15 best heat protectant sprays to defend your hair from damage
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Best heat protectant spray overall
Best heat protectant spray specifically for coloured hair
Best heat protection spray for shine and softness
Whether you're using your hair dryer on the lowest setting, or going for a slick and sleek style with hair straighteners, spritzing one of the best heat protectant sprays is an essential first step before picking up any kind of hot styling tool.
"Think of a heat protectant like a coat of armour for your hair," explains ghd global ambassador, Patrick Wilson. “Coating each individual strand, these clever formulas help the hair to lock-in moisture, and seal off the cuticle from getting damaged.”
By shielding the hair from direct contact with heat – and sealing in moisture – these miracle sprays and mists help to prevent dryness, damage, and breakage. The result? Sleek hair that look and feel much smoother, have serious shine, and take far less time to detangle, dry, and style.
A truly preventative measure, making heat protectant a non-negotiable part of your hair styling routine is key if you want to maintain a sleek and strong head of hair. After all — there's no point sleeping on a silk pillowcase or massaging a hair oil into your scalp every week if you're going to continually singe your strands every time you use your curling wand.
SKIP TO: Our full reviews | How do you use heat protection spray? | What ingredients should you look for in an effective heat protection spray?
Meet the experts:
| Lewis Pallett | Celebrity Hair Stylist and Colourist. |
| Patrick Wilson | ghd's Global Ambassador. |
How we tested heat protection sprays:
Throughout the years, GLAMOUR's editors have collectively tried hundreds of heat protectant sprays on our wide range of different hair types, textures, and lengths. From straight and fine hair, to textured and curly hair, it's safe to say that we've got all possible bases covered.
When reviewing each formula, we've scrutinised their ingredients and any claims that they make, assessing products on how quickly they dry, scent, to how effective they actually seem to be at reducing heat damage and whether they leave your hair feeling tacky. Read more about how we test here.
Ahead, our fave heat protectant sprays for keeping your hair healthy and happy in 2025.
ghd Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray
- Key ingredients: Polymers and conditioning agents.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 120ml.
- Additional product benefits: Smooths and adds shine; Suitable for all hair types; Doesn't leave hair sticky or greasy.
ghd bodyguard creates two levels of heat protection between the heat of a styling tool and the hair, using polymers and conditioning agents. The bodyguard heat spray coats each strand of hair for a smoother-looking finish that's ready for styling — and best of all, it's completely weightless, and doesn't leave behind that telltale sticky residue that can make your hair look and feel far more greasy. Suitable for all hair types and heat styling methods, it's a great all-rounder.
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Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Purpose Hair Spray
- Key ingredients: AntiFadeComplex, Keravis™, coconut and olive oil.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 200ml.
- Additional product benefits: Protects colour and bleach; Also a leave-in conditioner; Detangles and preps hair for styling.
Delivering 21 benefits that work together to prime, protect, and perfect colour-treated hair, there's a lot to love about this brilliant spray. Keeping your colour vibrant for longer, the unique AntiFadeComplex protects the hair from environmental aggressors and heat damage caused by styling tools, while the vegetable-based protein Keravis™ helps to strengthen strands and prevent split-ends. Finally, it's also enriched with a blend of natural oils that smooth and condition — without weighing down your hair.
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Beauty Works 10 in 1 Miracle Heat Protect Spray
- Key ingredients: Argan and macadamia oils.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 250ml.
- Additional product benefits: Smooths hair; Softens and detangles strands; Adds serious amounts of shine.
Essentially a heat protectant, shine spray, and hair styling product in one, this best-selling spray is pretty hard to beat. Fortified with Argan and macadamia, this nourishing formula works to replenish lost oils, and prevent split-ends — all while also detangling your tresses, enhancing natural body, and leaving behind that all-important mirror-like shine.
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Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer
- Key ingredients: Coconut oil, Argan oil, grape seed oil, macadamia nut oil, sweet almond oil, and safflower seed oil.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 250ml.
- Additional product benefits: Hydrates and nourishes; Detangles; Has a sweet and fruity scent.
This heat protectant fluid is essentially a leave-in conditioner that's particularly famous for working wonders on dry and brittle strands, and coarse curls and coils. Infused with a weightless blend of six nourishing oils, the formula helps to soften and detangle strands, smooth flyaways, and — most importantly — protect against damage caused by heat and UV filters.
