We independently evaluate all recommendations. We may receive compensation if you click on links we provide.
Heat protectants are essentially the sunscreen of the hair-care world: The pros tell us to layer on every time you use hot tools to avoid permanent damage. As celebrity stylist and curl-lover Naivasha Johnson says, “Heat protectants are like medical insurance for our hair.” The idea of ​​wrapping your hair in a protective blanket may seem a little tedious, but these multi-functional formulas do more than just create a protective layer between your hair and your favorite straightener and curling iron. These lightweight barriers seal the cuticle to protect your hair, prevent frizz, and enhance shine, leaving your locks silky, smooth, and touchable.
Sound crazy? We thought so, too, so we recruited a group of InStyle editors with different hair types and textures to test the hottest, most popular heat protectants on the market. Over the course of five weeks, we scrutinized every aspect of these heat protectants, from how they looked and felt on our hair to how they smelled and how long we had to wait for them to soak in. Then, we blasted our hair with hot tools at 450 degrees Fahrenheit to test how well they protected. We give extra points to products that also deliver other benefits we want, like enhanced hydration and radiant shine without the frizz. Then, we compared, rated, and ranked each product to create this truly comprehensive list.
Blink and you might not notice it—if it weren’t for your new, eye-catching shine and pillow-soft locks, you’d think you’d forgotten to use this lightweight spray. In addition to protecting against heat up to 450 degrees, it nourishes frizzy, damaged hair with coconut and macadamia oils, while collagen, niacinamide, and caffeine strengthen strands from the inside out. I usually only use cream-based heat protectants because I find sprays don’t provide enough moisture and leave my hair sticky, but this one has me hooked. I touch up my curls two to three times a day, and this keeps my hair from turning into a dry, brittle mess—it even helps add a little volume to my unwashed locks. It’s a great product for those who don’t blow-dry their hair often and prefer to use heat tools to create texture in air-dried hair.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Collagen, Coconut Oil, Seaweed Extract | Heat Resistance: Up to 450 Degrees | Size: 5.2 Ounces
This precious hair cream will give our head a radiant halo. Its formula contains the conditioning properties of hydrolyzed silk, which gives us an angelic shine, making the creamy texture silky and nourishing, and helping to restore the proteins lost in our hair after prolonged use of foils.
In addition, the equally effective UV absorbers work synergistically with vitamin E, acting as an iron curtain against heat damage caused by both artificial heating devices and natural UV rays. With continued use, we can enjoy its natural hair care fragrance: a soothing herbal scent, like in a luxurious spa.
The only thing that bothered us was that our hair felt a little sticky when we applied the product to dry hair, but this feeling went away once we dried our hair with a hair dryer.
Type: Cream | Key Ingredients: Silk, Vitamin E, and UV Absorbers | Heat Protection: Not Specified | Size: 6 oz.
This multi-tasking, creamy blow-dry cream from Shu Uemura seems to be both a heat protectant and a luxurious salon treatment. Not only did this cream effectively protect our hair from heat damage, but it also tackled the frizz that left our hair looking lifeless and flat, so well that we considered ditching all other styling products in favor of this one.
The reason this cream works triple time is because its formula includes a generous dose of beeswax, which releases a wealth of moisturizing fatty acids and hair-strengthening antioxidants, leaving our hair incredibly soft and shiny, and we even felt like our regrowth had new life and shine.
This slow-release spray’s proprietary formula contains lightweight botanicals and oils to instantly smooth and keep your hair looking smooth all day long, without having to saturate it like a fire hydrant with heavy ingredients. Plus, vitamin E gently detangles frizz and reduces hair loss due to breakage. We also love that it’s suitable for both wet and dry hair, allowing you to experiment with the formula that works best for fine hair.
The biggest difference between us is the scent. While we think this rich, woody scent is similar to a luxury perfume, its bold scent is certainly not to everyone’s taste.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Artichoke Leaf Extract, Mango Butter, Vitamin E | Heat Protection: Not Specified | Size: 4.23 oz
Split ends are a common occurrence, but one look at our brittle hair and burnt ends is enough to tell you that we don’t always pay enough attention to our hair’s moisture. But somehow, Olaplex has managed to restore and strengthen our hair. What makes Olaplex special is the dual-action nature of its formula, starting with the brand’s proprietary bonding system, which is based on antioxidants, proteins, and amino acids found in red algae to protect hair from potential threats like pollution and UV rays. With nourishing and softening panthenol and shine-enhancing citric acid, this serum coats hair in a layer of radiant vitality. Even though it uses a ton of rich oils to achieve this gorgeous effect, what was even more amazing was how lightweight this serum felt on our hair, absorbing in 20 seconds.
Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate and red algae extract | Heat Protection: Up to 450 degrees | Size: 3 oz
While many products and brands use the ultra-hydrating and healing properties of argan oil in their products, Moroccanoil—the brand behind some of our favorite dry shampoos and hair products—has developed a formula that puts it head and shoulders above the competition. Along with hydrating panthenol and glycerin, this primer contains argan oil, which seals the cuticle to lock in moisture and give hair a silky, shiny texture. In addition to shine, this thick pomade does double duty by creating a “force field” for your hair when it comes into contact with the sun.
People with dry hair are no strangers to styling products that moisturize the hair but weigh down the entire head. However, this spray distributes well and evenly, covering the hair from root to tip, eliminating the awkward situation of combing heavy hair into a messy bun.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, Panthenol, Octylacrylamide | Heat Protection: Up to 450 degrees | Size: 8.1 oz
We’ll admit, we were a little skeptical about applying thick serums to our hair (they’re a little sticky), especially since they can be used on damp or dry hair. But no matter how we sprayed this Amika conditioner—wet, dry, or somewhere in between—it didn’t leave any sticky residue. It’s hard to single out one ingredient as the king when they’re all important, but sea buckthorn oil, with its 18 different amino acids, vitamin C, and fatty acids, comes close. This versatile oil locks moisture into each strand, strengthening follicles and promoting new hair growth. 4 We think this conditioner would be a great addition to our summer hair routine, since our strands tend to require less moisture in the summer than they do during the dry winter months.
This isn’t the most hydrating serum we’ve used, so it may be better suited to oily hair or humid climates.
When it comes to frizz, the results of this serum are immediate and impressive. We noticed a reduction in static and overall dryness, as well as increased nourishment at the ends of our hair every time we styled it, and we couldn’t help but smile at ourselves in the mirror. Like the anti-frizz mask, this treatment is enriched with argan and rosehip oils, which are a little heavy on taming flyaways, but the real star is the coconut oil. Hair is left feeling hydrated and shiny. With so much added oil, we were worried that this creamy base would feel heavy or wet—or worse, make us look like a grease ball—but it turned out to have the opposite effect.
If you rub the gel with your hands before applying it, you can distribute it evenly throughout your hair. It takes longer to penetrate the hair than other products.
Type: Cream | Key Ingredients: Rosehip Oil, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil | Heat Resistance: Up to 450 Degrees | Size: 4 Ounces
For those of us with curly hair, it’s important to strike a balance: We want as much moisture as possible without making our curls feel heavy or weighed down. But Mizani’s Protective Mist proves that even a little bit of simple styling can make a big difference. Its blend of lightweight conditioning ingredients like tea tree oil, rose water, and propylene glycol helps give hair more volume, bounce, and curls, curls, and waves. With the addition of salicylic acid, a natural surfactant, this formula naturally reduces oil production. To further eliminate the crunchiness that some curling products can cause, the spray releases a wide, even stream of steam that never clogs or clogs.
The only downside is that the scent is too noticeable, so when using it, you have to choose an unscented body lotion.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Rose Water, Glycerin, Tea Tree Oil | Heat Resistance: Up to 450 Degrees | Size: 8.5 Ounces
With just one spray, your hair will be softer, thicker, and more bouncy, without leaving your ends dry and frizzy. But what makes it special is its ability to transform dull, lifeless hair into something so radiant it practically reflects light, thanks to an impressive array of hydrating vegan ingredients including shea butter, citric acid, peach oil, and rosehip oil. Squalane, a lipid naturally found in the skin, is another key ingredient in this product, as it acts as an emollient and antioxidant to strengthen and nourish your hair and scalp.
While it only provides protection up to 425 degrees (a relatively low threshold compared to other products on the market), it offers pretty good value for the money.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Peach Oil, Rosehip Oil, Squalane | Heat Protection: Up to 425 degrees | Size: 6.5 oz
Living Proof’s Perfecting Spray is formulated with soothing botanicals like beetroot and artichoke extracts, and emollients like glycerin to effectively smooth hair, soothe delicate, sensitive scalps, and ease the pain of detangling. While many conditioners can damage our fine hair or leave our locks looking like they’ve been drenched in a rainstorm, this gentle spray adds volume and helps us keep our styles in place all day long. It absorbs fairly quickly, taking about a minute on dry hair, but we had to comb through our hair thoroughly to ensure it was evenly distributed throughout.
After spraying, we had to comb our hair thoroughly to avoid it being sticky. But the good news is that its slightly sticky texture gives the spray the effect of a very light hairspray, giving it more volume and body, helping curls and waves hold their shape.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, Beet Root Extract, Artichoke Extract | Heat Protection: Up to 450 degrees | Size: 8 oz.
