Potential allergens: Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum/Fragrance Relevant Review: “This hair product is great at making your hair blow out looking healthy, soft and smooth. I have curly, fine, dry hair, so I also need to use a little Kerastase treatment oil after blow-drying, and then my hair is good to go. [...] I have tried countless products over the years, but find that Kerastase products are the best. Pricey, but the products are great and last a long time, so they are worth the expense.” Sophie Rose Gutterman is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist with 10 years of professional experience across editorial shoots, beauty campaigns, and television. A curly girl herself, Gutterman’s curly clients include models and ESPN host, Malika Andrews. Shop The Best Heat Protectants For Curly Hair

Relevant Review: “Amazing! I have 3c and 2a curly hair. It loves to frizz and get poofy when I blowdry it. I spray this lightly all over my hair and then dry. My hair lays nice and flat. The smell is delicious like all their other products. […] It’s not greasy, doesn’t weigh my hair down either.” Heat protection for hair is a bit like your daily sunscreen, in that it’s essential to protect against damage, yet a surprising number of people still haven’t gotten on board. Los Angeles-based hairstylist Sophie Rose Gutterman tells Bustle that heat protection is even more important for those with curly hair. “Curly hair is a lot more fragile than straight hair,” she says, noting that it naturally tends to be drier than straighter hair types. “Add blow drying and straightening the hair into the equation, and that’s where breakage and damage to the curl pattern begin,” she says. The best heat protectants for curly hair actually include two types, according to Gutterman, who shares that you’ll want a protectant that you can apply on wet hair and another that can be applied when your hair is dry. “When it’s wet, you will most likely use a cream, and when it’s dry, it’s best to use a spray,” she shares. The Expert

An aerosol formula tends to be the easiest way to ensure that you’re evenly misting your hair with a heat protectant without weighing your curls down, especially when you’re working with hair that’s already dry. Joico’s Heat Hero Glossing Thermal Protector can be used just before you go in with a straightener or curler, providing thermal protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit as well as pollution protection. The shine-boosting mist also helps to seal split ends for a smoother finish, with its blend of silicones, moringa seed oil, and vitamin E. Even though it contains several moisturizing ingredients, the aerosol spray does contain alcohol, which Gutterman notes should be used in moderation, particularly if your hair is already dry. Beneficial Ingredients: Argan Oil, Panthenol, Glycerin, Vitamin E, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein | Size: 8.1 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes FAQs When Should You Use A Heat Protectant? Another dry aerosol spray that evenly coats hair without weighing it down, Moroccanoil’s Perfect Defense can be misted through damp curls on wash day or as a second-day touch-up on hair that’s completely dry. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients like yarrow extract and shiitake mushroom extract help to promote healthy hair growth, but it’s the blend of moisturizing ingredients like argan oil, panthenol, and hydrolyzed pea protein that boost hydration and impart shine (plus, they help to counteract the drying effects of the alcohol).

For finer curls, this Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Weightless Thermal Protectant Serum is as lightweight as they come. Ideal for using prior to straightening curls, the serum uses a combination of several silicones to leave hair with a glossy sheen. However, because this was formulated to be applied on dry hair, if you’re planning to blow dry your curls, you’ll still need another heat protectant that can be applied to wet hair.

Shop The Best Heat Protectants For Curly Hair

Relevant Review: “I blow out my hair so that it’s more manageable and wavy instead of curly/frizzy. This spray makes a huge difference in combing out my hair while it’s still damp and prepping it for the blowout. I use maybe five spritzes on each side of my hair, in addition to an oil treatment on my ends, and my hair is definitely much softer after blow drying versus when I skip the spray.”

For second-day hair, Gutterman stresses that you’ll need to use another heat protectant if you’re adding any kind of heat to your style. “This is lightweight, so it won’t even feel like you’re adding additional product,” says Gutterman of Living Proof’s Restore Perfecting Spray, which she shares is what she gives her model clients to protect their hair on set. Though it was formulated to serve as a conditioning detangler on wet hair, it’s light enough to mist through dry hair, too, where it’ll provide heat protection against temps up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of silicones, this spray uses plant extracts like beetroot and artichoke leaf to protect the hair against heat and UV exposure, which Gutterman explains can also dry out the hair. After I finished styling my hair, my hair was sleek, shiny, and still felt nourished without feeling heavy, stiff, or weighed down. The Elixir Ultime coated my hair well, especially my ends. Usually, I’d have to use a small toothed comb to smooth out a particular section of my ends first, flat iron that section, comb the ends out again, and flat iron it again, repeating this process up to four times. I only had to go over my ends twice when I used Elixir Ultime, which was exciting. As the day progressed, my hair continued to have great movement and shine. Marissa DeSantis has worked as a beauty writer and editor for nearly 10 years. Her pieces can be found across print and digital publications like Bustle, Evening Standard, Teen Vogue, and InStyle.What stood out during this experiment was my hair and rough ends felt more hydrated and smooth throughout the week after using this product, than it has after I used other heat-styling products. With other heat protectants, my hair usually feels crunchy after two or three days, and I’d have to put in a lot of work to flatten my ends. Based on these two things alone, Elixir Ultime really impressed me.

There was a slight residue on my hands after I ran them through my hair, but that was more me than the product. I might have applied too much of it on my lengths and could have gotten away with using half a pump instead.) When I was getting ready to flat iron my hair, I applied one more pump to my ends. It was a reflex—I knew I didn’t need any additional product, but my ends are so dry that it's become a reflex to apply more product to it.Relevant Review: “It’s very hard to find a heat protectant that is designed for use on dry hair. I needed a good one to use on my hair just prior to flat iron use. This one is by far the best I’ve tried. Gives good protection and shine.”