Use heated tools on your locks? You need a natural thermal hair protector spray to keep your hair healthy! Here’s all you need to know
By Diane Small
Heat styling tools such as hair dryers, flat irons, curling wands, and deep wavers have become essential tools. But, as anyone who uses them knows, regular exposure to high temperatures can be hell on your hair.
Heat can leave your locks dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Luckily, there’s a solution!
Heat protectant sprays are crucial haircare products designed to shield your tresses from thermal damage. Here, we explore what these are, how they work, and the benefits offered in preserving your hair’s health and beauty.
What is a thermal hair protector?
These are haircare products specifically formulated to protect hair from the damaging effects of heat styling tools.
They create a barrier between the hair shaft and the heat source, preventing the high temperatures from causing excessive moisture loss and structural damage.
These sprays typically contain a blend of mineral-based silicones, natural oils, and conditioning agents that coat the hair and lock in moisture, keeping hair hydrated, smooth, and resistant to breakage.
Before you pick a good heat protectant spray, it’s best to understand what they are all about.
Image below: hiddencrownhair.com
How thermal hair protectors work?
These sprays by forming a protective shield around the hair shaft. This distributes heat more evenly, reducing the direct impact of high temperatures on the hair.
Key ingredients in these sprays include:
- Silicones: Silicones create a barrier on the hair surface, preventing excessive moisture loss and reducing the risk of heat damage. They also help to reduce frizz and improve hair’s manageability. However, I’d avoid these. Over time, they dry the hair out.
- Natural Oils: Natural oils, such as argan, castor, and coconut, nourish and moisturise the hair while providing thermal protection. They also help to reduce frizz and enhance shine.
- Conditioning Agents: Conditioning agents like panthenol and hydrolysed vegan proteins help to strengthen and repair the hair. This makes it more resistant to breakage and damage from heat styling.
The benefits of thermal hair protectors for your hair
Using a thermal hair protector offers numerous benefits for those who regularly use heat styling tools.
These include:
- Reduced Heat Damage: The protective barrier created by these sprays minimises the direct impact of heat on hair, reducing moisture loss and preserving hair’s strength and elasticity.
- Increased Moisture Retention: The blend of silicones, natural oils, and conditioning agents in heat protectant sprays helps to lock in moisture, keeping hair hydrated and reducing the risk of dryness and breakage.
- Improved Hair Health: By preventing heat damage, these sprays contribute to the overall health and vitality of your hair. Healthier hair is more manageable, less prone to breakage, and maintains its shine and smoothness.
- Enhanced Styling Results: Heat protective sprays can improve the effectiveness of heat styling tools, allowing for more consistent and longer-lasting results.
How to use heat protectant sprays
To get the most out of your heat protectant spray, follow these steps:
- Apply on clean, damp hair: These sprays work best when applied to freshly washed, damp hair. This allows the product to evenly coat the hair shaft and effectively form a protective barrier.
- Section your hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections, ensuring even coverage of the heat protectant spray.
- Spray evenly: Hold the heat protectant spray 6-8 inches away from your head and mist evenly onto each section of hair, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Comb through: Use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute the product and remove any tangles before heat styling.
- Heat style as usual: Proceed with your heat styling routine, knowing your hair is protected from potential damage.
Heat protectant sprays are an essential addition to your hair care routine if you regularly use heat styling tools. They provide a crucial line of defence against heat damage, helping to maintain your hair’s health, moisture, and elasticity.
What to look for in natural thermal hair shield products
Science has come a long way! Cosmetic companies have figured out how to use hydrolysed oils like argan, castor and moringa to protect our strands without making them look greasy. Other plant based components like quinoa can add protein to your hair. And if you want to be kind to the planet, your hair and animals, you should choose a product that’s vegan, of course.
Ready to get more beautiful hair? Here are 10 of the best natural thermal hair protectors!
Image below: @peterluxhair
10 Thermal Hair Protectors To Try
1. Leonor Greyl
This product not only will protect your hair but it will provide volume and allow you to style it in whatever fashion you prefer. An extra perk is it will detangle your messy hair and bestow a glossy look.
Leonor Greyel’s Condition Naturelle contains protective plant proteins like quinoa, acacia, and moringa extracts. These are the elements of nature that are considered like manna on Earth!
