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Has your hair seen better days, and you’re looking for ways to restore your luscious locks to their former glory? The dullness and dehydration caused by heat damage are the worst. 

What if I told you there was a way to prevent the damage without having to give up your beloved hair dryer or flat iron. 

Whether you color your hair, frequently style it, or sit out in the sun for long periods, it takes a toll on our hair strands without protection, causing them to become dry and even split, but with the right thermal protection, you can prevent this! 

Think of it like this; you wouldn’t put a 200-degree flat iron directly on your skin; it would burn and most definitely damage your skin; the same concept goes for using it on your hair without any form of heat protection– it’s like sunscreen for your hair. 

But don’t worry, I’m here to help. 

To make things easier for you, I have spent hours hunting down the very best thermal protectant sprays and heat protectants to refresh your hair and keep it looking shiny, soft, strong, and healthy even after styling it every day. 

Here’s a pro tip– while getting a heat protection spray won’t magically fix your split ends, you’ll need the chop for that, but it will protect it for years to come; once you’ve done the chopped, your hair will look like new– prevention is better than a cure after all.

You won’t want to miss my top picks! 

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The best heat protection spray for luscious locks

1.

Moroccanoil Perfect Defense heat protectant

best heat protectants for natural hair

Sealing number one is a worthy award-winning heat protectant by Moroccanoil; it may be higher than your average haircare brand. The cost is worth the benefits you get; with proper use, you’ll notice the difference in the look and feel of your hair.

Moroccanoil Perfect Defense is a weightless, dry aerosol heat-protective spray that protects against the damaging effect of styling your hair from heat up to 450°F/230°C. It was the winner of Glamour Beauty Awards 2018, pretty cool, right?

With nourishing argan oil and vitamin fueled formula, which re-hydrates your dry ends while protecting against the damaging effects of styling your hair with heat. The fatty acid-rich natural deeply nourishes your hair strands for healthy, effortless shine. 

Sounds pretty good so far? But wait, get this:

This weightless heat protectant is strong enough to protect all your hair types, curly and straight, without weighing your style down. It blends seamlessly into any existing styling regimen and is loved by professionals. 

It can also be used on damp or dry hair without looking greasy, which is a nice touch; it leaves your strands feeling soft and smooth, and don’t get me started on the addictive scent it leaves on your hair– it’s dreamy. 

It will transform your hair and protect your pretty ends from becoming brittle and dry. Some customers claimed that it made their hair dry, but this may not result from the product, but rather excessive heat damage– prevention is better than a cure. 

All in all, this is definitely an award-winning product in my eyes.

Pros
  • Infused with argan oil and panthenol 
  • Lightweight and nongreasy
  • Protects up to 450⁰F/230⁰C
  • Ideal for all hair types 
Cons
  • May not recover extremley damaged hair 

Latest deal: Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant

2.

Amika The Shield Style Anti-Humidity Spray

best anti humidity spray

Looking for protection from humidity as well as heat? Muggy weather Amika is ready for you. This spray shields hair from frizz, humidity, and 450° F heat– never let the muggy weather ruin your hair look ever again.

Say goodbye to frizz with the smoothing spray that keeps your hair in place for a full day of your busy schedule; no more worrying about frizz no matter what the weather app says.

Just like Moroccanoil Perfect Defence, Amika The Sheild is also a lightweight, invisible heat protecting spray and style extending spray that has been clinically proven to protect your hair against frizz for 24 hours and more.

Want to know the best bit?

It is suitable for all hair types, especially those who want to protect their luscious locks against heat, frizz, and humidity. I know the struggle of spending hours styling your hair and walking outside, and boom, it’s a frizzy mess again.

You may be thinking does it get any better than this? Well, say goodbye to sun exposure damage, too; this spray contains UV filters and famous for protecting your hair against damage caused by sun exposure.

If you live in a humid climate with naturally curly hair or frizzy hair, this product is such a breath of fresh air; it’s finally a product designed to control frizz while also protecting your hair in the process.

It can even be used on wet or dry hair, so if you need a bit of frizz control and you’re in a rush, you can just spray and go– it doesn’t leave a greasy finish either, which you sometimes find with heat protectants. 

Don’t let muggy weather get you down anymore. 

Pros
  • Clinically proven to protect hair against frizz, humidity, and heat
  • Protects hair up to 450° f/ 230°c
  • Lightweight and non-greasy
  • Ideal for all hair types
Cons
  • Issues buying from Amazon

Latest deal: Amika The Shield Style Spray

3.

Briogeo Farewell Frizz blow dry perfection Heat Protector

best heat protectant cream

Yet another heat protectant product that also helps tackle fizz? Yes, please! Farewell Frizz by Briogeo is another frizz taming heat protectant that will protect your locks up to 450°F; it is designed for dry, frizzy hair but can be used on all hair types.

The first thing that caught my eye about this product is the 6-free methodology used when creating this product; there are no harsh sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, DEA, artificial dyes, or any of the nasty stuff used in this product. 

This heat protectant cream is designed to calm frizz, smooth hair, and enhance shine. It is made with their NOVA Complex, designed to lock in moisture and protect the strands against humidity.

