When it comes to achieving your healthiest hair ever, it’s not often that there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. Hair care is so incredibly personal and the products that experts recommend tend to vary based on hair texture, length, colour and lifestyle. However, there is one product that stylists are unanimous on the importance of and that’s using a heat protectant spray. Yes, if you blow-dry your hair at home or use hot tools for styling then using the best heat protectant spray that you can find will do wonders for preserving your hair health and preventing future damage.
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.
Why is it so important to use a heat protectant spray before heat styling?
Cobella equates not using heat protectant on your hair to skipping your daily application of SPF on your skin. “The best heat protectant sprays create a barrier on your hair shaft, reducing heat damage from styling tools by preventing excessive moisture loss and structural changes in the hair proteins,” Cobella explains. “Using one can drastically reduce the temperature and the damage that the surface of your hair is exposed to, hence increasing chances of healthier hair.”
How should you use a heat protectant spray?
Basically, whenever your hair is going to be exposed to heat, you should be using a heat protectant spray. “To apply heat protector, your hair can be towel-dried or damp, but not soaking wet as this will dilute the product too much,” explains Cobello. “Plus, water conducts heat so try to thoroughly towel dry your hair before applying any heat protectant products.” Be generous with the application too—if you have particularly thick hair then you might want to section it off and spray the heat protectant through in layers to ensure you’re coating all of your strands.
What should we look for when choosing the best heat protectant spray?
There are so many heat protectant products on the market, but Cobello personally recommends looking for formulas that are free from parabens, sulphates and alcohol which can be drying. Alongside heat protectant sprays, which “guard against damaged caused by styling tools like blow dryers and straighteners” there are also UV protection sprays which can shield hair from ultraviolet rays from the sun. “These can prevent colour fading, dryness and brittleness, and it’s possible to find some products that do both.” Cobello explains. “However, it is a different technology so you should specially look for UV protection on the label for this, not just heat protection.”
Shop the best heat protectant sprays:
1. Sebastian Professional Trilliant
Cobello swears by this heat protectant spray which offers way more than just temperature protection. Formulated with rock crystal extract, the ultra-lightweight spray not only protects hair from heat styling but it offers up next-level glistening shine—a particularly good option if your hair is naturally on the dry side and tends to look dull.
2. L'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Heat Protect Spray
If you tend to use your hair straighteners to create sleek, straight hairstyle then this heat protectant spray from L'Oréal Paris is a great option. It offers heat defence for up to 230 degrees, but also claims to lock straight styles in place for up to three days thanks to the addition of a humidity protector which keeps flyaways at bay.
3. Gisou Propolis Infused Heat Protecting Spray
If there was an award for the best-smelling heat protectant spray then Gisou would win it. Naturally rich in oils, vitamins and minerals, this product is all about maintaining healthy, shiny hair and it does so by creating a shield that protects hair from heat up to 230 degrees. Bonus points for the fact that it also contains a UV filter to prevent sun damage too. Oh, and if you have naturally fine or flat hair then this really helps to bolster volume.
4. Wella Professionals EIMI Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray
Give this heat protectant spray a good shake before you use it—it has a two-phase formula that works to guard from heat damage while also nourishing hair to leave you with shinier, healthier-looking stands than before. It’s lightweight and has a fresh, subtle scent.
5. Oribe Balm d’Or Heat Styling Shield
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.
6. Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray
One of the most hardworking heat protectant sprays on the shelves, Living Proof’s offering helps to gently detangle knotty hair, minimises breakage and protects hair from styling up to 200 degrees. It also has time-released conditioning benefits so your hair remains silky-soft over time, and there’s added marine-derived UV protection to guard your hair from the sun’s rays.
7. Hair by Sam McKnight Save the Do Heat Protection Spray
Created by hair stylist Sam McKnight, this is salon-standard answer to creating the perfect at-home blow-dry. Alongside the essential protective shield for your hair—powered by a thermal barrier of flexan and crodasone— this spray is infused with provitamin B5 and floral extracts to nourish hair and impart a head-turning shine. Plus, it smells amazing too.
8. Amika The Wizard Detangling Primer
This is my personal heat protectant spray of choice, because my hair is the texture that is always knotty and tangled. A generous spritz of this post-shower, however, and any brush or comb simply glides through my strands. It’s conditioning and hydrating, protects hair up to 230 degrees, but my personal favourite thing about this product is that it actually cuts down on blow-dry time. Perfect if you’re always in a rush.
9. GHD Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray
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. It’s particularly great for thin or fine hair too, as the product itself is totally invisible on the hair—there’s no feeling of stickiness or coating.
10. Bumble and bumble Heat Shield Thermal Protection Mist
If you want a heat protectant spray that will leave your hair practically glowing then this is it. Using a honey protective complex, Bumble and bumble’s Heat Shield protects hair from thermal damage while fortifying the hair fibres to strengthen and defend from breakage. You use this on dry hair so it’s best for using with heat styling tools (like tongs or straighteners) or for styling on second day hair. Trust me, hair looks thick, glossy and so healthy after using it.
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