The 12 Best Heat Protectants for Natural Hair of 2023

Best Overall

Design Essentials Natural Agave & Lavender Weightless Thermal Protectant Serum

4.5

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Who else recommends it? Naturally Curly and PureWow both picked the Design Essentials Weightless Thermal Protectant.

What do buyers say? 90% of 1,100+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.

When your goal is flowing hair that’s soft to the touch, the last thing you want is a greasy blowout weighed down by heavy creams and oils. Sanders says that she always applies this serum to her client's hair before flat ironing to give the hair a nice gloss. The lightweight formula seals moisture in the hair cuticle and adds an extra layer of protection from heat for a brilliant, silky finish.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Agave extract, lavender extract, mango butter | Hair Type: Fine to balanced | Size: 4 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Budget

Cantu Shea Butter Thermal Shield Heat Protectant

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This budget-friendly heat protectant is a steal for those with thick, natural hair. It adds light hold to help your blowout withstand the elements, and pure shea butter hydrates curly and kinky strands while protecting it from temperatures up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The results? Hair that is sleek and hydrated.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Shea butter | Hair Type: All | Size: 5.1 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Repairing Treatment

Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil

5

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Your hair goes through tons of stress over time from chemicals, heat styling, and even just brushing, but this all-natural oil is here to help undo some of the damage. It’s highly concentrated yet lightweight, and its star ingredient is Bis-aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which works by finding broken bonds and cross-linking them to rebuild them. Long story short: It’s nice to your hair when you aren’t, and it doesn’t just protect against heat damage, it repairs it.

Price at time of publish: $30

Active Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate | Hair Type: All | Size: 1 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Cream

Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème

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Say goodbye to frizz and unnecessary shedding on your next blowout with this proven heat protectant. Over styling with heat tools can lead to damage and breakage, but this cream reduced hair breakage by an average of 85 percent in a clinical study. You get all of the goodness of rosehip oil, argan oil, vitamin E, and coconut oil, without any of the harmful parabens or silicones that are found in many straightening products.

For best results, start from the top with the Briogeo Farewell Frizz Shampoo.

Price at time of publish: $26

Active Ingredients: Rosehip oil, argan oil, coconut oil, vitamin E | Hair Type: Straight, wavy, curly, coily | Size: 4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best for Damaged Hair

Silk Elements MegaSilk Olive Heat Protection Spray

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Products that came along before the natural hair and clean beauty movements often get left out of the conversation, but this heat protector has been getting the job done for decades now. The alcohol-free formula reduces frizz while smoothing hair, and it leaves even dry, damaged hair feeling seriously silky. Users of all hair types report that it is lightweight and makes natural hair so much more manageable, cutting down on blowout time. You’ll think back to your relaxed hair days and seriously wonder why you even bothered when you can have results this good on natural hair.

Price at time of publish: $16

Active Ingredients: Olive, silk | Hair Type: All | Size: 8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Sulfate-Free

Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Thermal & Heat Protectant Spray

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No sulfates, no alcohol, no parabens, and no preservatives—you can rest assured that this spray is protecting your hair from heat without damaging it with other harmful chemicals. We love that this product acts as a conditioner for your curls, protecting them so that they can easily revert when you’re ready to move on from your straight style. Apply it to clean wet hair.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Almond oil, argan oil, sacha inchi oil, mongongo oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 4 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best for Detangling

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat & UV Protective Primer

4.8

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This priming oil isn’t just a heat protectant: It’s a moisturizer, leave-in treatment, and a detangler that leaves your hair feeling hydrated and frizz-free. It also gets major props for protecting against UV rays, so your hair can feel its best all summer long. We love that this can be a go-to product for straight or curly styling. It will help your flat iron glide through your thick strands, or if you’re a fan of wash and go styling, you can expect curl defining results when used before you diffuse.

Price at time of publish: $32

Active Ingredients: Coconut oil, argania spinosa kernel oil, macadamia integrifolia seed oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, safflower seed oil, tiare flower extract | Hair Type: Dry, damaged, color-treated | Size: 2 fluid ounces, 8.5 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Drugstore

Garnier Fructis Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist

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Your hair and your budget will be pleased with this drugstore heat protectant. Formulated with argan oil from Morocco, you’ll find that this paraben-free spray smooths and seals hair of all textures to prevent frizzy flyaways. Like all of Garnier products, this mist smells divine. Use it on dry hair for best results, and remember, a little goes a long way.

Price at time of publish: $12 for 3-pack

Active Ingredients: Argan oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 6 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Leave-In Conditioner

Mizani 25 Miracle Milk Leave-In Conditioner

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This multitasking leave-in conditioner uses coconut oil to moisturize dry hair and fennel seed oil to strengthen hair and prevent breakage. It’s also great for its heat protectant properties, making it a great first step on clean hair before styling with heat tools. Sanders also recommends this product, raving that “it has so many nourishing factors that the hair needs and it’s also helpful with detangling."

Price at time of publish: $38

Active Ingredients: Fennel seed oil, coconut oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 8.5 ounces, 3.4 ounces, 13.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No

Best for Frizz

Mixed Chicks Straightening Serum

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Frizzy strands are an unavoidable part of having naturally textured hair, and we should embrace it...except when it’s time for a sleek style. This straightening serum is up for the job to cancel frizz when applied to wet hair before setting or blow-drying. Better yet, it reduces drying time to make your DIY blowout easier on your arms and your tresses.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Chamomile extract, goldenseal extract, silk amino acid, hops extract, witch hazel extract, rosemary extract | Hair Type: Curly, straight | Size: 4 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Classic

CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray

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There’s a reason why people keep coming back for this classic heat protecting spray. It’s great for all hair types and works from the inside out to strengthen and protect your hair. Positively charged silk molecules interlock into hair’s natural structure to improve moisture and shine, so you can count on it for your sleekest styles.

Price at time of publish: $4

Active Ingredients: Vitamins and proteins | Hair Type: All | Size: 2 ounces, 8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes