Some people think using a heat protectant is superfluous because heat protectants will leave their hair sticky and crunchy. Well, perhaps it is just the heat protectant is not suitable for their hair type.
Picking the right heat protectant is the key to protecting your hair from getting heat damage. However, a truly alcohol-free heat protectant is really hard to find. But, if you are tired of those heat protectants with an alcohol base in the market, here is my favorite option, and it is completely alcohol-free!
The 3 Best Alcohol-Free Heat Protectants for Healthy Hair
JuniorLabs Alcohol-Free Heat Protectant Spray with Moroccan Argan Oil
Well, the JuniorLabs heat protectant is a very powerful product, and it is a heat protectant that contains 0 alcohol-related ingredients. (I will explain why other heat protectants are not truly alcohol-free)
The JuniorLabs heat protectant is designed for protecting and detangling your hair when using your heat styling tools. And it can protect our hair up to 450°F, which is top-notch compared to other regular hair sprays.
The product is infused with Moroccan argan oil, which is a natural material that is commonly used to add shine and smoothness to hair. It is a high-performance heat protectant that prevents frizz and revitalizes shine, especially when straightening hair. Most importantly, the product is color-safe and your hair color won’t be stripped by its special formula.
Why people love this heat spray? the main reason is that the heat protectant is a very healthy and friendly choice when you have sensitive skin.
First, it is sulfate-free, and it has no harmful chemicals like paraben and phosphate. Their minimal ingredients can make your hair well-protected without adding too many extra artificial preservatives.
The heat protectant contains 5 types of substances only: Distilled Water, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Argan Oil, and Optiphen. It is the most simple ingredient that I’ve seen in a heat protector
If you take a look at its ingredients, you will know why this is a truly alcohol-free heat protectant.
Color Wow Speed Dry Alcohol-free Blow Dry Spray
The Color Wow Speed Dry heat protectant is a typical hair spray that speeds up blow drying time without losing the ability to protect your hair from heat damage.
If you don’t wanna spend much time blow drying your hair with several products with complicated ingredients, this Color Wow alcohol-free spray is a go-to heat protectant for daily blowouts.
The product says you can cut blow drying time by 30% at least. With this powerful performance, your hair will receive less heat and dryness. So your strands can be hydrated and silky after blow drying.
As a healthy alcohol-free product, this heat protectant spray is also cruelty-free and gluten-free. Moreover, it is friendly to colored hair.
RUSK Designer Collection Alcohol-Free Thermal Serum
If hair sprays won’t give your hair enough shine because they are lightweight and they are quick to get dried, the RUSK Designer Collection Alcohol-Free serum is a great hair heat protectant to get.
As the name indicates, it is a serum so it can handle frizz and flyaways more effectively than sprays. The thicker liquid means you will have more shine and even smoothness on the finish of your hair, and the serum with argan oil will penetrate your hair shafts to deliver great conditioning.
The highly concentrated formula of the thermal serum is also alcohol-free, which means you can safely use the product on your hair without irritation. A benefit of the versatile serum is that this heat protectant can be used on dry hair to add instant shine without washing your hair.
How to Know If A Heat Protectant Is Truly Alcohol-Free?
People say there are tons of alcohol-free heat protectants available to buy because they did not see there was “alcohol” in the product ingredients.
That is not really the correct way to identify an alcohol-free heat protectant. A lot of heat protectants will not directly put the text “alcohol” on their bottles. What’s more, there are many alcohol-related ingredients that might trick you.
For example, an argan oil heat protectant that has phenoxyethanol and ethyl hexanoate in its formula is considered to be alcohol-related, even though it says their materials are all-natural.
But, I am not saying these alcohol-related substances are 100% harmful to your hair, actually, some of them are quite useful to maintain the heat protectants’ quality. I am just saying that some heat protectants that do not have the word “alcohol” are not really alcohol-free products.
To see if a heat protectant is really alcohol-free, you should google the ingredients one by one to find if they have something to do with alcohol or ethanol.
Why Should You Use an Alcohol-Free Heat Protectant?
It Is Less Irritating
If your skin type is sensitive or you are allergic to alcohol, the safest heat protectant should be alcohol-free.
Although it is proved that the volume of alcohol-related ingredients only takes up a tiny part of the whole heat protectant, and it is safe to use heat protectors with alcohol for most people, it is still a bit risky when you have very sensitive skin.
Try to replace your hair products with alcohol-free ones if you feel a burning sensation when styling.
Drying Alcohol Makes Your Hair Sticky
Usually, heat protectants from reputable brands may contain slight alcohol-related ingredients, but they are not going to cause any serious harm to your hair and your scalp.
However, if you purchase an inferior heat protectant or a counterfeit that is from an unknown seller, the quality will not be promised. A heat protectant knockoff with drying alcohol usually comes with a heavy texture, which can make your hair sticky and grimy.