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TRESemme Care & Protect Heat Defence Spray
- Key ingredients: Polymers and conditioning agents.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 300ml.
- Additional product benefits: Reduces breakage; Prevents dryness; Adds shine.
Heat protection spray truly doesn't have to break the bank. Designed to leave your hair soft and shiny — whilst also protecting it from excess damage — this TRESemme spray is really affordable, and can be bought with next day delivery on Amazon. Plus, it can also be bought as part of a bundle with a TRESemme hairspray.
Save when you shop for heat protector sprays with these Amazon discount codes.
Kérastase Genesis Defense Thermique Treatment Spray
- Key ingredients: Edelweiss native cells, ginger root, and aquaxyl
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 150ml.
- Additional product benefits: Hydrates and nourishes; Reduces breakage.
This strengthening spray is a must-have haircare product for weak strands that break and buckle easily. Protective and nourishing, Edelweiss Native Cells and Ginger Root give it a serious hit of hydration for up to twenty-four hours — but the formula is still light enough that it won't weigh down the hair.
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Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray
- Key ingredients: Moroccan argan oil and silicone.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 175ml.
- Additional product benefits: Smooths and adds shine; Speeds up drying time; Really luxurious scent.
Infused with Moroccan argan oil that is super repairing and moisturising to split ends, and silicone for sleekness and smoothing, this serum spray leaves you shining. For Lewis, Oribe is “worth every penny”. The formula is lightweight, easy to evenly distribute into the hair, smells incredible, and gives a moisture-boost whilst protecting your strands. And with 600+ five-star reviews, it's clear that customers agree.
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Olaplex Volumising Blow Dry Mist
- Key ingredients: Pea peptides, jackfruit, and Bis-Aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 150ml.
- Additional product benefits: Delivers body and bounce; Adds shine; Smooths and strengthens strands.
Designed to speed up drying time, protect against heat damage, and leave you with enviable blowouts that boast heaps of body and shine, this mist is hard to beat. Alongside the patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology that protects and repairs, the formula is packed with advanced polymers and jackfruit polysaccharides that help with smoothness and shine, and pea peptides that plump and hydrate every single strand. Sulphate and paraben free, it's a mist that contains only the good stuff.
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Hair by Sam McKnight Save The Do Heat Protection Spray
- Key ingredients: Flexan, crodasone, provitamin B5, hibiscus, and fire tulip extracts.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 150ml.
- Additional product benefits: Conditions and nourishes; Hydrates; Primes the hair for styling.
If your fine hair quickly falls flat after it's styled, this heat protection spray should help give it a little extra hold. Great for prep, it provides a protective shield around each strand to keep thermal damage at bay — while conditioning ingredients like hibiscus and fire tulip extracts provide nourishment, and leave you with enviably shiny hair. It's also been designed to help the hair retain its shape an hold for a little longer.
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Redken One United Multi-Benefit Treatment Spray
- Key ingredients: Lactic acid and coconut oil.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 150ml.
- Additional product benefits: Nourishes and strengthens; Conditions and detangles strands; Safe for coloured hair.
Not just a heat protectant, this leave-in conditioner spray will make a worthy addition to anybody's haircare routine — regardless of their hair type or texture. A multi-tasking formula, expect 25 benefits in just one bottle — most notably that it'll truly condition and nourish your strands. Plus, it'll also improve manageability by making tangles easier to tackle, smooth split-ends and reduce dryness, and prime every single strand for styling.
Save when you shop for the best heat protectant sprays with these Sephora discount codes.
ARKIVE The Prologue Hair Primer Spray
- Key ingredients: Baobab oil and protein.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 230˚C.
- Size: 200ml.
- Additional product benefits: Detangles and preps hair for styling; Smooths and adds shine; Refreshing fruity aroma.
Adam Reed has nailed every product in his product line – and the Prologue Primer is no different. A styling spray and heat protectant combined, it preps the hair for thermal styling, while also providing memory hold — making it a great option if you want defined curls that last all day. It smells absolutely stunning, too – a big focus for Adam – and the affordable price tag is a bonus.
