How To
Put it to the Test: Heat Protectants
Every hair stylist preaches the importance of using a heat protectant! However, if you’re anything like us, it remains the last thing you add to your beauty routine instead of the first. We rounded up the most popular sellers and put them to the test in an effort to change this. Testing the smell, price, application and effectiveness allowed for an overall rating of our favorites! Read through to see our worst to best:
#6 Hair Food: Hair Food was the cleanest option we came across. It is free of sulfates, parabens, dyes and mineral oils. It smells like the tropics with a light scent of coconut and is only $11.99 on Amazon. However, the application was our least favorite. The sprtiz made it difficult to apply evenly. We weren’t sold on it’s effectiveness as the hair remained frizzy. We ranked Hair Food at #6 in our roundup.
#5 Eva NYC: This was a Target find. We will be the first to admit that the packaging had us sold! It started out as a strong contender with a fresh floral scent and a price point of only $11.99. It was easy to apply with a mister that allowed for even distribution of product. It is free of sulfates and parabens, which is a definite bonus. After application, the hair felt slightly oily which could be a turn off for those who already have oil prone hair. The oily feel caused the curls to separate more than normal which ultimately led to it’s ranking of 5th place.
#4 Living Proof: This one is a bit more expensive at $28 on Amazon. We had high hopes as Living Proof products always seem to be a crowd favorite. The scent was the “signature” Living Proof scent which is refreshing and clean. It applied like an aerosol allowing for equal distribution of product. After curling, the hair remained slightly frizzy not convincing us that it was worth the price. For these reasons, it was placed in the middle of the pack.
#3 Amika: This one is also higher in price at $25 on Amazon. It is a serum so the application was different than the rest making the comparison difficult. The smell was their signature scent of vanilla, citrus and spicy clover. Ultimately, we decided that the serum was messy making it harder to distribute evenly. We were happy with this one as the oil seemed to tame the frizz but did not separate the curls. This led to it’s placement in the top 3.
#2 Joico: Joico was mid-range in price at $16.99 on Amazon. The application was similar to an aerosol and allowed for easy usage. It has that classic hair product scent. However, the smell didn’t linger which made it a low factor in the overall rating. The curl held well and did not separate over time which placed it as #2 in our lineup.
#1 Chi: This is the most popular heat protectant and after trying it we understand why! It is inexpensive at only $10.59 on Amazon and it contained the most product. The smell is more masculine and reminded us of our favorite cologne. It sprays a little heavy. However, when holding it a few inches away from the hair it was easy to achieve an even spray. Chi produced the best results as it was smooth, frizz-free and curled beautifully. Chi checked the most boxes and we were thoroughly impressed with the results so it stole the coveted #1 spot.
When using heat on your natural hair or extensions, remember to grab your heat protectant first. Using a heat protectant and setting your iron to 350 or below on your extensions will help extend the life of your BFB Hair. A simple spritz is all you need and you’ve done your hair a major favor!