Did you know that heat styling tools use up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit of heat? If you think about the number of times you have blow-dried your hair, flat ironed it or even exposed to the sun; it is no wonder it looks unruly and weak.
Fortunately, even if that is the case, you can reverse the state of your hair by using the best heat protectant. The best protectant will protect further damage and heal your hair leaving you with silky, healthy, soft and smooth hair.
If your hair needs saving, then, here is something you need to remember, the first rule for heat treatment and styling is heat protection. This begs the question: which is the best heat protectant seeing that the market is bursting at its seams with promises of the best heat protecting products?
To answer you, we have this comprehensive and product specific heat protectant reviews just for you. Read on!
Ranking | Brands | Quantity | Main Ingredient(s) | Editor's Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | 4 ounces | Argan Oil, Sulfate Free, Paraben Free | ||
#2 | 8 ounces | Argan Oil + Vitamins A, B, C, D. Sulfate Free | ||
#3 | 6.8 ounces | Argan oil, Jojoba oil | ||
#4 | 8 ounces | Hydrolyzed silk, Vitamins C, E & H | ||
#5 | 6 ounces | Pure Silk, Soy and Wheat Proteins, Alcohol Free |
Argan Oil Hair Protector Spray (Best Heat Protectant for Black Hair) - Your black hair will thank you once you start using this Argan Oil Hair Protector Spray because it offers extreme hair protection from high heat treatment solutions. If you have damaged hair from blow drying, flat ironing, humidity, or damaged by the sun, then this protectant will protect and heal the hair.
It is a three-in-one hair spray that works as a protectant, a conditioner, and a leave-in conditioner.
HSI PROFESSIONAL Thermal Protector 450 (Best Heat Protectant for Natural Hair) - Enriched with Argan oil and infused with vitamins A, B, C and D, this sulfate-free HSI PROFESSIONAL Thermal Protector 450 is what you need for your natural hair.
This 8oz bottle comes in red or white packaging, and you can use it before flat ironing or when styling using a heated styling device.
Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray (Best Drugstore Heat Protectant) - No one likes spending an hour blow drying hair yet it is an important styling process if you need your hair straight. Rather than spend most of your morning with your blow dryer and run late to work, get this Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray that will reduce blow drying time by half.
It comes in a 6.8oz bottle, and the lightweight formulation detangles, softens and smoothens your hair while eliminating frizz and resisting humidity.
TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray (Best Heat Protectant for Flat Ironing Hair) - The worst thing that you could do to your hair is to expose that mane to heat without protecting it. Heat straightens the hair but it also damages your hair; you have to get this TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray if you need to protect your hair.
CHI Silk Infusion (Best Heat Protectant for Fine Hair) - Though we recommend the use of this hair protectant for thin hair, it works well for all types of hairs. This CHI Silk Infusion hair protectant works as a rich leave-in treatment, unique from others on the market thanks to the enrichment with silk which reconstructs damaged hair.
Reviews of the best Heat Protectants on the Market
For extreme hair protection and healing from flat ironing damage or possible damage from blow drying, humidity changes or sun damage, you have to get this hair protectant.
This sulfate-protector spray is enriched with natural ingredients which nourish the hair leaving it smooth and shiny. It works on the toughest hair! The main ingredients of this hair protector include castor oil, 100 percent organic Argan oil, vitamin B5 and sunflower seed oil.
Argan oil penetrates deep into your hair shaft deeply moisturizing and nourishing your hair and keeping it hydrated throughout the styling process. Argan oil prevents splitting and repairs split ends as well as heat-damaged hair.
Biotin in Vitamin B5 rebuilds damaged hair and also supports the functions of adrenal glands stimulating the growth of hair. Castor oil and sunflower seed oils increase hair growth.
This protector spray is paraben-free, and even when your hair is breaking off due to excess heat, it will be safe from harmful chemicals. This spray can prevent your hair from being brittle and weak thanks to the fact that it doubles as a leave –in conditioner which moisturizes the hair.
This Argan Oil Hair Protector Spray doesn’t just protect the hair from being brittle and dry; it also detangles hair. For thorough conditioning, you should rub it into your hair and the scalp starting from the roots to the ends.
What We Like
- It protects the hair from damage resulting from heat, the sun, and humidity changes
- It works for thick hair
- Leaves hair feeling soft and silky
- It smells nice
What We Don't Like
- It is pricey for a 4oz bottle
We all know that natural hair needs a little more TLC. While there are numerous hair products on the market, not all of them can create the best results when your hair is all natural.