But wait, I’m not finished yet. 

Briogeo was haircare designed for every hair type, texture, and need. It will leave your hair feeling nourished, refreshed, and hydrated– plus, it will look silky soft, and the shine is like no other. 

We all love our furry friends, and I take every opportunity to switch my products to vegan and luckily, Briogeo is both vegan, cruelty, and even gluten-free. With excellent products like this, there’s no reason to go for products tested on animals. 

It works really well to tame frizzy, unruly, wavy hair and perfect your look every time you use it. All you need to do is use damp hair, blow-dry, then go wild with your curling iron or straightener. 

It will transform your hair and keep your frizz at bay for sure. 

Pros
  • Calms frizz and protects up to 450°F.
  • Locks moisture and protects strands against humidity
  • Ideal for all hair types
  • Vegan, cruelty, and gluten-free 
Cons
  • None so far

Latest deal: Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant

4.

Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil

best heat protectant oil for hair

If you’ve ever had your hair bleached, you would’ve most likely heard of Olaplex, whether they add it in your treatment or just seen endless hairdressers reccomend it on social media, but is it worth all the hype?

Definitely! Olaplex is the God of hair products and hair care.

This highly concentrated, weightless reparative styling oil dramatically increases shine, softness, and color vibrancy. You’ll never see shine line it; it protects hair up to a whopping 450⁰F/230⁰C. 

You’ll notice the difference after a few uses, it repairs damaged and compromised hair, strengthens and protects the hair structure, and restores a healthy look and feel– your hair will be shinier, healthier, and more manageable.

As if that was enough.

Olaplex works on a molecular level to repair damaged and broken bonds in the hair caused by chemical, thermal, mechanical, and UV damage. It is suitable for all hair types and free of all the nasty ingredients that damage hair. 

Want to get rid of frizz? Olaplex also massively helps those who suffer from frizz too. 

It is not only sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalate, and phosphate-free, but it is also nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. The benefits and the excellent formula not being tested on our furry friends just keep ticking boxes for me. 

Olaplex is life-changing; your hair will be in prime time once again.

Pros
  • Repairs hair molecules from chemical, thermal and mechanical damage
  • Weightless formula
  • Protects hair up to 450⁰F/230⁰C
  • Increases shine, softness, manageability and color vibrancy
Cons
  • Pricey

Latest deal: Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil

5.

Living Proof Restore Perfecting Heat Protectant Spray

Looking for a hair protective spray that offers featherweight conditioning and delivers all the benefits that your dry and damaged hair needs to feel refreshed and healthier. It is like a health shot for your hair.

The Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray delivers an instant boost of hydration while minimizing breakage from wet detangling as well as providing ever-lasting smoothness and natural shine.

It comes in two sizes, travel size 1.7oz and full size 8oz. So wherever the world takes you, you’ll always have a heat protectant you can rely on. Whether you’re shopping in NYC or cruising around in Paris, you shouldn’t ever have to suffer from heat damage.

But wait let me tell you something.

This heat protectant offers protection up to 400°F/200°C, while this may not be as high as other thermal protectants I have reviewed for you today it is still petty impressive.

It is powered by their Healthy Hair Molecule along with their time-released conditioners which are designed to smooth and soften hair while minimizing breakage caused by brushing out knots and tangles.

Is it ideal for everyone though? Well yes, it works all hair types but works best for those with dry, processed, or tangled prone hair. It is also sulfate-free, silicone-free, and oil-free making it safe for color and chemically treated hair.

To top it all off it is even PETA certified cruelty free, vegan as well as gluten free. It’s ready to tame your hair for the better.

Pros
  • Protects up to 400°F/200°C
  • PETA certified cruelty free and vegan
  • Free of harsh chemiclas
  • Boosts hydration and minimises breakage
Cons
  • Heat protection not as high as others

Latest deal: Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray

Best Heat Protectant For Hair- A Buyer's Guide:

We all want to say goodbye to frizzy, dry ends and dull hair, and we can finally do that with heat protection. Looking after our hair is just as important as looking after our skin and health; it deserves some TLC. 

Whether you’ve color-treated your hair, used excessive heat over the years, or just looking for ways to look after your luscious locks choosing the right treatment and protection is a good start. 

But using heat protection spray after years of abuse and excessive exposure to heat won’t just magically fix your hair; after all, it isn’t a miracle worker, sorry to say it, but no conditioner, treatment, or heat protection will fix damaged, broken hair.

That’s when it’s time to do the chop; your hair will thank you for it.  Prevention is always better than a cure; keeping your hair protected before you apply the heat is much better than trying to save it after all the damage is done– it’s not going to work. 

So you have slightly dry hair but not damaged beyond repair, and you’re looking to nourish the ends with a well-deserved heat protectant; what should you look for? I’m here to break down everything you need to know to make the most out of your product.

Let’s get down to business, ladies! 

Things To Consider When Buying A Heat Protectant

Right, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty details of everything you should be looking for when on the hunt for the right thermal protectant for you. 

