Do you have relaxed hair and are on the lookout for the best heat protectants for your African American mane? We’ve got you covered. The relaxed hair is often porous and fragile, making it more susceptible to split ends. This is why you need the best heat protectants for relaxed hair you can find.
If you’ve been struggling with heat damage, you must know you are not alone. You’ve probably heard that relaxed hair should limit heat damage by avoiding heated styling tools. While this would be easy in an ideal world, it is not for the average empowered woman who needs to look her best at all times. So what do you do? Glad you asked.
Whether your hair is relaxed or not, you will want to be able to change your style from time to time, and for that, you need a powerful straightener and the right products to keep your mane looking and feeling fabulous and healthy. Among those products, you can bet you’ll find heat protectants for hair.
As you might imagine, heat protectants for African American hair are key as you should never, for any reason, apply heat to your strands without the proper protection. If you can relate but have no idea where to look for yours, check out our top-rated heat protectants for relaxed hair.
Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair Quick Guide
Best Overall: Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest On Amazon: Design Essentials Thermal Protectant Serum
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Night Hair Treatment: Truss Day By Day Heat Protectant Spray
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest For Softness & Shine: Kenra Sugar Beach Heat Protectant Spray
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Affordable: Hair Food Coconut & Argan Oil Heat Protectant
⇣ Jump to ReviewChoosing Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair
Heat Range
Each heat protectant has a heat range that it can resist. Always check for its heat barriers and only apply heat that it can handle. Keep in mind ceramic irons are one of the hottest tools we use on our hair, some of which get over 450⁰F.
Type
Heat protectants come in all types, including spray, serum, and cream. Depending on your hair type and the desired style, you’ll want to choose a different formula. Some sources advise using the spray for oily hair, serum for dry hair, and cream for damaged hair.
Ingredients
Most heat protectants come with either Cyclomethicone or dimethicone. Look for those that nourish hair and prevent frizz and humidity from taking over your smooth style and ruining it for the day.
Best Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair
Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant
What We Like
- Lightweight
- Moisturizing
What We Don’t Like
- Aerosol Can
Although rich argan oil is the key ingredient here, this aerosol spray is surprisingly dry and weightless, which makes it a great pick for relaxed hair.
It contains conditioning panthenol, too, and boasts a lovely signature scent that’s so good it’ll make you reach for the product daily.
Active Ingredients include; argan oil, octyl acrylamide/acrylates/butylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer. All good stuff for your relaxed hair.
Tips
This works amazingly well when straightening my hair! It keeps it shiny and protected and reduces any tangles. It was still silly the day after when I woke up. Smells great.
Design Essentials Thermal Protectant Serum
What We Like
- Paraben-Free
- Sulfate-Free
What We Don’t Like
- 4 Ounces Only
Thermal Protectant Serum provides an intense shine while sealing the cuticle and locking moisture into the hair when blow-drying, flat-ironing, or using hot tools for a perfect finish.
It seals the cuticle and locks moisture into the hair for a perfect finish; it uses marshmallow extract to promote hair growth.
Lightweight formula to minimize buildup and smooths cuticles; no parabens, sulfates, artificial dyes, or phthalate.
Tips
Place a few drops onto palms and apply to hair from scalp to ends.
Truss Day By Day Heat Protectant Spray
What We Like
- Leave-in Treatment
- Lightweight
- Avocado Infused
What We Don’t Like
- Spray
Give your hair the heat protection it needs to let your styles truly stand out with heat-protectant leave-in treatment by Hot Tools.
You can expect maximum protection, lightweight, and smooth results. Prime your hair for your styling routine with the heat-protectant spray that brings multiple benefits to all hair types.
Formulated to soften, add shine, and reduce flyaways. Infused with nourishing avocado and olive oils to help hydrate and quench dry, dull hair.
Tips
Spray on wet or dry hair or opt for a leave-in treatment and use it throughout the day to refresh strands.
Kenra Sugar Beach Heat Protectant Spray
What We Like
- Dairy Free
- Serum
What We Don’t Like
- Pricey
Bring the heat, but keep hair safe with this lightweight serum that protects hair from thermal styling and blow drying.
Shields hair from heat styling, forming a protective barrier for a smooth finish with added softness and shine.
Distribute 2 to 3 pumps throughout damp hair. Heat style as desired.
What Our Testers Say
This spray is the best. I have thick, blonde, waves hair that has a lot of natural volumes when it’s cut shorter like it is not. My waves can be frizzy if I don’t use something like this spray to control them.
