Heat Protectant Spray: I've tried them all and here's my opinion

I heat style my hair every single day, rotating between blow dry, flat iron or curling iron. I once upon a time had lustrous healthy hair, but that has quickly changed with the heat damage.

My hair stylist friend has pleaded with me to always use heat protectant spray, in the same way I would wear sunscreen before going outside. Thus, in the past year or so, I've literally tried every product out there in a quest to maintain my healthy hair and to prevent breakage or unruly dry split ends.

1. Got2B Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm

I love the bottle. It looks great with the rest of my hair products and I was so excited to try it after reading the very artfully written description:

"b invincible with got2b guardian angel formulated with proven 425°F heat protection plus patented combined styling support.  There's no more need to go any hotter."

Unfortunately, this stuff left my hair a little greasy (note: my hair tends to get greasy with a number of products and not just this one.) The perfume was also overwhelming to me. If you are fortunate enough to dodge the greasy effect from hair products, this may actually be a good product for you!

Got2B makes several other heat protectant sprays, each one geared towards a different purpose (e.g. curling hair, blow drying hair, etc). I find this rather superfluous because all the other heat sprays by other companies are fine for all types of hair styling. Just a trick to get customers to buy more bottles?


2. Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide

I. LOVE. this. stuff. It left my hair angel soft and smooth, with some shine and bounce. The down side is the sticker price, which is more than any other hair product I own. If you are not on a budget or if heat protectant spray is high on your priority list, then I would definitely give this a try.


3. John Freida Heat Defeat

I usually love John Freida products. I am a huge fan of their shampoos and conditioners. They are as close to salon quality without the price tag. Unfortunately, this stuff literally left my hair feeling like someone had spilled soda on it. Super sticky and clumpy hair.

4. Nexxus Heat Protexx

Nexxus is one of the most underrated and forgotten brands out there. I really like their shampoos and conditioners, though I could never justify paying that much right now when my current hair products are a fraction of the price and working fine. I borrowed my friend's Heat Protexx once to curl my hair, and I noticed that the curls were more uniform. Usually, if I try curling my hair without heat protectant spray, the curls get messy and fringes appear. Heat Protexx did not make my hair sticky or greasy, so I would use this again. It is pricier than drugstore brands.

5. Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray

Almost every beauty guru out there has mentioned this product in a blog or YouTube video. The fame is well-deserved. This spray is absolutely amazing! It has all the vitamins to protect hair without weighing it down or greasing it up. It is, in my opinion, the best product for the price. I am on my third bottle of this stuff and have no plans to stop using it. I am not a fan of Tresemme shampoos or conditioners because they tend to dry my hair out. However, the heat tamer spray is just remarkable.

Hope this helps everyone who is looking to prevent heat damage!

trader joes love, part ii

 source: amazon.com

I have a love/hate relationship with conditioners. On the one hand, I love how soft, smooth, and shiny it makes my hair. On the other hand, conditioners are usually filled with silicones and other chemicals that irritate my skin and cause me to break out.

And then, I find the Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner which sells for $3.99 a (big) bottle. This stuff not only smells amazing, but does a great job of conditioning my hair without weighing it down. It's thin but not too runny, and washes out completely leaving my hair healthy and clean. I associate mint smells with cleanliness. The best part is, no breakouts on my cheeks or body!!

kate middleton dyes her hair

every 8 weeks with organic vegetable dye to keep it looking "naturally" chestnut brown and shiny

See Jezebel

my secret to sleek and shiny hair

clarifying shampoo

i've tried every shampoo out there, but i always come back to the same one. alberto VO5's kiwi lime clarifying shampoo is the BEST shampoo out there. it has rich lather and rinses out completely, leaving no residue or build up behind. unlike many other clarifying shampoos, it doesn't dry my hair out. i use it almost daily without fail! above all, this shampoo is around $1 at the local drugstore!

baking soda conditioner

putting “moisturizers” and shine enhancing conditioner in my hair comes at a price -- almost all conditioners contain silicone and cause me to break out. 

thankfully, i came across the BEST trick out there: sprinkling some baking soda into my shampoo. the baking soda fizzles into deep cleansing action and the result is squeaky clean but vibrantly shiny and sleek hair!! i actually compared my hair with and without baking soda in the shampoo, and the baking soda shine result is definitely noticeable. bonus: baking soda has never caused any breakouts!

some of you may remember that baking soda is my HG beauty secret for skin too!