Experts promote that your hair is like a plant, which needs proper care and maintenance. So along with hair growth care, you need to take care when using styling products. When you use styling products or hot tools on your hair, you strip your hair of moisture and nutrients. This is especially true for curly hair, which is harder to handle.
Heat protectant sprays are designed to add more moisture to your hair and protect it from damage by heat-styling tools. Heat protectants create a protective layer between your hair and the heat, preventing damage and breakage.
They also provide extra protection against damage caused by the sun, wind, and other elements that can damage your locks.
This type of product is especially important if you use hot tools regularly (blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons). Even if you don't use them frequently, they're still a good idea because they help prevent breakage and split ends in general.
You need a heat protectant if you have curly hair and have decided to use heat styling tools. A heat protectant spray before using styling tools will create a protective layer on your curly hair and protect it from intense heat.
Our experienced team has researched hundreds of products with curly hair concerns in mind and evaluated customer reviews. Also, they have consulted directly and live chatted with curly hair experts to list their recommended best heat protectant spray for curly hair.
Read reviews to discover our best heat-protectant picks for curly hair.
Curly girls, this is one pre-treatment you don't want to miss! Cantu Thermal Shield Heat Protectant with Shea Butter is great for avoiding damage from hot styling products like flat irons and curling irons.
Each hair strand is cared for by its shea butter, which keeps the hair safe from temperatures up to 425 degrees. So, keep your curls looking their best using Cantu Thermal Shield Heat Protectant with Shea Butter.
Protect your natural curls from the heat of blow-dryers and irons with this thermal protectant blend. This amazing spray will protect your hair from the heat of a blow-dryer or styling iron up to 450°F.
If you're looking for a heat protectant spray free of harsh chemicals and sulfates, look no further than this Coconut & Argan Oil Heat Protectant Spray Blend. With its all-natural ingredients, this product will keep your hair looking healthy and shiny. Suitable for all hair types, this product is a must-have for anyone with curly hair.
Curly girls, this one is for you! Protecting your hair from the damage of heated styling tools is essential, and this heat protector does just that. The weightless mist protects against heat up to 450° F. It's also a leave-in conditioner serum, so you get smooth, hydrated, frizz-free hair that's healthier than ever.
A high-grade hair oil infused with antioxidant-rich argan oil and vitamins increases shine. It contains no parabens, sulfates, or phosphates, so it is light and color-safe. Keep your curls looking fabulous with this heat protector!
Looking for the best heat protectant spray for curly hair that does it all? Arvazalia's heat protectant spray can be your solution for thick curly frizzy hair. This two-layer protection system penetrates your hair follicles to repair damaged hair and protect it from future damage. The rich argan oil in this formulation will moisturize, condition, and revitalize your hair.
In addition, detangling agents and anti-frizz ingredients help eliminate frizz and make hair manageable. You'll feel fresh and smell amazing after using this Arvazalia signature scent.
Get the perfect finish every time with Paul Mitchell's Hot Off The Press Thermal Protection Hairspray. The best heat protectant spray is made with unique ingredients that help to keep your hair healthy and prevent it from being damaged by high temperatures. So whether you're using a curling iron, straightener, or hot rollers, your hair will thank you.
The extract of rice hulls creates a protective barrier within your hair that protects it from high temperatures. The wheat protein embeds more proteins into thin hair strands, repairing damaged hair follicles. Hair gains volume and fullness from wheat protein because it provides moisture. This hairspray offers frizzy hold and increased strength, and it's also paraben-free and vegan-friendly safe on colored hair.
This Heat Protectant Spray is designed to help you achieve healthy, bouncy, and defined curls. The jojoba oil formula helps to nourish your hair with vitamins C, B, E, copper, and zinc to strengthen it against heat damage.
The product is free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, dyes, and mineral oils that rob curly hair of life. The color-safe formula is also gentle on chemically treated hair. The heat protection can help your hair survive up to 450°F. Spritz on this spray before heat styling to help keep your curls looking their best.
Curly girls, this one is for you. OUAI Hair Oil is a multitasking protector that protects against UV rays and heat damage up to 450°F. This oil adds shine and smoothness to your locks while protecting against split ends and frizz. It is a unique combination of African Galanga and Asian Borage oils.
Using African Galanga improves blood circulation in your scalp. And borage oil is known to restore strength and shine to dry, brittle, dull hair. With this affordable luxury heat protectant spray, you can keep your hair looking its best all day long.
Create your look without sweat with Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray. This lightweight heat protectant spray leaves hair feeling soft and manageable. Your hair will feel touchably smooth for up to 48 hours after you apply it. Plus, it helps keep hair cleaner—so you can heat style less often and go longer between washes.
This versatile formula can be used on damp or dry hair for all your voluminous curls and sleek straight styles—prepping it for blow-drying, flat-ironing, or curling. Now that's styling made easy!
How does heat styling damage hair?
Keratin is a natural protein that helps keep your hair healthy and strong. However, when your hair comes into contact with a hot styling tool, the keratin protein breaks down and loses its protective properties.
This causes the outer surface of your hair to crack, damage the inner part, and frizz. In addition, during the drying process, moisture evaporates from the inner layers of the hair shaft, which causes breakage and split ends.
How do heat protectant ingredients work?
PVP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer, quaternium-70, and hydrolyzed wheat protein act directly as heat-protectants. They create a light layer on the hair surface that distributes the heat slowly and evenly. As a result, your hair won't heat up suddenly, which will reduce the likelihood of damage. In addition, thermal protectants will work against shock on your hair's behalf.
Do You Put Heat Protectant on Wet or Dry Hair?
You can use a heat protectant spray on both dry and damp hair. Use it before using curling irons, straightening irons, and blow dryers to style your hair. You should distribute it evenly from root to tip of your hair, being careful not to touch your scalp while doing this.
To ensure even distribution, use a comb or your fingers. It is best to use oil or serum heat protectors on wet hair and spray heat protectors on dry hair. If you use a blow dryer to dry your hair and plan to flat iron your hair afterward, you should apply a heat protectant before both.
How Long Does Heat Protectant Last?
Heat protectors are applied before hair styling to avoid damage from hot tools. In most cases, styling tools are used almost immediately after spraying the heat protectant on the hair. However, according to experts, heat protectants lose their effectiveness after 4-5 hours on the hair. To get heat protectants' full effect, experts recommend using styling tools immediately after spraying your hair.
Should You Wait for Heat Protectant to Dry?
Short answer: Yes
You can't use styling tools immediately after heat protectant sprays in your strands. Using styling tools too soon can burn your hair. Before using heat-styling tools, you should wait at least 10 to 15 minutes. When lightly dried after the spray, it will create a thin film on your hair that will protect it from any damage from heat styling tools.
Conclusion
We hope that our reviews have been helpful to you. While pinpointing the best heat protectant spray for curly hair is difficult, the options above should be more than enough to allow you to purchase confidently. These heat protection sprays can help you achieve the look you want without compromising the damage of heat-styling tools.
Likewise, heat styling can help you achieve the look you want without compromising on the damage of tools. Just be sure to always use them with a heat-styling product such as curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers. Whether it be a serum, cream, or spray, these are all key for minimizing damage and maximizing results!