When you straighten your hair with your flat iron, do you ever think about the damage you may be causing? Yep, you should. There are a variety of healthy heat protectants on the market to help take care of your hair and protect it from heat damage while you straighten. Think about it, if you are using a flat iron that goes up to 400+ degrees don’t you think you might want to protect your locks? Hair gets damaged on its own, it’s best not to add to it by literally frying it every day with a flat iron. There are a few great protectants that buffer the excessive heat from flat irons (and curling irons, blow dryers, pressing combs, and hot rollers!) while enhancing the effectiveness of each appliance.
It’s best to choose a protectant that suits your comfort level. Spray, serum, lotion, gel? Hmmm… which is best? All of them promise to protect your hair, and technically of them will just by adding that layer of coating between your hair and the super hot temperature of your flat iron. When choosing a heat protectant, look for ones that are lightweight, heat-activated, and packed with healthy ingredients. Some of my top picks are:
Biosilk Silk Therapy
A cult favorite! Well known in the beauty industry, Biosilk Silk Therapy works amazingly well with the excessive temperature of a flat iron. You can almost feel it working as the temperature gets hotter, activating the silk proteins that penetrate your hair adding protection each time the flat iron plates glide down your strands of hair. Silk Therapy is ideally lightweight, never greasy, and won’t weigh your hair down. Created from concentrated silk, fortified with botanicals and vitamin E, this must-have will leave your hair as smooth as silk while imparting a fabulous, glossy shine. Considered by stylists to be a replenishing treatment, Silk therapy protects your hair, leaving it in optimum condition. Plus, it even works on your skin, talk about SMOOTH. They don’t call it therapy for nothing. This stuff works. (www.beautydeals.net)
Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide
Is it OK to start this review with WOW? This protective smoother from Redken is a leave-in serum that provides heat-safe control and tames even the frizziest frizz. If you have uncooperative, unruly, unmanageable hair, you must, must, must try Redken’s Smooth Down Heat Glide. Packed with healthy ingredients like nourishing macadamia oil, and smoothing candelilla wax, your hair will behave like it never gave you a minute’s trouble. Using ‘interbond’ conditioning technology, Smooth Down promises mega smoothing, intense shine and a long-lasting frizz free results. This product delivers. Big time. (www.redken.com)
CHI Silk Infusion
Another Silk based product, CHI Silk Infusion doesn’t disappoint! Created by the makers of the best-selling flat irons, those guys really know what they are doing over there at CHI headquarters. Developed to work specifically with the CHI flat irons, this restructuring complex is a rich leave-in treatment enriched with pure silk, wheat, and soy proteins that penetrate and strengthen your hair while you straighten. CHI Silk Infusion works wonders, smells great and makes your hair look like you just came back from the salon. If you ever wonder how the pro’s do it, now you know. Plus, the added manageability and softness will leave you in healthy hair heaven! (www.ballbeauty.com)
Sedu Healthy Heat Protecting Boost
This lightweight, humidity resistant mist is formulated with exclusive Crodosone W wheat proteins that provide thermal protection to your hair from heat styling damage, while moisturizing from roots to ends. It promises to instantly provide a brilliant shine, repair split ends, and eliminate frizz. The end result is a luminous, glossy finish without buildup. Saving my hair from damage AND leaving your hair soft, shiny, and smooth at the same time? You really can’t beat this one. Plus, I like to spray products on wet hair. The less you touch wet hair with your hands the better. Your hair is very vulnerable when it’s wet, so a couple of spritzes will ensure a nice even coating.
Bonus points: It comes in four varieties to target your specific styling needs – smoothing, color protecting, volumizing, and moisturizing. Can’t decide? If you are using a flat iron to create a straight style, pick smoothing.(www.sedubeauty.com)
Whether you go for the spray, or the serum, the silk or the smooth down, you should never use a heat styler without protection. Your hair is very fragile, you should always take the extra time to protect it before using any heat styling appliance.
