Is heat protectant spray or cream better?
Have you ever stopped to consider what those high temperatures are doing to your hair each time you style it with hot tools? It's a pertinent question that could change the way you view your hair care routine fundamentally. In our quest for the perfect waves, curls, or sleek styles, our hair often bears the brunt of our beauty practices.
The importance of heat protectors cannot be overstated. Regular exposure to high temperatures during styling leads to a plethora of hair woes – breakage, split ends, and an unquenchable dryness that no amount of conditioner seems to remedy. It's a silent battle every strand faces, risking the very integrity of your hair.
Heat protectors are not just another product to add to your burgeoning bathroom shelf; they are specialized allies designed to shield your hair from the searing heat of styling tools. These formulations play a pivotal role in not only maintaining but enhancing your hair's integrity and vitality. Think of them as the secret weapon that stands between the unforgiving heat and your precious strands, providing a protective barrier that is vital for healthy hair.
What Happens To Hair When Heated
When hair is exposed to heat, a series of physical and chemical changes occur, some of which can have lasting damaging effects. At a molecular level, your hair consists of various proteins, with keratin being the most significant. Keratin proteins are held together by different types of bonds. The heat from styling tools is intense enough to break these bonds, allowing the hair to take on a new shape. Once the hair cools, these bonds reform and lock the hair into the new style. However, frequent heat styling can lead to a breakdown of these bonds beyond the hair's natural capacity to repair itself, causing permanent alteration to the hair's structure and integrity, hence, breakage.
When compromised, fragile hair is exposed to excessive heat, the already lacking proteins that give hair its strength and structure can become damaged, leading to further weakening and breakage.
Intense heat can also cause colour shift in the hair, particularly in colour treated hair, with excessive use. This happens because the high temperatures can disrupt the cuticle—the hair's protective outer layer—and allow the colour to leach out, causing faded colour.
Why You Need A Heat Protectant
Using hot tools for styling hair can lead to damage due to the high temperatures, which can cause breakage, dryness, and loss of natural moisture. A heat protector forms a protective barrier over the hair's cuticle when applied before using hot tools. This barrier not only protects the hair from the damaging effects of the heat but also helps retain moisture, prevent split ends, and maintain hair health.
This coating helps to slow down the rate at which heat is conducted to the hair fibers, preventing direct and intense heat exposure. As a result, the heat is distributed more uniformly across the entire hair shaft. This even distribution of heat helps minimize hot spots that can scorch the hair and reduces the overall thermal damage.
Spray vs Cream Heat Protectant
Selecting a heat protectant is simplest when you base your choice on your hair type, as sprays and creams are specifically crafted to cater to different hair textures and requirements.
Though you may choose based on hair texture, it’s also common to combine the two for those who have thick, coarse hair.
Individuals with fine hair often face a delicate balancing act when it comes to selecting hair care and styling products. The primary challenge lies in finding products that provide the necessary benefits without compromising the hair's natural volume and movement. Superior Blowout Mist is formulated to disperse a fine mist that coats the hair lightly, ensuring that each strand receives adequate protection without the product accumulating and causing heaviness.
The advantage of a spray is its ease of application; it can be quickly applied to damp hair, and offer even distribution throughout your hair.
Coarse, curly hair types often require more moisture and tend to be more susceptible to frizz and heat damage due to their density and texture. A cream formula heat protectant can be particularly beneficial for thick, curly hair, offering comprehensive protection while providing additional hydration and frizz control.
Cream-based heat protectants are typically richer in consistency and designed to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft. Ultimate Hair Cream is loaded with nourishing ingredients like tamanu oil, camellia extract and pomegranate oil that provides hair with benefits including anti-breakage, UV protection, weightless moisture, brilliant shine, smooth polish, light hold, and added strength, on top of heat protection.
What Are TO112 Nourishing Heat Protecting Ingredients
The quality of ingredients in a heat protectant is crucial for effective protection. High-quality ingredients can better form a barrier that minimizes heat damage by evenly distributing heat and reducing moisture loss. Ingredients often include natural oils, proteins, and silicones that not only shield the hair but also nourish and strengthen it. Premium ingredients can also enhance the hair's natural shine and manageability, improving overall hair health and aesthetics after styling.
TLDR; Superior Blowout Mist, and Ultimate Hair Cream are both formulated to protect up to 500 degree Fahrenheit, and combined, have the essential oils that help nourish and maintain hair health like the following:
- Smooths hair for manageability
- Lightweight hydrator
- Helps strands retain moisture
Grapeseed Oil
- Protects hair from breakage
- Seals in moisture without weight
- Adds shine
BlackSeed Oils
- Keeps hair soft, hydrated, and shiny
- Maintains overall health of hair and scalp
Pomegranate Oil
- Keeps hair healthy & shiny
- Antioxidants prevent hair loss and promote healthy hair growth
- Strengthens hair
Camellia Extract
- A non-greasy, rich moisturizer
- Restores hair’s natural sheen
- Protects against environmental pollutants
- Aids in the treatment of damage from colouring
Dimethicone Copolymer
- A heat protectant that forms a barrier around each strand to protect from moisture loss
- Has low thermal conductivity making a heat resistant barrier
