The Best Heat Protectants You Can Find for $20 or Less (2024)

High heat doesn't stand a chance against this weightless spray. Housed inside the psychedelic bottle (side note, isn't it so pretty!?) is a supercharged spray that can protect your hair from temperatures up to 450 degrees. This goes much further than simply safeguarding hair, though. A nourishing mix of argan oil, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E also repair hair from the inside out, reducing breakage, amplifying shine, diminishing frizz, and just completely reviving hair. Oh, and it works for literally every single hair type. Now that's what I call ✨magic✨.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Argan oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "The older I get the more frizzy and dull I noticed my hair tends to be, and I remedy that with Mane Magic. Just a little spritz makes my hair shiny and smooth. It's literally the best stuff ever."

Coarse hair needs much more than just simple heat protection. It also requires an extra boost of moisture to smooth frizz and keep strands well hydrated, which means you should always use a heat protecting cream, right? Wrong. Pro hairstylist Temur Hamilton swears by this weightless spray for his clients with coarse and curly hair, and ensures it's one of the best options available. "I like that it leaves hair super soft and helps prevent frizz while protecting against high heat damage," he says.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Keratin, glycerin, hydrolyzed silk
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer spray is all I could wish for with thick, coarse hair that is prone to dry ends. Spray it on before using a flat iron and hair comes out shiny and glossy. This product also helps tame the frizzies and banishes static. I say this is good quality for a reasonable price!"

While vitamins and proteins are an important part of your diet, Temur explains that your hair also needs them via topical products to be healthy and strong. "These ingredients help hair retain moisture and protect against heat." Spritzing this affordable spray safeguards hair with a mix of bond-repairing proteins and vitamins to make strands more resilient against drying and damaging heat. "It also seals the cuticle so that hair is shinier and more resistant to breakage," he adds.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Vitamins, proteins
• Heat protection: Up to 350°F

Glowing customer review: "I’ve been using this heat protector for a while now, and I’m really satisfied with it! It applies easily and has kept my hair looking healthy despite frequent heat styling. I love that it doesn’t leave a greasy residue and provides a nice shine. Definitely a must-have for anyone who styles their hair often!"

Blondes: This multi-tasking heat protectant was made just for you. Not only does it shield your hair from temperatures up to 400 degrees, it also tones your hair to minimize annoying brassy tones (similar to the way a purple shampoo works). Rogerio Cavalcante a New York-based hairstylist and owner of The Second Floor Salon,
recommends this to all his blondies because "it's extra hydrating, minimizes frizz, smoothes hair, makes brushing so easy, protects from heat, and it's budget friendly!"

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Elderberry oil, vitamin C
• Heat protection: Up to 400°F

Glowing customer review: "This spray leave my hair feeling soft, shinny and frizz free!! The softest my hair has ever been when using a spray of this kind. Makes is all the better that it is good for my blonde hair!"

I don't know about anyone else, but I absolutely despise layering on a slew of styling products. I want sky-high hair (like, pageant-girl level volume) but my dry, fine hair falls limp when I use a leave-in conditioner, mousse, and a heat protectant. I almost always skip the heat protectant—I know that's bad—but now I don't have to with this multitasker. "This provides 450-degree heat protection and double the volume while allowing the hair to be easily shaped as you blow dry," explains professional hairstylist Kimberlee Blakely. It also smells like dessert, which makes me want to use it even more!

• Type: Mousse
• Key ingredients: Vitamin E, proteins
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "Okay let’s get things straight from the get-go. This is a hair product, not a morning snack! Jokes aside, this product smells delicious! It has so many functions. It really helps build volume without weighing your hair down. This is ideal for my flat straw hair. It leaves your hair easy to manage without making it crunchy. It also provides heat resistance."

This multipurpose spray is the first hair product I EVER remember using...and it's still a mainstay in my hair care routine 20 years later. There's not much this leave-in conditioner can't do. Beyond detangling, minimizing frizz, boosting shine, adding body, and preventing split ends, (oh, and offering stellar heat protection, duh) it simply makes hair look and feel incredibly healthy courtesy of a ton of natural ingredients, including sunflower seed extract, green tea, and silk amino acids. Put this in the hair hall of fame because it deserves a permanent spot, IMO!