Humectants

You may have heard of this in your skincare products, but humectants are used in haircare, too; they are the hydrating ingredient that attracts moisture, and they’re super beneficial for hydrating your hair. 

They’re extremely beneficial in heat protectants as it draws in and locks in moisture leaving the hair feeling hydrated rather than dry and brittle, caused by excessive heat. Moisturized hair is healthy hair. 

You’ll notice in hair care products that the main ingredients are glycol, panthenol, and keratin. These works to strengthen the bonds up the hair shaft and preserve moisture and prevent frizz. Ingredients like aloe vera are also brilliant in protecting hair from heat. 

Strengthening Ingredients

Along with humectants to retain moisture in your hair, many heat protectants use strengthening ingredients to add an extra layer of defense against heat damage caused by styling your hair. 

You’ll notice ingredients like keratin other amino acids such as wheat protein when you see strengthening formulas. 

UV protection: 

Styling your hair isn’t the only thing that causes heat damage and drys out your hair. Excessive sun exposure without any protection on your hair is another culprit to hair damage; it is a similar concept to going outside all day on a scorching summer’s day without any sunscreen. 

Your hair gets damaged in a similar way to how your skin gets sunburnt; now, while you may not feel it like you would a sunburn, it causes more damage than you may think. If you’re outside a lot, I would recommend going for a heat protectant with UV protection.

Frizz and humidity protection:

Do you live in a humid climate like Florida and suffer from frizz whenever you go out, even when you style your hair? Well, some heat protectants are clinically proven to tame frizz; they protect your hair from heat and humidity. 

There’s nothing worse than spending 2 hours styling your hair for you to go outside, and it turns into frizz within a matter of minutes; not only have you damaged your hair for nothing, but it ruins your whole mood. 

I have selected some excellent options for maintaining frizz as well as offering insane levels of heat protection in my list above– you can finally enjoy your hair, no matter the weather. 

Frequently asked Questions

How do heat protectants work?

Heat protectants act as a barrier between your styling tool and your hair; they work by sealing in moisture and fending off frizz. They smooth the cuticle and provide a coat to protect from heat and leave it feeling soft.

They’re like the sunscreen for your hair; you wouldn’t sit outside all day in the scorching summer sun with no sunscreen on, you’d come home a crisp by the end of it, and the same goes for your hair, heat strips the shine, moisture and causes breakage.

Check out how heat protectants work and whether you really need them here. 

Do you really need heat protectant spray?

Yes absolutely, whether you’re exposing your locks to high or low heat, having the right heat protection is super important as it not only protects your hair from the heat but also prevents breakage, dryness, dullness, and brittleness caused by styling your hair.

You may have gone years of exposing your hair to heat, whether that’s blow-drying your hair every day or using the flat iron or curling wand, and may finally decide to use a heat protectant, but after prolonged heat exposure, your hair is beyond repair. 

Heat protection is the best way to prevent heat damage, but it will never be the cure; it will never magically seal your split ends. The best way to cure split ends is to brave the chop; without using it, you’re exposing your hair to unnecessary damage. 

How long does heat protectant last when applied?

While you should style your hair soon after applying heat protectant, your heat protectant will benefit and protect your hair for 4 hours, so don’t worry too much if something comes up after applying. 

Some UV protectant sprays will last you a full day of protection when out in the sun. Still, for thermal protection against styling, I would reccomend styling your hair shortly after applying heat protection to get the most benefit from it. 

How do you use heat protectant spray?

The best way to use heat protectant spray is to apply the spray on dry or damp hair before styling your hair. You should apply on the mid-lengths and ends but try to avoid the scalp the best you can.

Once you’ve sprayed the heat protectant spray, then you should comb it through your hair to make sure the product is spread evenly, and you don’t miss any patches. 

Check out my guide of how to use heat protection spray here– it even includes everything you need to know about heat protection spray too!

Can you make your own heat protectant sprays?

There are some brilliant DIY heat protectant recipes for you to try, there are many natural ingredients you can use to protect your hair from heat damage. Coconut oil is one of them (ahh I just love coconut oil don’t you?) it can protect hair  up to 320 F while also being extremely hydrating, help with moisture retention and even help promote the natural curl if you have curly hair. 

Want to know my top DIY heat protectant recipes? Check out my full guide for more info!!

Summary

So there you have it, my friends, my top picks of the best heat protectants to keep your hair feeling refreshed, hydrated, and silky soft without having to give up your styling wand or flat iron. 

Adding something as simple as a heat protectant to your hair care routine will transform your luscious locks; you’ll notice that your needs will feel less dry and brittle, and your hair will brighten. 

The best way to make your heat protection spray or cream most effective is to chop off all the split ends and damaged parts of your hair and start with fresh hair; preventing heat damage is better than trying to resolve it. 

You’ll notice a massive difference even after a few uses!

jess rowley

Jess Rowley

Cheif Editor & Nail Technician Expert

ABOUT

Jess Rowley, a veteran nail tech, has been studying beauty over the last 11 years and has completed the nail technology program in California. Watching the latest trends in beauty, Jess searches for the highest quality products that make your nails feel loved.