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Its delicious scent! It’s like a hair perfume, as well as a thermal hair protector.
Price: $38
2. Bondi Boost
If you are looking for conscious beauty in a thermal hair protector, you’ve found it! The BondiBoost Heat Protectant Spray is cruelty-free and vegan friendly, full of nourishing quinoa extract and aloe vera.
Unlike some other products of its kind, this one doesn’t feel at all sticky. Not only will it prevent damage, but it will also repair previous damage, too.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Dry, damaged hair.
Price: $20
3. Pureology
Thanks to Pureology, this menthol-infused mist will uplift your locks, protecting them from the heat. But that’s not all: this product will give you a volume boost that lasts for a full 24 hours!
All you have to do is spray it on your damp hair, especially at the roots, and then you can knock yourself out with the blow-dryer. We also love that it comes in recyclable packaging!
Best natural thermal hair protector for: This is a great product for those with thin, limp locks.
Price: $31
4. Hot Toddy
If you have extremely dry hair, styling it with curling, straightening and styling irons can be highly damaging. But fret not! Because Drybar’s Hot Toddy Heat is recommended for those types of delicate locks.
The spray protects from heat thanks to its prodigious Marula Oil that will provide a satin, frizz-free finish.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Hydrating dry hair.
Price: $29
5. Grow Gorgeous
Looking for an easy-to-apply thermal hair protector? Grow Gorgeous New Repair Heat Protection Intelligent Haircare is it! You simply massage the leave-in-oil into your hair. It not only protects your hair from the heat, but also strengthens the lipid barrier of your locks.
This lovely vegan product will nourish and protect your hair, leaving a smooth feel and restorative look. And we love its slightly coconutty scent!
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Those with thicker hair.
Price: $30
6. Maria Nila
The British brand has a great natural heat protectant up its sleeve. Maria Nila’s Quick Dry Heat Spray is a lightweight spray with water repellent ingredients that act as shield when you dry or style your hair.
The final look will not only be silky in texture, and glossy in shine, but it will also diffuse an intriguing scent of rose and white musk.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Those with little time. This dries super fast!
Price: $25
7. Innersense Organic Beauty
Innersense Organic Beauty’s Hair Love Prep Spray has a priming effect. After you spray it on your hair, you’re ready to style!
Rooibos tea adds antioxidants to rejuvenate your strands. The presence of nettle and eucalyptus and flexibility and shine, while citrus peel extracts provide a lovely scent.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Keeping your style in place.
Price: $30
8. Firewall
Got flyaway hair? Tend to use flat irons? Firewall is the best heat protectant spray for you! All you have to do is mist the product lightly across your locks before you get to work with your heat styling products. To tame flyaways, give your hair another spritz when your styling is done.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Those on a budget.
Price: $19.99
9. Aveda
Heat relief is a vital part of the haircare routine and Aveda is a leading brand in natural remedies. Its thermal protector and conditioning mist is and excellent 2-in-1 products. The herbal aroma features Aveda’s signature calming ‘shampure’ scent.
And if the environment is important to you, you’ll love that this vegan product was made using renewable energy, and comes in recycled packaging.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: A hair conditioner and heat protectant spray in one.
Price: $35
10. Living Proof
The Restore Perfecting Spray by Living Proof is a guarantee for the well-being of your hair. Steaming hot styling temperatures can even reach to 450°F/232°C and your mane won’t get burnt!
The product gives an instant boost of hydration and prevents any damage. The absolute treat is that you can use it also at the beach during the summertime because it provides UV protection.
Best natural thermal hair protector for: Beach bunnies! We love that there’s an SPF for your hair.
Price: $33
By incorporating a high-quality natural thermal hair protector into your styling regimen, you can enjoy the benefits of your favourite heat styling tools without sacrificing the long-term well-being of your tresses. Investing in a good heat protectant spray not only preserves your hair’s strength and vitality but also enhances your styling results, ensuring that you can confidently showcase your gorgeous locks.
Main image: hiddencrownhair.com
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Hey love your article. I might need 1 heat protectant spray while styling my HD Lace frontal.
Thank you! We realised this was a topic not many people were covering…