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Sunflower seed extract, green tea leaf extract, silk amino acids
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "I bought this hair product because my hair was very dry from coloring, and this really does the trick! My hair is turning very curly as it’s getting longer and it needs to be maintained. This helps with my frizz, is light weight, & makes my hair very soft. I also like the smell of it:)"

Don't be afraid of heat protecting creams—like this editor-fave—especially if your hair leans dry. While it provides impressive heat protection (up to 450 degrees!) this extra hydrating formula also restores strands with a mix of hydrating argan oil, squalane, and sunflower seed extracts. This mix makes hair softer and shinier, and helps seal split ends. You can use it pretty much any time, too, not just before heat styling. If you want to take a break from the heat (which we all should, tbh) smooth this through your hair and let air dry to fall in love with your natural hair again.

• Type: Cream
• Key ingredients: Argan oil, squalane, sunflower seed extract
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "I like how this product doesn't feel heavy, crunchy, or like glue. It's affordable, lightweight ,and makes my curls appear natural whether I chose too blow out or air dry."

It's a bold move to call anything a miracle, but I can confirm that Pantene knew what they were talking about when they named this Miracle Rescue Spray. With 10 (!!) benefits it's so much more than a heat protectant—it may just replace half of the products in your hair cabinet (it did for me!). Spraying this from mid-lengths to ends gives strands a major dose of essential vitamins and amino acids, which are needed to help hair become stronger and healthier. If you consistently use it before blow drying you'll also notice your color staying vibrant for longer, less tangles and hair breakage, and a smoother finish.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Pro-vitamin B5, amino acids
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "I used this for few years and then decided to try something else. Well I’m back to this spray again. It’s not sticky, it’s easy to get all over my hair without it getting greasy. And it makes it much easier to brush through my hair. Stocking up now!"

Did you know that heat styling your hair can dull your color? Yep, that's another thing you have to (unfortunately) worry about when you wrap your hair around that curling iron. Smoothing a little dollop of this lightweight serum can help maintain vibrancy—you may love your stylist, but I don't need to see them that often—while also restoring hair back to virgin health thanks to special bond-building technology. FYI, some testers even say this is a spot on dupe to the Olaplex No.9 Hair Serum, but you didn't hear that from me!

• Type: Serum
• Key ingredients: Rice bran oil, rosemary oil, hydrolyzed quinoa
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "I bought this to replace my Olaplex No. 9, and it is THE dupe. I put this in my hair every time I wash my hair. I will always repurchase. I have thick, fine hair, and this is my favorite leave in."

This may be a liiiitle obvious, but the more heat damaged your hair is, the more tangly it becomes, and the more breakage you'll experience. It's a seriously vicious cycle, but it can be broken with this leave-in conditioner. This milky tonic saturates hair with reparative amino acids and plant proteins, minimizing tangles, softening strands and also protecting from heat damage. Even if you don't regularly heat style, this can really make a difference for those who always wake up with bedhead. (TL;DR: You'll wake up with smooth silky strands when you use this!)

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Amino acids, plant proteins
• Heat protection: Up to 350°F

Glowing customer review: "Loveeee. My hair is long, fine, and I've had it bleached with highlights for several years now so it was always such a big job brushing it out after a shower. A few spritzes of this stuff and it brushes out like a dream!!"

If you have fine hair you might think you absolutely have to use a heat protectant spray. A cream will always be too heavy, right? Wrong...at least when it comes to Verb Ghost Prep. This weightless cream won't weigh down strands or make them look greasy. Instead, it somehow (magically, if you ask me) infuses hair with ultra-hydrating moringa oil and pro-vitamin B5 for enhanced shine, body, and no frizzies.

• Type: Cream
• Key ingredients: Moringa oil, pro-vitamin B5, hydrolyzed quinoa
• Heat protection: Up to 425°F

Glowing customer review: "This is the best heat protector that I have found. I have curly hair and it doesn’t weigh my hair down. No greasiness and helps hold my hair slightly. I have been using this product for several years and will continue to buy."

Listen, I know it's hard to remember to actually use heat protectant (I'm guilty of skipping it...does that make me a bad beauty editor?) But I never ever forget when I have this spray on hand; mainly because it smells so. damn. good. Yes, I absolutely need my mane smelling like wild strawberries, pomegranate, and vanilla 24/7. It's literally so easy to use too—all you need is a little spritzy-spritz before blow drying, wielding a curling iron, or running a flat iron through your hair and you're good to go.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Apricot oil, Australian macadamia nut oil
• Heat protection: Up to 350°F

Glowing customer review: "I have naturally curly hair, and I didn’t want any heat damage while straightening my hair. This heat protecting spray is amazing!! Not only does this product smell amazing, but it’s sulfate free. Plus, I didn’t get any heat damage. I 100% recommend this product."