This HSI PROFESSIONAL Thermal Protector 450, works great on natural hair thanks to the enrichment with Argan oil and infusion with vitamins A, B, C, and D.
Argan oil used in this heat protectant penetrates deep into the hair shaft for deep nourishing moisture leaving the hair hydrated. Argan oil doesn’t stop there; it provides you with non-greasy and light hair that is silky smooth. It also helps in repairing split ends and prevents the damage that comes from frequent styling, therefore, this oil protects your tresses and leaves them glowing daily.
What else does this protectant do? Well, it protects and smoothens frizzy, coarse and color treated hair, it protects extensions, and it speeds up the time spent styling hair by half without compromising your hair’s health.
Just make sure you spritz your hair from roots to the tips before using a curling iron, flat iron or hair dryer. With the 8oz. of protectant, your hair will be safer and protected from intense styling heat.
What We Like
- It leaves the hair soft and bouncy
- It doesn’t make the hair greasy
- It smells nice
- You need to use a few drops only
- It effectively protects the hair during every use
What We Don't Like
- The smell is too strong, and it isn’t ideal for use by persons allergic/sensitive to strong fragrances.
This is the kind of treatment you use if you blow dry your hair often and if you always spend a lot of time straightening your hair. Not only does it protect your hair from heat damage but it also shortens blow-dry time by up to 50 percent.
Blow dryers can be brutal to your natural or chemical treated hair. This protectant has effective ingredients which protect your hair from intense heat, resultant damage, and breakage.
Besides heat protection, the Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray is a lightweight formulation which detangles hair preventing breakage and hair loss. As the best heat protectant spray, it also moisturizes, softens and smoothens the hair.
You don’t have to worry about your hair looking like it wasn’t styled because this spray will eliminate frizz and also resist the effects of humidity. Therefore, it offers healthy looking results for a long time.
What We Like
- It works for natural African-American hair
- It cuts blow drying time by half even when you have thick curly hair
- It eliminates frizz regardless of the humidity
- It smells great
What We Don't Like
- The bottle’s spray mechanism doesn’t work
As the name suggests, the TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray tames the hair in such a way that even in the extremely high heat, your hair doesn’t get damaged. If you flat iron your hair regularly, then this is your best protector because when you misuse the flat iron, you expose your hair to extreme damage.
This hair heat protectant spray is a formulation with moisture-locking vitamin complexes. The main vitamins in the formulation are vitamin B5 and C which helps restore the vibrancy and the shine of dried out hair and highly damaged hair.
This is because hair styling appliances that use heat can reach a high of 450 degrees Fahrenheit and your hair won’t handle the heat without a little help. This spray guards against friction and heat leaving your hair healthier, shinier and softer.
It comes in an 8oz bottle, and because of its effectiveness, you can use it at home – it is used by most professionals as well. Wondering if it will work for your hair texture? Well, you shouldn’t – this spray works on all hair textures, enhances the flexibility of strands letting them reform and hold shape longer.
To use the spray, spray it liberally to hair 6-8 inches from mid-shafts to the ends. You can use it on damp or dry hair.
What We Like
- It works for all hair textures
- It is non-greasy, and it leaves hair soft and shiny
- It offers advanced heat protection
- Styles hold for long
What We Don't Like
- The packaging is poor and the spray leaks during shipping
- The cap doesn’t close snug
The best hair protectant for fine hair should be gentle on the hair while enhancing the hair’s ability to hold well under high heat. If you use heat on your hair, then you know that the most important styling procedure is protecting the hair from heat.
This CHI Silk Infusion offers a high level of protection for all types of hair. It has the CHI Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex, a rich leave-in treatment enriched with silk.
The silk in the formulation reconstructs damaged hair by infusing the hair with natural proteins. The proteins strengthen the hair, and at the same time, the silk protects your tresses from heat when styling and also from the sun’s damage.
Therefore, if you are looking for a heat protectant that also strengthens, softens and keeps your hair shiny without any build-up, you may want to get this formulation.
Apart from pure silk, it also has wheat and soy proteins and uses with ceramic heat ensures deep penetration of the silk proteins. It is alcohol-free, and it comes in a six fl. oz.
What We Like
- It makes hair soft, lustrous and silky
- It works on all types of hair
- It has a sweet, gentle and a gender-neutral fragrance
- It is alcohol-free, and it is rich with pure silk, wheat and soy proteins for healthy hair
- Doesn’t make hair greasy
What We Don't Like
- It is expensive
Best Heat Protectant Buying Guide
If your hair looks unruly and almost unrecognizable, then, it only means one thing, your hair is damaged and needs saving. After listening to friends and researching online, you will realize that there are countless products which could be the best for your hair. Confusing, isn’t it? Fret not because we’ve got you covered.
