a hand picked hair routine with ingredients that work safely and effectively together can do so much more than any one product.

 

Beauty routines have gotten so complicated. I wanted to pare everything down to the essentials, to really simplify the daily routine so you can spend more time living your life.

 

The collection started with a salt spray but has developed into what Shelby calls ‘better versions’ of the products you need in your everyday routine in order to achieve that effortless, California beach hair. The idea is that you no longer need to worry about trying to decide what products you need and why. It’s all done for you, and the products work together to give you your best hair ever.

 

Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo & Deep Conditioner Hair Mask

Beautiful beach hair starts in the ocean shower.

The most important part of any hair care routine is, for obvious reason, the way you wash. It’s the one thing we all do and even though it might not seem like it, it can be the difference between good and bad hair days. Really, it’s where all the heavy lifting happens, and where your hair finds all the moisture, strength, antioxidants and repairing properties it needs to shine.

The importance of a good wash is the reason for we made (& love) the Everyday Shampoo. It’s a coconut-derived, everyday clarifying shampoo that gently foams to remove impurities while preserving your hair’s natural oils. The added moisture won’t weigh your hair down and, if massaged in properly - will stimulate your roots to promote volume and growth. To best take advantage of it, know this; less is more and water is your bff. Playa brand ambassador and celebrity stylist Kristen Shaw suggests using a quarter to half dollar sized amount on mid length or medium density hair, rubbing it through your hands and raking through your hair. She says that due to the thickness of the shampoo, the more you wet your hair while you lather, the more this will spread and lather up. To really get clean, you’ll have to really massage the shampoo into your scalp to remove the oils because it’s sulfate free. It’s a bit more work but in the end, it’s healthier because you aren’t chemically stripping your hair of the oils you need to keep your hair strong, and shiny.

 After rinsing away the Everyday Shampoo, the next step towards perfectly tousled beach hair is the one-of-a-kind Supernatural Conditioner. It can literally transform damaged hair and give you the kind of shine people will talk about. With Baobab protein to rebuilds strands and Brassica and copaiba oils to smooth frizz, your hair will feel brand new. It works on any hair type, no matter how damaged or dry. To get the best results with Supernatural Conditioner, squeeze out some of the water from your hair and apply with your fingers from mid-length to ends. Leave it in for 2-4 minutes then rinse. Kristen also suggests combing your hair while the conditioner is working. She says that the best natural texture hair comes from hydrated locks that you let air dry without brushing (which leads to straighter, more limp locks). Combing while in the shower is the best way to detangle without ruining your natural wave. Kristen & Shelby also recommend using it as a mask once a week if your hair feel particularly dry or tangled. To do so, use it all over after a shampoo and wait 10 minutes before rinsing. You could put your hair in a bun while you wait.

 

Sea Salt Spray for Tousled Hair

Truly effortless texture, the Playa way.

If you could somehow bottle perfectly undone california beach hair, you’d get the Endless Summer Spray. Made with California harvested sea salt, it gives your hair the same texture you’d have after a day at the beach or out on a board. Shelby set out to create Endless Summer Spray because she couldn't find a salt spray that she loved and that didn’t dry out her hair with a ton of salt and alcohol. To make it, she used a brazilian nut oil blend to enhances the natural curl of the strand and pure sugars and a proprietary Marine Collagen Complex to keep hair healthy, shiny and in place.

 

To get your best beach texture, mist Endless Summer Spray along your roots on damp or dry hair then blow dry it to maximize volume. If you’re not a blow-dry kind of gal, spritz the Summer Spray onto dry hair and once it’s dried in, shake your hair up to move the sea salt around. Again, don’t brush out those natural waves! If you’re headed outside (which we think you should do as often as possible) apply the spray directly at the roots and to the most exposed areas of your scalp to protect against sunburn and oxidation. According to Shelby, Endless Summer Spray is kind of like magic—it creates perfect waves and volume without making your hair dry or crunchy. She uses it every day, spraying it all over her hair and then applying Ritual Oil to add softness.

 

Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

Truly effortless texture, the Playa way.

Before and after you step outside, out of the shower or out of the waves, the first thing you reach for should be our Ritual Oil. Unlike anything else on the market, Ritual Oil has the ability to protect hair from UV damage, chlorine and the drying effects of the ocean. It preserves color, gives you weightless shine & makes your hair look polished. No harmful silicones, no bs.

If you love to get out and into the water, you’ll love this oil because it creates a protective layer that prevents the elements of the water from dulling your color and drying out your ends. To enjoy it, press once on cap to extract the ideal amount of oil, then drop and rub between palms before smoothing through damp or dry hair from mid-length to ends. To really enhance your waves, rake the oil through your hair then twist one inch sections around your fingers before you let it air dry.

 

Dry Shampoo Texturizing Spray

Extend your style, live in the moment.

To round out your routine and really embrace the less is more philosophy, prolong perfect hair days with Pure Dry Shampoo. Not only does it expertly absorb oil and eliminates impurities but it’s actually good for your scalp and hair. Unlike most Dry Shampoos on the market, our Pure Dry Shampoo is SLS free and uses a rare blend of botanicals and minerals to refresh and revitalize hair instantly—no shower required. Obviously you can use Pure Dry Shampoo any time you need a between-washes refresher or as instant volume boost like Shelby does before she heads out for the night. It’s safe enough to use everyday, all day if needed. Kristen, however, suggests running a small amount of oil along the ends of the hair before blasting dry shampoo over it. It seems counterintuitive (we know) but it’ll keeps your waves glossy and moisturized while adding texture and separation. In the end, it’s all about the beach texture.

 

Shop the routine, here.