If you've ever dreamed of mastering a pro-level blowout from the comfort of your home, this blow dry mist may just get you one step closer. Looking for heat protection? This has got you covered up to 450 degrees. How about speeding up the annoying blow dry process? This cuts down on the time (forreal). Oh, and you're basically guaranteed super shiny strands—you can thank mango seed butter for that. Spritz before using your Dyson Airwrap or T3 Aire 360—my personal fave—and people will be asking who your stylist is.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Hydrolyzed pea protein, mango seed butter, sunflower seed oil
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "I have dry, porous, coarse, frizzy, wavy/curly hair. I came across this as a heat protectant and only had the expectation of protection and nothing more. Talk about pleasantly surprised when it tamed my frizz and smoothed my hair without weighing it down or making it greasy. My hair looked amazing after blow drying it that I didn’t need to do anything further. I usually have to use a flat iron to smooth the frizz, but it was already sleek without and able to keep the volume from blow drying. I’m extremely happy with the product!!"

Frizz is enemy number one when it comes to bouncy, smooth blowouts. And you know what causes frizz (aside from humidity)? Heat damage. I promise you that misting this all over before picking up the blow dryer will deter frizz and make your hair ultra silky thanks to hydrolyzed silk and quinoa. The nozzle evenly disperses the mist so you only need like four to five spritzes to cover your whole head, so this will last forever too.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Hydrolyzed silk and quinoa
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "Okay I never make reviews but I had to for this one. I have really fluffy/frizzy hair. Usually, even when I straighten it, it stays fluffy. But, this product literally got rid of all the fluff!!! It stayed slick and shiny for about three days! Best heat protectant I’ve used!"

Constantly flat ironing your hair? Fend off crispy, steamy hair—you know exactly what I'm talking about, babes—with this heat protectant mist specially designed for straightening. The argan oil-infused mist guards against temps of 450 degrees while also enhancing shine and preventing frizz, giving you glass-like strands. There's no such thing as too hot to handle with this in your arsenal.

• Type: Spray
• Key ingredients: Argan oil, castor oil
• Heat protection: Up to 450°F

Glowing customer review: "This is a great spray-on to use along with a hair straightener. It seems to speed up the process. I keep a stash of it at all times!"

Ask any expert, and they'll say the most effective heat protectant is the one you'll actually use. However, some formulas will work better on certain hair types.

"Sprays, creams, and serums are all effective," says Cavalcante. "Sprays work well for fine hair, while creams and serums are better for thicker, coarser textures. It is also a matter of preference—some people prefer spray because they think it is more practical, won’t weigh the hair down as much, and is easier to disperse."

Think about your hair type.

I may sound like captain obvious saying this, but products that work for fine hair types might not be the best choice for those with thick, curly hair. Those with the former will want to opt for more lightweight formulas, like sprays, that will protect your hair without weighing it down. As for the latter, thicker and curlier hair types need all the nourishment they can get, so our experts recommend opting for more substantial heat protectants, like serums and creams, that will infuse hair with hydration on top of safeguarding strands from high temps.

Look at the formula.

Beyond the texture (i.e. spray, cream, serum etc.), Blakely urges you to look at the ingredients on the label. "Some ingredients are known to have natural heat-protecting abilities," she explains. If your heat protectant of choice contains any of the following, Blakely says your hair is in good hands.

• Silicones: These form a heat-resistant barrier, which helps protect hair from damage while improving smoothness and shine.
• Hydrolyzed proteins: These strengthen the hair and provide a protective film to reduce heat damage.
• Aloe vera: It helps boost hydration and creates a layer that locks in moisture while also providing mild heat protection.
• Grape seed oil: Known for its high smoke point, this acts as a natural heat shield.
• Argan oil: This natural oil enhances moisture, reduces frizz, and helps protect hair from heat.

Think about when you'll use it.

Do you regularly blow dry your hair or typically apply heat once your hair is dry? Some heat protectants only work on damp hair, while others can be spritzed on dry hair. Look at the directions before purchasing your protectant of choice to ensure it will mesh with your preferred styling method. (FYI, almost every spray can be used on both wet and dry hair!)

• Temur Hamilton is a professional hairstylist and owner of TEMUR Salon in New York, NY.
• Rogerio Cavalcante is a professional hairstylist and owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York, NY.
• Kimberlee Blakely is a licensed hairstylist and trichologist in New York, NY.