The Best Heat Protectant for Hair, According to Professionals 2022: Living Proof, Sun Bum, Moroccan Oil, and More

Table Of Content

• Top 10 Best Hair Heat Protectants 2024
• The best heat protectant oils
• Oribe Invisible Defense Spray
• What to Look for When Buying a Heat Protectant
• The 13 Best Heat Protectants, Tested & Reviewed
• The Benefits of Hair Heat Protectants
• Prep your strands with one of our favourite finds to shield them from damage

When using hot tools to style your hair, it’s critical to have the best heat protectant on hand, no matter your hair type. This Bumble and Bumble formula, which has a 4.7-star average rating from over 1,600 reviews at Ulta, has six oils to hydrate and protect hair from heat and UV damage, according to the brand. Reviewers say it doesn’t leave behind residue at the roots and has helped hold styles for longer periods of time.

Top 10 Best Hair Heat Protectants 2024

We appreciate how undetectable it feels (even on our generally oily hair) and the fact that it even offers some static-smoothing benefits. For those looking for an easy-to-use heat protectant, sprays take the cake (you literally don’t have to get your hands dirty). We loved this one because of how evenly it distributes without even a trace of tacky or sticky residue. It could be slightly more protective against heat, but it does earn points for offering additional benefits—namely, hydration, detangling, and shine; the pleasant scent is just the icing on the cake. Hot Tools is known for its affordable yet powerful tools (almost every pro stylist has one in their kit), and the brand's new detangling mist is made to nourish hair even when using heat. The leave-in spray has a chia complex to protect from up to 455°F, plus hyaluronic acid to hydrate and a Brazilian oil ceramide to boost shine and smoothness.

The best heat protectant oils

A favorite of Cut Shop contributor Morgan Evans, this Drybar heat protectant doubles as a lightweight yet effective detangler. It works well on all hair types (especially fine curls) and is best used on wet hair before a blowout or comb out. Additionally, Olya Iudina, a stylist in New York City, recommends anyone with thin or medium hair types use sprays or serums.

Oribe Invisible Defense Spray

In addition to hair products, Hill suggests using a silk pillowcase to help retain moisture and keep your hair cuticle flat. Similar to hair oils, anti-frizz serums, like this one from Morracanoil, are great for taming unwanted puffiness, flyaways, and static without adding excess bulk to your hair. Smooth a few drops throughout the bottom half of your hair while it's damp to help minimize frizz as it dries, then reapply as needed throughout the day to smooth things out and restore hydration. As our experts will attest, the best anti-frizz hair products vary widely depending on your hair type, texture, and the end style you're going for. Knowing your hair type and porosity level will make it sooo much easier to find the right ones—and it'll make it easier to identify the root causes of your frizz. A study published in the International Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, hair serums that are packed with moisturising ingredients can help add natural shine to your strands, while protecting them from heat-related damage.

What to Look for When Buying a Heat Protectant

If you have heat- or colour-damaged hair that you want to restore to its former glory, look no further than Kérastase Discipline Keratine Thermique Creme 150ml for gorgeous results. Not only does this heat protector defend against temperatures of up to 230 degrees, but it also gives shape and hold to the strands - making it the ideal assistant for styling. Beachy waves will last longer whilst sleek straight looks will stay frizz-free all day. If you're using some heavy-duty heated tools, then the Bumble and bumble’s Heat Shield Thermal Protection Mist is for you. Formulated to defend against and repair thermal damage, this will help to maintain healthy hair, even with regular styling. So, whether your locks are dry, oily, damaged or colour-treated, there's a heat protector for you.

Though all hair types can experience frizz, curly hair is the most naturally frizz-prone. This is due to the natural shape of curly hair follicles, not styling errors. If your texture is on the coarser, curlier side, you'll need to prioritize hair hydration if you want to reduce flyaways and frizz. Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair 100ml can instantly repair damaged hair up to 26%, so imagine what it does with consistent use! Look no further for a natural product that gives you gorgeous, lasting heat protection without harming the planet. Heat damage can be particularly problematic for those with bleached and colour-damaged hair.

