What We Love: The formula leaves out sulfates, silicones, and other potentially harmful ingredients that could strip color and lead to dullness.

Oh JY, Park MA, Kim YC. Peppermint Oil Promotes Hair Growth without Toxic Signs. Toxicol Res. 2014;30(4):297-304. doi:10.5487/TR.2014.30.4.297 Our experts agree you should seek out oils, such as coconut and sweet almond, in a truly fantastic heat protectant as they coat the strands and “create a protective barrier when activated with heat,” says Johnson, who adds that since these oils are also super lightweight they won’t lead to wilted styles. By softening our hair with a brilliant concoction of relaxing plant-based ingredients, like beetroot and artichoke extract, and emollients like glycerin, Living Proof’s Perfecting Spray calmed our tender, reactive scalps from the pain caused by raking combs through tangled strands. We’ve turned dpHue before when we wanted to keep our blonde hues bright and strands glossy in-between visits. Similar to those two color-centric formulas, this protective spray is free of gloss-stripping additives, like sulfates. Instead, the base of the formula is tocopherol, also known as vitamin E, to gently hydrate our hair and supply it with the nutrients it needs to be strong and healthy. And, in turn, our color-treated hair lasts longer and looks richer.

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Yes, just take it from the pros: “Hair should never be exposed to heat without this barrier,” says Johnson. She adds that heat protectants function like a barrier between your hair and the high temperatures from hot tools. To form this barrier, formulas usually feature ingredients like coconut oil, amino acids, and proteins that shield the hair cuticle from damage. Additionally, many formulas include hydrating emollients like squalane and glycerin to combat any dryness caused by heat. Iudina also suggests looking for formulas with protein, like spirulina protein, which “works great for frizz control and smoothness,” she says. We’re fans of the Kérastase Résistance Ciment Thermique Blow Dry Primer in this regard because its formula has proteins and amino acids galore that strengthened our hair and boosted elasticity. We’ve tested many top-notch flat irons to achieve those pin-straight, supermodel styles worn by Emily Ratajkowski, before we realized that the first step is actually a great primer. Huang ZR, Lin YK, Fang JY. Biological and pharmacological activities of squalene and related compounds: potential uses in cosmetic dermatology. Molecules. 2009;14(1):540-554. Published 2009 Jan 23. doi:10.3390/molecules14010540

Sharifi N, Hamedeyazdan S, Shokri J, Monajjemzadeh F. Argan oil as a pretreatment of human hair before exposure to oxidative damage: Attenuated total reflectance and protein loss studies. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022;21(10):5010-5017. doi:10.1111/jocd.14885. da Gama RM, França-Stefoni SA, Sá-Dias TC, Bedin V, Baby AR, Velasco MVR. Protective effect of conditioner agents on hair treated with oxidative hair dye. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2018;17(6):1090-1095. doi:10.1111/jocd.12484

Though it only offers protection up to 425 degrees (a relatively lower threshold than others on the market), it provides a serious amount of value for the price. When it came to our head of flyaways, this serum had an immediate and impressive impact. We only continued smiling at our reflection as we noticed less static and overall dryness, with a bout of increased nourishment around our ends every time we styled our hair.

Together with nourishing emollient panthenol and shine-boosting citric acid, the serum coated our hair in a lustrous vibrancy we’ve only ever seen in shampoo commercials. Despite relying on many rich oils to deliver gorgeous results, an even bigger surprise was that the cream felt weightless on our hair and absorbed in under 20 seconds. Take, for example, its inclusion of ceramides, a lipid that helps hair retain moisture by acting as a laminator between your strands and anything that can cause brittleness, like the heat from our hot tools. Split ends? Those are left in the past along with dullness, static, and breakage. What We Love: Ingredients like hydrolyzed silk and vitamin E, give this cream hair-resorting benefits to help reverse damage from color treatments and heat.Simply put, a heat protectant shields “your hair from heat, which may burn your hair, cause split ends, make your hair dry and lifeless,” says Iudina. Additionally, she adds, it can help your color-treated hair last longer. Without this safety net, hot tools strip your hair of its natural protein, making it weaker over time, disrupting natural curl patterns, and causing increased breakage. If you’re using it on wet hair before you blow dry, Nai’vasha recommends applying it directly after towel drying the hair. “If it’s a spray, delicately and thoroughly mist from roots to ends, then, paddle brush throughout for even distribution,” she says. Of course, the number one rule is always to use it before applying any kind of heat – that means blow drying, hot rollers, flat irons, and curling wands. Whether you’re using a cream or a spray, the key to applying any heat protectant is ensuring it's distributed throughout the hair. Just like with sunscreen, if you miss a spot it’s prone to the adverse effects of heat. What We Don’t Love: Though the scent is heavenly, it is strong and can cause competition with the fragrances from other lotions and perfumes.

Along with honey, glycol helps the hair cuticle retain moisture, in turn giving our strands extra radiance that make us just want to touch and tousle it. Meanwhile, propolis, a material that bees use to build hives, is another key ingredient that has anti-inflammatory and hair-strengthening benefits. As a bonus, we felt better leaving the house without a hat since the formula has a UV filter for an extra layer of safety against the sun. Seriously, our hair looked healthier after just a few uses, and gave us so much shine, likely due to the addition of rose water. This super hydrator often flies under the radar, but it’s brimming with vitamins and antioxidants to soothe the scalp and protect our color-treated hair. With the addition of salicylic acid, a natural surfactant, the formula naturally mitigates oil production. What We Love: Damaged hair will thrive again—and this time, the antioxidant-rich ingredients in Olaplex’s patented bond-building system ensure it will be better protected from heat and environmental factors. However, what sets it apart from others is its ability to transform dull hair into a luminous, nearly reflective sheen—a result we can attribute to an impressive lineup of hydrating vegan ingredients, including shea butter, citric acid, and peach, and rosehip oils. Squalane, a naturally-occurring lipid in the skin, is another front-running ingredient here, too, since it acts as an emollient and antioxidant to strengthen and nourish our hair and scalps. Additionally, you should think of heat protectants as a way to mitigate damage, not fully prevent it. There are other steps you can take to maintain the health of your hair like not setting hot tools above 300 degrees if possible, wearing a hat if you’re in the sun for a long time, and incorporating conditioning hair masks into your weekly hair care routine.

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Jin M, Chen YL, He X, Hou Y, Chan Z, Zeng R. Amelioration of Androgenetic Alopecia by Algal Oligosaccharides Prepared by Deep-Sea Bacterium Biodegradation. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:567060. Published 2020 Sep 29. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.567060 What We Love: Our hair drank up all the softening and shine-imparting benefits in this lightweight, spray formula, which was so nourishing, we’d guess it was a leave-in conditioner. In a few words, (and for even fewer dollars) Verb created an affordable product that gave us everything we wanted in a great heat protectant: Just a single spritz made our strands feel softer, look fuller and bouncier, and prevented our ends from looking dried out and frazzled.