The 15 Best Heat Protectants For Every Hair Type + Concern

This one earns best overall because it's more than just a heat protectant—it preps the hair for styling, adds shine post-styling, and helps repair damaged hair and improve texture, all in one step. The formula uses grapeseed oil is rich in vitamins and fatty acids while fermented green tea helps increase absorption. Finally, you'll find an ingredient called Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate that helps repair broken bonds and strengthen your strands.

What our tester says:

Clearly, I've tried plenty of heat protectants, but this is the one I always come back to. Not only does it help smooth flyaways and enhance any style I choose, but I know that it's working to rebuild damaged strands, too. With many hair oils there's a greasy residue left behind, but not with this one. Plus, the formula is super spreadable so you only need a few drops at a time, making the bottle last forever.

This unique mist contains Mirsalehi Propolis from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, which contains multiple oils, vitamins, minerals and flavonoids to protect hair and keep it healthy. Fun fact: Propolis is used by bees to protect and strengthen the walls of the beehive, making it a richly fortifying ingredient for your hair. Beyond that, the formula is super lightweight which makes it great for thin and fine hair types.

Curly hair types naturally crave more moisture but need just as much heat protection. One way to get the best of both: Natural hair oils with protective ingredients like this one. Nuele included only five ingredients (all of which are listed above), and all of them are naturally derived. Plus, the addition of rosemary oil makes this serum great for the scalp as well, given that rosemary oil was shown to improve hair growth just as effectively as 2% minoxidil (a popular commercial hair growth product), without the negative side effects. The formula is great for all hair types, but those with straight or fine strands should only use 1-2 drops each time to prevent the hair from weighing down.

Heat-activated Biomimetic Silk and blue lotus extract lead this formula, working to protect the hair from damage, pollution, and UV rays that can dull color and roughen texture over time. Not only that, but these unique ingredients help to rebuild brittle hair by healing the cuticle, boosting shine as well. The formula is gentle enough to be used on the scalp and throughout the hair. Though this product isn't sold at most major beauty retailers, it is plentiful in salons (just search up your local zip code here ).

What our tester says:

"Famed hair stylist Harry Josh recommended that I use this, and he's always right! But seriously, it's a high-quality, lightweight product that smoothes over the hair fiber protecting it from heat, while adding a good dose of shine. I love it because it doesn't gunk up my strands or roots—something I struggle with." — mindbodygreen beauty director Alexandra Engler

This one is the ultimate budget-friendly find: Not only is it under $15, but it also functions as a detangling spray, fights frizz, and boosts shine all in a few mists. According to clinical studies, this formula is proven to provide 2X less frizz for 24 hours and proven to deliver 3X stronger hair for 3X less breakage, too. You'll want to apply the formula to damp hair after you wash, brush or comb it through if you usually would, and then style. If your strands are prone to dryness, you may want to use a leave-in conditioner pre-mist as well.

I know this hair oil comes with a steep price tag, but hear me out: Anyone with dry strands needs a good hair oil on deck, and this one is multi-functional. Apply it to your hair post-cleanse to help detangle and protect the hair from heat, finish off your look with a few drops to ease frizz, or use it on the scalp as an overnight treatment (AKA hair slugging). The simple and effective ingredient list calls upon nutrient-dense oils like meadowfoam, squalene, and argan oil that replenish brittle strands without weighing them down—yes, even super thin hair types. As with any hair oil, use only a few drops if your hair is on the finer side and crank it up to 4-5 if you have super coarse or thick hair.

What our tester says:

I believe quality is much more important than quantity when it comes to shopping for beauty products, hence why I adore this oil. While it certainly tops off a great blowout and preps my hair for any kind of hot tool, it's also my go-to for leave-in scalp treatments. While it is on the higher end price-wise, you're getting much more than just a heat protectant in this bottle.

This spritz is ideal for thick or dry hair types, providing an easier way to work hydrators like shea butter through the strands. A blend of sweet almond oil, castor oil, hibiscus extract, and fruit oils simultaneously protects the hair from oxidative stress that comes from free radicals in your environment. The result: A surefire way to keep your strands healthy, and hair that looks beyond silky.

What our tester says:

I'm prone to tangles, so anything with rich plant butter is going to help me out. This one works as a heat protectant and natural detangler in one single step, all the while giving off a divine scent that makes me feel like I'm in the rainforest, not in my powder room. Plus, the fruit extracts boost antioxidant protection for my strands—an essential service for someone living in an urban area with tons of pollution.

Whether you're trying to make your current hair color look its best or preserve the life of a new gloss treatment, minding your hair products is essential. Some ingredients can be stripping to sensitive hair dye, so opt for this leave-in protectant if these situations resonate. The formula uses Colorproof's proprietary blend designed to repair, preserve and protect color-treated hair along with ceramides and jojoba oil for hydration as well as rose oil for smooth, slippery strands. You can even use it on dry hair to revive your strands before you touch up your style with a hot tool.

If you love tropical and fruity scents, this one is for you. While a fragrant hair experience may not be for everyone, this scent profile will take you to the beach in seconds. Part of the wonderful fragrance comes from the guava fruit extract, which doubles as a natural heat protectant. To ensure a frizz-free finish, avocado oil provides some healthy fats and slip to dry strands. This one should be used on wet or damp hair and it's great for all hair types.

Coils, also known as type 4 hair, are even more prone to dryness than other curls. To ensure you get enough moisture and maintain spring and bounce in your hair, opt for a cream heat protectant rather than a light mist. This way your hair can soak up the nourishing plant butter (like mango seed butter and shea butter in this formula). Hydrolyzed quinoa protein and triglycerides envelop the hair in a silky barrier, protecting from heat and moisture loss. Apply this cream to damp hair and follow up with your diffusing routine, braid your hair, or let your coils are dry.

Correctly prepping your strands for a blowout can make all of the difference. This formula is perfect for that purpose as it contains lightweight oils like squalene and incorporates natural antioxidants along with plumping peptides to deliver a silky, protected finish that's still voluminous. Be sure to really work the milk into your hair before styling in order to prevent residue post-blowout.

Those prone to oily strands will certainly want to skip one thing: Heavy and occlusive hair oils. Instead, opt for an ultra-lightweight formula like this one. While it does condition the hair and protect it from heat damage, you won't notice an increase in weight or oiliness, so you can use it all the way up to your roots without worry. Plus, the formula is color-safe for those who frequent gloss or glaze treatments.

Anyone with straight hair knows achieving and maintaining volume is so easy task, especially when rich cream products weigh down your hair at the root. Instead, look for water-based formulas like this one from Davines—it's simple, yet effective as it coats each strand in amino acids from organic lentils (pretty cool right?). You'll have heat protection without having to feel like there's anything in your hair at all—a straight hair dream. Of course curly strands can benefit from the protection too, but those hair types may need a bit more hydration from a leave-in conditioner or hair oil as well.

Multi-use products are always a win, and this high-hold heat protectant is no exception. Call upon this one if your hair is prone to falling out of curls, loosing volume mid-day, or you just want a bit more texture throughout your natural hair. It's more of a functional styling product than a natural hair hydrator and leave-in, so this one is best used when the hair is brushed, combed, blown out, etc.

"Jojoba oil, sunflower seed wax, and crambe abyssinica esters are all film forming which create a barrier against heat. And baobab oil is a natural heat protectant as well as a strengthener for the hair," says Holy Curls founder and hair expert Badria Ahmed. This one is a great pick for relaxed strands, working as a multivitamin to revive and strengthen the hair, but also for anyone with hair that craves moisture, curls that need deep nourishment, or even a dry scalp.