About 10 years ago I shared a post on my favorite drugstore heat protectants. And it’s suddenly getting a lot more attention in 2025! I think people are realizing once again that they shouldn’t be frying their hair with heat styling. I made that post after frying my hair a few years before, and then going on a huge streak of trying all the heat protectants.
Not gonna lie… the heat protectant obsession never left me. I just don’t talk about it much, because is anyone else out there, except maybe Abbey Yung, buying all the possible heat protectant sprays like me? Probably not. I know I have issues… I’ve tried a pretty high percentage of the products out there, and today I’m sharing which ones I would recommend and buy again. A few of these were also featured in my post 10 years ago, which just goes to show that an amazing product really can stand the test of time!
When looking for a heat protectant, I have a few criteria. I want a spray product, so it’s easy to distribute throughout my hair evenly. I want an easy to use sprayer, because who has time to deal with a product that’s too thick and is difficult to apply? And I also want it to have a few additional benefits. If I’m taking the time to spray something all over my head, I want it to add shine, fight frizz and have a bunch of other benefits!
- Not Your Mother’s Beat the Heat Thermal Styling Spray (at ULTA, Amazon, Target): This is one of my picks from the last post! I’ve come back to it several times over the years. I think it’s one of the best at protecting against heat damage, is lightweight and conditioning.
- Tresémme Keratin Smooth Blowout Spray (at Amazon, Target): Tresémme has a couple of good heat protectants (this one is also good), but the Keratin Smooth is my favorite one. It does a better job of adding shine and preventing frizz. And yes, this one is also an oldie but goodie, it was previously featured! I think Tresémme has updated the formula some over the years, but it’s still one I’ll grab at the store when I need more heat protectant.
- OGX Bond Protein Repair Heat Protect Multi-Tasker Spray (at ULTA, Amazon, Target): Let’s face it, we all have times that we’ve been a little extra harsh on our hair, and the breakage is about to get out control. That’s when I do 2 things. First, I make a hair appointment for a good cut STAT, and I swap out as many of my products to bond repair as I can! I was pretty excited when OGX released this Bond Repair heat protectant, and while I do think it helps keep my breakage down, it isn’t quite as good as some of the others at frizz prevention and shine. So, that’s why I haven’t moved to it full time. But if you have breakage, I’d swap to this on. And call your stylist.
- Pantene Miracle Rescue 10-in-1 Multi Tasking Spray (at Amazon, Target): There are a bunch of super multi-tasking products out there with numbers attached to them (I also really like this one from L’Oreal, and this semi-splurge from Redken), but this is my favorite of the drugstore price point sprays. It’s likely no surprise that I think this spray is the best for conditioning my hair. When I’m feeling a little dry, or I’ve spent a bit too much time outside, I need to add moisture.
What heat protectant is your favorite? I’d love to know if I’m missing something amazing!
I’m a doctor, a mommy and a bit of a beauty addict. If you let me, I can take 2 hours to get ready in the morning. Really. I'm on a quest for faster beauty that works!