The Best Heat Protectant Sprays for Wet and Dry Hair

I tested more than 50 heat protectants over the past year. Whether you’re blow-drying, curling, or straightening, these are the best formulas I’ve found.

As someone who tests flat irons for a living, my hair has seen its fair share of damage. Even though I've been using heat protectant spray for most of my adult life to combat everything from split ends and breakage to lack of shine and dried-out cuticles, I'd never really given much thought as to whether the formula I was using was actually right for my desired purposes.

Is it protective enough to withstand even the hottest flat iron, or just a blow dryer? Could it be used on dry hair for touch-ups, or can it only be applied to damp hair? Does it fight frizz? I set out to investigate, trying dozens of blow-dry sprays, balms, and serums from some of ...