The Benefits of Hair Heat Protectants

So, while these products can protect your hair and should be used every time you heat style, they should not be thought of as a way to completely protect hair from all heat damage. Hydrolyzed silk protein is blended into the formula of this product to help prevent moisture loss from hair. This seals in hydration and protects hair strands from becoming dry during heat styling. It can also help decrease blow drying time, further decreasing damage since you will need less heat to style your hair. It is a great option if you use a hair dryer on a regular basis and want to cut that time down. Ingredients such as coconut and argan oil are blended into this heat protectant to add extra hair nourishing benefits.

I’ve been using this detangler religiously for a couple of years and can’t say enough positive things about it. Just a few sprays and a wide tooth comb will work through any knot or tangle—without causing breakage or creating damage. A blend of oils (including rahua and sachi) block out humidity and keep frizz at bay, while a special UV protector keeps my blonde from turning all kinds of brassy in the summer.

Hair protectant creams, sprays, and serums all have different benefits for your hair, depending on their formulations. For any at home heat protectant to work effectively, it must create a substantial barrier between your hair and the heat you’re applying AND restore lost moisture to the hair strand. Hair protectants can also detangle the hair, reduce snagging, and give you glossy results. With an iconic offering of heat tools, it’s no surprise that GHD’s heat protectant sprays is one of the best that you can find. It has a really nice mist mechanism that evenly distributes the product all over your hair, and it’s packed with polymers and conditioning agents to help you get that professional-looking finish at home.

Best heat protectant spray for hair 2024: Kerastase, Oribe and more - The Independent

Best heat protectant spray for hair 2024: Kerastase, Oribe and more.

Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Thicker or curly hair types will get on best with this luxurious heat protectant spray from Oribe. Rich in sandalwood, cassis and marcuja oils, it smells like an expensive blow-dry in a bottle and contains heat-activated polymer technology to really restore and protect hair. Plus, you can use it after heat-styling to boost shine and tackle frizz or flyaways. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s a great all-rounder that will really up your haircare game.

After applying one to two pumps on damp hair, this serum shields hair from heat styling and blow-drying. It’s the perfect product for those who like to keep it simple, and are already a pro at applying skin-care serums. If you like to style your hair with a hair dryer and curling iron, stylist Sarah Potempa recommends a flexible, lightweight formula that plays well with tools like the Nexxus Weightless Style Prep & Protect Leave-In Hair Spray. But if you have textured hair and are more interested in enhancing your natural waves, she suggests focusing on a product that's more moisturizing and conditioning like Mielle Organics's Mongongo Oil Thermal & Heat Protectant Spray. Folks with fine hair should look for light sprays that won't weigh your hair down.

Ahead, I caught up with Jordanna Cobella, Colour and Trend Ambassador for Wella UK and Owner of Cobella Salons to get the lowdown on exactly why it’s so important to protect your hair when heat styling. And keep scrolling for the very best heat protectant sprays to add to your routine. If you want your heat protectant to also function as a legit styler, try this winner. The cream formula gives hair a workable hold and offers long-lasting static protection, too. We also couldn’t get over how soft and smooth it left our hair; no straw-like dryness here. We’d be remiss not to mention the scent too, another one of our favorite attributes, a lovely musky floral.

CHI’s 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray features a lightweight formula. It doesn’t settle onto hair and weigh it down, and it doesn’t add a greasy feeling onto hair. If you’re seeing increased amounts of hair fallout in the shower or on your brush, turn to this anti-breakage heat protectant. You’ll then notice instantly how better hydrated your strands look, as well as how it tames frizz. It gets to work strengthening a weakened hair shaft, so the more you use it the healthier your hair will look and feel. “Velcro rollers are more to maintain volume and use during blow-drying to ‘set’ the style or maintain volume to each section,” Trygstad says.

Create your own heat protectant with these individual booster shots that you can add to your shampoo and conditioner for, well, an extra boost. There are a variety to choose from, but this one is specifically for protecting hair against thermal damage. This styling milk checks all the boxes—it reduces frizz, protects against heat, increases shine, and fights humidity. We’ve turned dpHue before when we wanted to keep our blonde hues bright and strands glossy in-between visits. Similar to those two color-centric formulas, this protective spray is free of gloss-stripping additives, like sulfates. Instead, the base of the formula is tocopherol, also known as vitamin E, to gently hydrate our hair and supply it with the nutrients it needs to be strong and healthy.