I’ve tried tons of natural heat protectants made with clean ingredients and am sharing the winners. The best non toxic heat protectant will be free of silicones, parabens, alcohol, sulfates, chemical fragrance, mineral oils and phthalates.

Clean heat protectants will help prevent damage, tame frizz (they double as leave in conditioners!) and nourish strands with nutrient rich whole plant or plant-derived ingredients. If you’re looking to improve the health of your hair, I encourage you to toss out conventional hair products filled with useless filler ingredients, synthetics and harmful toxins.

Ingredients to avoid in heat protectant

• Alcohol (especially Denatured Alcohol or Isopropyl Alcohol): Can be drying to the hair, stripping moisture and causing brittleness.
• Silicones (e.g., Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane): While they can offer smoothness, they can build up on hair over time, making it dull and harder to clean.
• Formaldehyde or Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (e.g., DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15): These can cause irritation and may be harmful with repeated exposure.
• Parabens (e.g., Methylparaben, Propylparaben): Preservatives linked to hormone disruption and potential skin irritation.
• Synthetic Fragrances: Can be irritating to sensitive skin or scalp and may cause allergic reactions.
• Sulfates (e.g., Sodium Lauryl Sulfate): These can strip the hair of natural oils, leaving it dry and prone to damage.
• Phthalates: Often used in fragrances, they can be toxic with prolonged exposure and have been linked to hormone disruption.
• Mineral Oil or Petroleum-based ingredients: These can weigh down hair.

I tried Lolavie Perfecting Leave In

This is a creamy leave-in conditioner that’s also acts as a heat protectant. It not only has a vegan thermal shield to help protect my hair during heat styling, but also smooths frizz, gives my hair a boost of hydration, and makes my hair look less dry and damaged. I love that it has Rose of Jericho, which is a natural silicone alternative, coconut and lipids to make hair silky, amaranthus squalane to increase moisture, and acai. I personally prefer sprays, but if you find that spray leave-in conditioners aren’t cutting it for your hair, a cream leave-in like Lolavie’s is a great option. This is impactful without being heavy or weighing hair down. There is a very faint scent that’s super subtle.

Price: $31 for 5 oz
Feels like: a creamy serum

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I tried EVOLVh SmartStart Leave In

This is one of the first organic heat protectant products I tried and it’s still one of my go-to’s despite all the new launches I’m testing. I love them because they’re truly all-natural, non-toxic and organic as well as well-researched and formulated. Smartstart Leave In Conditioner Spray is a light spray that nourishes and strengthens strands with plant-powered ingredients while defending against damaging heat, pollution and UV rays. I love that it’s got Rice Bran Extract, Black Cumin Seed Oil, Elaeis, Lecithin, Pumpkin Seed Oil and a grapefruit scent like the rest of the EVOLVh line. I also so appreciate that you get a lot more product compared to other non toxic heat protectants in clean beauty.

Evolvh has a wide variety of natural hair styling products that double as heat protectants. If a spray isn’t your thing, and you want something gel-like I recommend their Polishing Balm. It’s a weightless gel-serum that also protects your hair from heat while reducing frizz. There’s no feeling of residue, stickiness or being weighed down.

Price: $28 for 8.5 oz
Feels like: a light mist
Use OBL for -15%

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I tried Rahua Hydration Detangler + UV Barrier

When I first tried Rahua’s Hydration Detangler UV Barrier spray I was put off by the cloyingly sweet scent. This is an incredibly creamy liquid heat protectant detangles my hair instantly. I’ll have a bird’s nest on my head and after I spray this all over my hairbrush actually glides through so much more easily than if I hadn’t. I find that it softens my hair, smooths frizz, and prevents breakage and damage. It has some protection power through Morete oil which helps provide a UV defense barrier and contains Mango Sugars, Sacha Inchi and Rahua from the Amazon. If you’re sensitive to scents though, I would avoid. You may either love or hate its particularly strong sweet fruity scent.

Price: $34 for 6.5 oz
Feels like: a creamy mist

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I tried Ceremonia Guava Rescue Spray

Many of the clean heat protectants in this post can be costly, so allow me to put Ceremonia Guava Rescue Spray on your radar. This new hair care brand is Latinx inspired and sources certain ingredients from Latin America (be sure to check out their hair oil too). While Guava Rescue Spray does contain Phenoxyethanol and is not the cleanest in this list, this spray still has a lot to offer for those looking for better options and affordability. I did find the scent super strong since it’s got “clean fragrance” not essential oils. I love how versatile this spray it – it’s a detangler, heat protectant, UV protectant and blue light protectant. It’s also go interesting actives like Butterfly Ginger and protects hair from heat up to 450ᵒF / 232ᵒC.

Price: $24 for 6.7 oz
Feels like: a light mist

I tried Innersense Hair Love Prep Spray

The first thing I noticed instantly when I tried Innersense’s all natural heat protectant is how gigantic the bottle is. But it doesn’t necessarily have that much more product than other similar products in clean beauty. I love that it has Vitamin B, rice protein, Baobab and angelica root to protect my strands from thermal, UV and environmental exposure. I find that it has a lovely lavender citrus scent that’s both calming and uplifting. But if you don’t like handling large clunky spray bottles this might be tedious for you. I also have their travel size spray and it’s so much more convenient to use. I basically use the travel size and decant from the regular sized bottle ha!

Price: $28 for 6.8 oz
Feels like: a light mist

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I tried Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Creme

If you’re looking for more of a cream consistency to protect your hair from heat, I like Briogeo’s Farewell Frizz Heat Protectant Creme. It’s a lightweight blow-dry finishing and heat protectant cream infused with rosehip, argan, and coconut oils and protects hair up to 450°F. While Briogeo is not an all natural or organic hair care brand, much of their formula is naturally derived and way better than conventional hair care. I find that it doesn’t weight my hair down, but is impactful enough to give a sleek blowout and keep frizz away longer.

Price: $26 for 4 oz
Feels like: a cream

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I tried Vegamour HYDR-8 Leave In Conditioner

I absolutely love Vegamour’s shampoo so I was excited to try their latest leave-in conditioner that also provides heat protection up to 450°F. I find that it feels like a lightweight mist. I love that it’s formulated without silicones and is excellent at detangling and smoothing hair without weighing it down. It’s also got their signature Karmatin™, a vegan keratin alternative that works to strengthen and repair the look of dry, damaged hair. I did fine the scent is quite strong with “clean fragrance” not essential oils.

Price: $34 for 5 oz
Feels like: a light mist
Use OBL for -20%

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I tried Flourish Beauty Lab Honey Blossom + Marshmallow Root UV + Heat Protectant

Flourish Beauty Lab is a sleeper brand in the clean beauty world in my opinion! This all natural hair care line caters specifically to those with allergies and sensitivities, but their products are great for anyone who wants pure products, obvis. I find that it feels like a very fine mist that’s lighter than other nontoxic heat protectants. It has a moisturizing blend of marshmallow root and honey, Quinoa protein, sunflower extract and rosehips to prep hair for hot styling tools. I love the subtle ,natural scent from essential oils of rosewood, sweet orange, and vanilla. Be sure to check out their nontoxic purple shampoo (refillable!) too.

Price: $29 for 4 oz
Feels like: a very light mist