Hair Food Coconut & Argan Oil Heat Protectant
What We Like
- Paraben-Free
- Dye-Free
What We Don’t Like
- Spray
Have no fear of blow-dryers or styling irons. Hair Food Coconut & Argan Oil Heat Protectant Spray helps to seal and protect your hair from heat damage up to 450°F and gives it a healthy shine.
Protects all hair types to give hair a healthy-looking shine and lets you style to your heart’s content.
Whether you have straight, wavy, or curly hair, fine or thick, Hair Food Protectant Spray protects it all. Shake well and then spray liberally, section by section, before applying heat
What Our Testers Say
This is my first heat protector, so I’m obsessed with the scent, although I’d prefer no perfumes; I needed this asap. My hair feels soft and healthy and not dry anymore. I recommend it for a simple, natural-smell heat protector.
How To Apply Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair Steps
Step 1: Dry your hair
Use your blow dryer on the cool setting to remove as much of the wetness as possible.
Step 2: Section hair and apply
Spray only on your hair, avoiding the scalp. Shake well and then spray liberally, section by section.
Step 3: Comb your hair
You can comb your hair after application to make sure the product spreads evenly across the hair.
Step 4: Style as desired
After the heat protectant has dried, you can proceed to style your hair as usual.
Common Questions About Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair
What are heat protectants for hair?
As the name indicates, heat protectants have been formulated to help protect hair from heat. Whether you’re using low or high heat, most heat protectants protect your hair against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is heat good for relaxed hair?
Not really; you ought to avoid hot tools. The perk of a relaxer is that it makes you less reliant on hot tools to straighten and style hair.
Because the process of relaxing hair weakens follicles, you’ll want to avoid using excessive heat as it can easily cause damage.
Why do you need heat protectants for relaxed hair?
Relaxed hair is sleek and shiny when it’s first styled and takes work to keep fresh.
Adding condition and protecting hair from heat are essential if you want your relaxed hair to last. Thus, it keeps your locks safe while you create chic and sleek styles.
How do heat protectants for relaxed hair work?
Heat protectants for relaxed hair add moisture to the hair, forming a protective barrier around the strands during this process. This is thanks to the combination of ingredients, including silicones, Cyclomethicone, and dimethicone.
What can happen if you don’t use heat protectants for relaxed hair?
Though the answer might be pretty obvious, you don’t want to worry about it. When you expose your hair to heat, it will lead to more and more damage, ultimately making it prone to breakage and other serious issues.
You may not notice it the first few times you do it, but over time, you and those around you will notice the negative change in your strands.
What is the most effective heat protectant for hair?
Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray is among the best heat protectants for relaxed hair. Experts agree that the heat protection this versatile spritz delivers is lightweight and effective.
It can go on wet or dry hair, ideal for when you want to use your straightener for a quick touch-up. Plus, it even works as a UV protectant, too.
How often can I flat iron my relaxed hair?
For those with colored, relaxed, or bleached hair, it is always advised to only use a flat iron once every two weeks or less. Heat can cause your color to fade, making future dye jobs difficult.
How can I protect my African hair from heat damage?
- Shampoo, deep condition, and moisturizing are key. Deep conditioning is particularly important because it moisturizes your hair, promotes elasticity, prevents damage, and restores shine.
- Some advice: when using heating tools, apply a generous amount of heat protectant, and let it sit for a few minutes.
Why should you let heat protectants for relaxed hair dry before straightening?
Yes, let your heat protectants for relaxed hair fully dry first. You should never heat straighten your hair with any kind of wetness on hair, whether a premium heat protectant or water.
When hair remains wet, high temperature from a powerful flat iron heats and boils liquid that is on and in your hair follicles.
How To Use Heat Protectants For Relaxed Hair Video Tutorial
In the video below, you’ll find everything you need and the necessary guidance to obtain amazing results using heat protectants for relaxed hair.
Products Mentioned In This Article
- Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant
- Design Essentials Thermal Protectant Serum
- Truss Day By Day Heat Protectant Spray
- Kenra Sugar Beach Heat Protectant Spray
- Hair Food Coconut & Argan Oil Heat Protectant
Disclosure: The Hair Products recommended in this article are our top favorites because they have a great combination of quality, features, and affordability. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through the links as a way to support this site. If you buy a qualifying product, you’re not charged anything extra, but I’ll get a small commission to help pay for my expenses. I hope you find our advice helpful and discover the Best Hair Products for your needs on this list.