To achieve supermodel-straight hair, we’ve tried a ton of the best straighteners, but we’ve found that the first step is actually the right base. This silky oil penetrates hair like lightning. It was super fast, and we could use heat tools right after using it without having to worry about steam coming out of the straightener. More importantly, we no longer have to deal with the frizz of our straight hair as soon as we leave the house, and are pleased to find that our hair stays smooth and frizz-free even after a walk in the rain. This longevity is likely due to the fact that it’s formulated with some of our favorite hair softeners and smoothers, like coconut, argan, and almond oils, which are also great for protecting against heat damage caused by overexposure to UV rays.
We still occasionally had to apply extra pomade to the ends of our hair because they still looked a little dry after using the primer, but given how well it worked otherwise, we were more forgiving of this shortcoming.
Type: Oil | Key Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Macadamia Oil | Heat Resistance: Up to 450 Degrees | Size: 6.2 Ounces
We think of this primer as the one you apply before your makeup: it preps your hair before styling and helps it stay in place better, leaving your hair looking soft and bouncy even after a tough workout at the gym. To achieve long-lasting, radiant, spray-on shine, the brand took a deep dive into the hair structure when developing this primer. So, this primer acts like a muscle, helping your hair to plump up. For example, it contains ceramides, lipids that help hair retain moisture by acting as a laminator between your hair strands and anything that can make them brittle (like heat from hot tools). Split ends? That’ll all be a thing of the past, along with grout, static, and breakage.
Although this hair product is advertised as a cream, we found the texture to be more like a silky serum, as it instantly soaked into our fine hair like a dream. Note: Thick hair may require more than just a thick cream to provide even coverage and protection.
Type: Cream | Key Ingredients: Keratin Complex, Ceramides, Tamarind Extract, Plant Juice | Heat Protection: Up to 450 Degrees | Size: 5.1 Ounces
We’ve tried dpHue before because we wanted to maintain the shine and luster of our blonde hair between coloring sessions. Like those two color-focused formulas, this protective spray doesn’t contain color-damaging additives like sulfates. Instead, it’s formulated with tocopherol (also known as vitamin E), which gently moisturizes hair and provides it with the nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy. This means your color-treated hair will last longer and look thicker.
We also love how easily it absorbs into the hair, and while it does seem to leave a little bit of residue, the texture is more like a super lightweight, smooth hairspray than a sticky texture. It definitely didn’t stop us from running our fingers through it.
Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: UV Absorbers, Limonene, and Vitamin E | Heat Protection: Up to 450 degrees | Size: 5 oz.
Yep, just listen to the pros: “If your hair doesn’t have this barrier, it should never be exposed to heat,” says Johnson. She adds that heat protectants act as a barrier, insulating the hair from the heat of hot tools. To create this barrier, hair care products often contain ingredients like coconut oil, amino acids, and proteins that protect the hair cuticle from damage. Additionally, many hair care products contain humectants like squalane and glycerin, which help combat heat-induced dryness.
Additionally, you should think of heat protectants as a way to mitigate damage rather than prevent it entirely. There are other steps you can take to keep your hair healthy, such as avoiding heat tools that go over 300 degrees Fahrenheit whenever possible, wearing a hat if you spend a lot of time in the sun, and incorporating a conditioning mask into your weekly hair care routine.
The most important rule, of course, is to always use conditioner before any heat application, meaning blow dryers, hot rollers, straighteners, and curling irons. “If you’re constantly exposing unprotected hair to heat, it’s likely to become dehydrated, brittle, and damaged over time,” warns Cleveland.
The key to using any heat protectant, whether it’s a cream or a spray, is to distribute it evenly throughout your hair. Like sunscreen, if you miss a part of your body, it’s more likely to be damaged by the heat. If you’re using it on damp hair before blow-drying, Johnson recommends using it immediately after towel-drying. “If it’s a spray, spray it gently and thoroughly from root to tip, then comb through to distribute it evenly,” she says.
The same goes for conditioner – section your hair into equal sections and apply generously. Make sure to wait until the conditioner has fully soaked into your hair before reapplying it with a heat gun. You can usually tell by running your hand through your hair and seeing how much product is left.
In short, heat protectants “protect your hair from the damaging effects of heat, which can burn your hair, cause split ends, and leave it looking dry and lifeless,” says Iudina. Plus, she adds, it helps color-treated hair last longer. Without this protective layer, high-heat tools can strip your hair of its natural proteins, making it brittle over time, destroying its natural curl structure, and causing breakage.
Additionally, Cleveland explains that some heat protectants do more than just protect hair from damage from hot tools. For example, they may contain UV protection ingredients to combat the effects of overexposure to the sun. Some formulas also include hair-strengthening ingredients like vitamins E, C, and collagen. “These ingredients protect your hair from free radicals in the air, like chemicals, smoke, and haze,” she says.
Irene Richardson is a writer on the InStyle Evergreen team. For this article, she compiled information gleaned from InStyle’s editorial team testing each product. She also spoke to three hair experts about the key properties and ingredients of high-quality heat protectants, as well as tips and tricks for incorporating them into your routine. These experts include: