I just spent a steamy lunch hour in the park. No, I wasn’t reading a racy romance novel--I’m talking about steam as in heat…muggy, hot, New York City summer heat. Luckily, it’s almost Friday and I’ll be retreating to the beach for some reprieve from the temperature this weekend. But upon returning to the office, my hot lunch got me to thinking: on days when hitting the beach isn’t an option, how can we get out of the heat?

Here’s an idea for keeping cool--make some waves of your own.

I love the naturally wavy look that complements sundresses and bikinis alike; I call it “beach waves.” My favorite part about this summer hairstyle is that can be achieved without the use of hot styling tools. I use a small amount of a lightweight styling lotion after washing my hair at night. While it’s still damp, I put my hair in a loose braid—-no hair dryer or flat iron—-then sleep on it.

When I undo the braid in the morning I’ve got a summer look that keeps me cool, and saves a lot of time. I usually mist my hair with a light hairspray to keep the waves from turning tsunami, but I avoid the urge to lock them in place with heavy wax or gel. Trust me, when the heat of the day sets in, you don’t want to deal with the sticky drip of hair gel.

If you have stick-straight hair that won’t go with the flow, I recommend using a scrunching spray and your hands to make waves.

So why not put away the curling iron, hot rollers, hair dryer, diffuser or flat iron for the season and give your hair a summer break!