Texture sprays are where bed head looks the most deliberate, so I like to compare them by finish. Bumble and bumble says it invented the first-ever salt-infused spray, and Surf Spray, a matte sea salt spray for fine to medium hair, is the result. It is made with seaweed and kelp extracts and minerals. RŌZ Wave Texturizing Mist uses seawater and dead sea salt for a matte, piecey finish, and amika Un.Done goes salt-free, with zeolite for volume and a matte finish.

The dry sprays work differently. R+CO Bleu Ultra Dry Texture Spray says it gives grip and fullness without flaking, and Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, which the stylist Oribe Canales introduced in 2010, gets its volume from zeolite and goes on from the roots to midway down each strand. Drybar Triple Sec is a three-in-one texturizing finishing spray in the Blanc scent, with coconut, amber and vanilla notes.

Sam McKnight has two sprays in the row. Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist is meant to make hair look like you did not try, and Easy Up-Do is his "hair grips in a can" for braids, buns and ponytails.

Try it: spray dry hair from the roots, scrunch once, then stop.

What I would skip: a salt spray on hair that already feels dry, because a salt-free option like amika Un.Done leaves a matte finish without that dryness.

Creams, clays and pomades are for the second pass, once the shape is there. RŌZ Evergreen Styling Cream is made with shea butter and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and the brand says to start with a pea-size dab. Crown Affair The Smoothing Air Dry Cream blends yuzu, coconut and squalane and doubles as a heat protectant. Oribe Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm is for heatless waves and curls, and Shu Uemura Uzu Cotton Definition Hair Cream is lotion-like and defines waves and curls.

For more grip, Bumble and bumble Sumoclay is a matte clay with kaolin and rice bran wax, and Sumotech is a part wax, part paste, part cream for short hair. Moroccanoil Strong Hold High Shine Sculpting Pomade is enriched with argan oil and washes out easily. Kérastase Genesis Homme Light-Hold Styling Wax Pomade is a matte wax pomade with a light hold.

The pairing I like: a cream on damp hair, a texture spray on dry hair, then a little clay or wax on the ends only.

What I would skip: a high shine pomade on fine, flat hair. Sumoclay or Manipulator Matte gives that hair more body.

Start from the job. If the problem is frizz, choose a smoothing cream. If hair falls flat, choose a texture spray. If short hair needs shape, choose a wax, clay or pomade. Pick one product from each row at most, use a pea-size amount of anything creamy and build slowly. Work it through the ends first, then the roots. The best bed head looks like a good night of sleep, so a little mess is the point, and it should never feel stiff when you run a hand through it.

If Bed Head is the look you are after, the messy part only works when the hold underneath is right, so I would start with sprays. Oribe Superfine Strong uses watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower in its Signature Complex, and R+Co Bleu Featherlight is made to avoid crunchiness or flaking. Moroccanoil Luminous is infused with argan oil, dae Sunsetter blocks humidity, and Kenra Volume Spray 25 is wind resistant up to 25 mph. Living Proof Full Dry Volume and Texture Spray gives heat protection up to 410°F and a lived-in look.

For tools, the Dyson Airwrap i.d. comes with a dual diffuser and a barrel to curl. Drybar Double Shot combines a blow-dryer with a round brush, ghd Original Styler is pre-set to 365 degrees, and Drybar Wrap Party has a reverse-taper barrel for waves. Mane It's Giving Body is a hot round brush at 355°F.

For brushing, Mason Pearson Pocket has five rings of boar bristle tufts, Tangle Teezer Plant Brush is made from castor oil and has a two-tier detangling mechanism, and the Yves Durif Vented Brush is handmade in Italy from natural rubber resin and carbon fiber.

What I would skip: a super-hold spray on every section. Spray the finish once and let the texture stay loose.