How to Choose the Best Heat Protectant
Look at the level of heat temperature protection
When looking for the best heat protection spray, you should look at the level of protection offered by the hair spray. The best protectant will safeguard your hair at temperatures of about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and others offer a higher level of protection.
However, just because the protectant protects your hair at such high temperatures doesn’t mean that you should use such harsh products. Always choose gentle blow dryers and flat irons.
Type of heat protectant
Two ingredients make up heat protectants – Cyclomethicone and Dimethicone. The combination of these two compounds in treatment sprays, leave-in conditioners, setting lotion and straightening serums makes such products heat protectants.
Heat protectants reduce the molecular breakdown of hair and prevent hair from drying out retaining the water in every strand of hair. With hair holding enough moisture, it prevents the cuticles from cracking, and this allows your hair to keep its strength and bounce.
What are these compounds and why use them in heat protectants?
Cyclomethicone
This is clear silicone which boasts a sleek and smooth feel on the hair. Cyclomethicone evaporates easily from the hair, and this helps in transferring nutrients and oils into your hair shaft making the shafts more resistant to damage.
Dimethicone
This is a form of silicone used in detanglers and conditioners to help in smoothening your hair making it easy to comb through hair. Since dimethicone covers hair strands, hair looks sleek after styling.
Both these silicone compounds are FDA-approved, and they are safe on your hair and the skin.
Benefits of Heat Protectors
- Here is something we often forget about our hair – hair is delicate and dead fiber. Once it emerges on the scalp, it doesn’t have any active cells remaining meaning that it is prone to damage. The absence of live cells means that hair cannot repair itself in case of damage.
Heat destroys hair at the molecular level by damaging the structure of keratin. Eventually, you will have frizzy hair with brittle split ends so; you need to protect your hair. - They lower the rate of moisture loss from hair making your hair stronger and healthier. Your hair may have lost moisture because of over processing or over-exposure to dangerous chemicals.
- They decrease your hair’s porosity making your hair less prone to dampness after heat treatment or styling.
- The protectors lubricate the surface of the hair making detangling easy and your hair smoother.
Factors to consider when looking for a heat protectant
Ingredients
The best heat protectors have safe ingredients that encourage the growth of healthy hair. The two important protectant ingredients are dimethicone and Cyclomethicone as they protect the hair. These two are FDA-approved, and they are safe for use by humans.
The other ingredients include vitamins and natural oils or natural proteins that encourage healthy growth of hair. You should avoid products with sulfates, parabens, and cheap or carcinogenic fillers.
Your hair type
A heat protectant protects your hair strands from direct exposure to heat but, you can’t expect any protectant to work on your hair. Because of differences in the types of hair, there are different types of heat protectants for hair.
Black hair
Natural Hair
Fine hair
Colored hair
Frizzy hair
Fine and greasy hair
Frequency of heat styling
If you use heat styling tools regularly, then you have to find a heat protectant able to withstand high temperatures. You want to use a gentle styling product because your hair can only take too much heat before you get split ends and hair breakage.
Effects on your hair’s weight
How will the protectant feel on your hair? Will it increase or retain the body and bounce of your hair? You will also want to know if the protectant improves the texture of your hair and if makes your hair softer, shinier and healthier-looking.
Tips for using hair protectors
- Don’t skip the heat protector before blow drying your hair
- Multi-heat protectors add shine, reduce frizz, and smooth strands
- Apply a heat protector to damp hair after washing but before styling
- If you are going to straighten your hair, use a tool with ceramic coating on the barrel and the plates.
- For silk oils, use little amounts
- Drink a lot of water to cool your glands and your follicles
Conclusion
A heat protectant helps in protecting your hair if and when you use heat styling tools. Noting that your hair is made of dead cells which cannot protect themselves in case of damage, you have to protect your hair.
If you are using heat treatments without any form of heat protection, then you are sentencing your hair to irreparable damage.
This review gives you insights into the best protectors for specific needs. Our best overall heat protectant is the HSI PROFESSIONAL Thermal Protector 450 by HSI Professional. It is rich in Argan Oil, a natural moisturizer and a conditioner as well as vitamins A, B, C, and D. It is Sulfate free, and with everyone going natural, this is the best protectant you should have close by.
The other hair heat protectant that works for all hair types is CHI’s CHI Silk Infusion. It nourishes hair and strengthens damaged hair thanks to its enrichment with pure silk protein as well as soy and wheat proteins. Just makes sure you use a ceramic heat for protein penetration and superior heat protection.