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Aveda Heat Relief Thermal Protector and Conditioning Mist
Specification:
- Key ingredients: Organic sunflower and jojoba oils.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 100ml.
- Additional product benefits: Lightweight formula; Softens strands; Gorgeous natural scent.
This weightless mist will instantly get to work arming the hair against oncoming heat styling — so as to minimise damage. Plus, it also really conditions the hair, helps with detangling, and leaves hair with a mirror-shine finish. Boasting a 97% naturally derived formula, it's a must-have addition to the haircare routine of anyone who likes to steer clear of synthetic ingredients.
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L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.ART Pli Shaper
Specification:
- Key ingredients: Polymers and conditioning agents.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 190ml.
- Additional product benefits: Primes hair for styling; Enhances shape memory; Provides root-lift and volume.
The ultimate thermo-modelling spray, this is the heat protectant to pick if you've got the kind of hair that struggles to hold onto any body and bounce for very long at all after styling. With its impressive heat memory, and natural feel that leaves strands soft and never crispy, its the ultimate styling primer for achieving long-lasting bouncy curls with your Dyson Airwrap or Shark FlexStyle.
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Bumble and Bumble Heat Shield Thermal Protection Mist
Specification:
- Key ingredients: Honey Protective Complex.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 125ml.
- Additional product benefits: Lightweight and non-greasy; Adds shine and softness; Gorgeous honey scent.
Not designed to be used on damp hair, this nifty mist is a must-have for touch-ups with classic hair styling tools like flat irons, heated rollers, wavers, and curling irons. It repairs and prevents damage by fortifying the hair fibres to reinforce their internal structure — and the clever Honey Protective Complex restores glow, and leaves behind a truly delicious scent.
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Amika The Wizard Silicone Free Detangling Primer
Specification:
- Key ingredients: Squalane, sea buckthorn oil, and avocado, fruit, and seed oils.
- Maximum heat protection: Up to 232˚C.
- Size: 118ml.
- Additional product benefits: Detangles; Smooths; Cuts down on blow-drying time.
If you find your hair is forever tangling (looking at you, bleach blonde babes), you need to get your hands on Amika’s primer. Designed to add a burst of moisture and leave it properly primed for styling, the even spray detangles and combs through really nicely — and even helps speed up drying time. Certified cruelty-free and vegan, it's a truly ethical buy.
Your heat protectant FAQs, answered:
How do you use heat protection spray?
In order for your heat protection spray to form a proper barrier between your hair and hot styling tools, you'll need to do more than just a quick spritz over the top of your head. “A good technique is to hold the spray bottle in one hand, and grab your hair with the other, and basically lift and drop each section while continuously spraying," Lewis explains.
It doesn't matter whether you're styling freshly-washed hair from scratch, or just doing a quick touch-up on day two or three, the spray has to be applied whenever you use even the smallest amount of heat. And remember to spritz it before you go in with any products like styling cream or mousse. “Everybody needs to be using some kind of heat protection spray — regardless of their hair type," Lewis adds.
But remember — although coating every single hair is definitely the aim, you'll need to wait for the formula to fully dry before getting out the straightener or curling tong if you want to avoid damage. In a hurry? A gentle blow dry will speed up the process.
What ingredients should you look for in an effective heat protection spray?
“First and foremost, you want to specifically look for protecting polymers,” explains ghd Global Ambassador, Patrick Wilson. “These are the heroes that form that smooth, protective barrier, stopping those cuticles from lifting and giving you that sleek finish we all adore.”
Next up; conditioning agents. Designed to attract and retain moisture, natural humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera are often present in heat defence sprays thanks to their hydrating properties. “Conditioning agents are essentially the nurturing side of the equation,” Patrick adds. “Keeping your hair hydrated and supple, they work together with those all-important polymers to give you a smooth, healthy, and heat-protected mane.”
Strengthening ingredients like amino acids and keratin are also worth looking out for if you're dealing with damaged hair, as they can really help prevent breakage, and are also rich in nourishing antioxidants. Had your hair coloured or bleached? “Don’t forget to look for protection from UV rays in your heat protectant formula, as this will help protect your tresses from fading and discolouration,” Patrick adds.