What To Look For In A Good Heat Protectant Product

We all want gorgeously styled locks, but no beautiful look should come at the price of your hair’s health. We’ve come a long way since using nothing but hot metal tongs to get those curls because even the heat styling tools we use today use ceramic heat technology to give your hair a fighting chance against the damage heat can cause.

We should be even more thankful for the availability of heat-protectant products. However, not all heat styling products are created equal, and some do next to nothing to protect your hair from high temperatures. Don’t worry; it’s not too difficult to distinguish between the ones that will actually do the job and those that don’t.

In this article, we’re going to help you keep your hair as healthy as possible by helping you understand what to look for in a good heat-protectant product.

What is a Heat-protectant Product, and is it Really Necessary?

When it costs so much to go and have your hair professionally styled, or you splurge to get that styling tool for yourself, you may wonder if it’s really necessary to get the heat protectant spray, too. Well, if you want healthy hair, it is!

Heat-protectant products, like sprays and creams, are applied to your hair prior to styling using heat products, and they help protect your hair by providing a thin film over the cuticle of the hair so there is a protective barrier against the heat. You should think of using a heat-protectant product as a sort of primer. The film works to slow down heat conduction and essentially distribute the heat evenly across the hair shaft. So, yes, it’s better to be safe and spend the cash than to run the risk of causing permanent damage.

What Happens if You Don’t Use Heat-protectant Products?

When no heat protectant product is applied, it leaves your hair susceptible to damage, and there are a few ways that damage will be noticed, such as split ends, brassy colouration, and cuticle damage. This isn’t even the worst part.

Should you have any moisture in your hair when heat tools are applied, the moisture will turn to steam, which will look for a weak spot to escape and will quite literally blow up and cause permanent damage.

What Types of Heat Protection Products are Available?

Being that there are different types of hair, it’s a good thing that there are also different types of heat protectant products, each formulated to best benefit your type of hair. These heat-protectant products include:

• Heat protectant spray
• Heat protectant cream
• Heat protectant serum
• Heat protectant oil

What Should You Look for in a Good Heat-protectant Product?

When it comes down to it, there is a great range of heat styling products available on the market from trusted brands like GHD, TRESSeme and more. So, how do you know which one to choose? Well, you want to make sure that your one is working best for your hair type. Here are some things to pay attention to when choosing a heat-protection product:

Type of Mist

Most heat protectant sprays can cater to all hair types. However, if you have fine hair, you want to opt for a product that won’t weigh down your hair and make it feel greasy. In this case, you need to pay attention to the nozzle.

Some nozzles are better suited to thicker hair, but for those with finer hair, you want to look for a fine mist spray. This will help prevent you from oversaturating the hair to allow it to remain light.

Ingredients

High-quality heat-protectant products will usually contain ingredients including:

• Humectants (like panthenol and propylene glycol) – to preserve moisture and block frizz
• Amino acids (like keratin) – to strengthen hair and provide antioxidants
  

  

• Natural oils and extracts (like aloe) – which protect and seal the hair’s cuticle

Additional Ingredients

Many heat styling products also incorporate other ingredients to benefit specific hair types. Those who have dry hair should opt for products that have a combination of water-soluble Cyclomethicone and dimethicone. These ingredients contribute towards build-up and are not suitable for people with fine hair.

Final Thoughts

In order to capitalise on having gorgeous and healthy hair, you need to get your hands on a good heat-protective product and use it consistently when using heat to style your hair. Most products offer multiple benefits, so not only do they offer protection against hot tools, but also UV pollution and environmental aggressors.