Is Leave In Conditioner A Heat Protectant?
Yes & No. Using your leave in conditioner as heat protectant depends on the product’s ingredients. Some leave-in conditioners contain ingredients that can protect your hair from heat, while others don’t contain these ingredients and focus on more on adding hydration to your hair. The leave in conditioners that double as a heat protectant, may indicate that on the product, otherwise, you may have to do some research on the ingredients to determine if you could use it to protect your hair from heat styling.
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Leave In Conditioner Heat Protectant Ingredients
As anyone who regularly styles their hair with heat tools knows, it’s important to use a heat protectant. But what many people don’t realize is that leave in conditioner can act as a heat protectant. This is because leave in conditioners help to coat the hair, which can help to prevent damage from heat.
A heat protectant is designed to protect your hair from heat styling by coating your hair cuticles to seal in moisture and shield it from damaging effects of heat.
Some leave in conditioners contain ingredients that act as heat protectants, such as silicone, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PVP, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, quaternium 70. So if you’re looking for a hair heat protectant, your leave in conditioner is a good place to start.
Many of the ingredients used in heat protectants can be found in other styling products, like your leave in conditioner.
If you don’t like using silicones in your products, you can consider these natural ingredients to add protection against heat styling. The smoke point in these oils are high enough to provide some heat protection: coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, and avocado oil. Shea butter is another good natural ingredient that coats your hair cuticles to act as a barrier against heat.
It’s important to note that these ingredients can be heavy on some hair textures and can weigh the hair down. So, experiment and see if you get the results you’re looking for.
So, Can You Use Your Leave In Conditioner As A Heat Protectant?
To determine if your hair product can double as a heat protectant, look for the ingredients listed above close to the top of your ingredient list. For instance, leave in conditioners formulated with silicones can double as a heat protectant.
Depending on how much heat you use, leave in conditioners may not provide sufficient heat protection. It may be best to look for a product that is specifically formulated to provide adequate heat protection. Many heat protectant products will state how much protection (e.g up to 450 degrees) you can expect to get from it.
Leave In Conditioner Heat Protectant
If you’re looking for an all in one leave in conditiner heat protectant product, try one of these:
- Ouai Leave In Conditioner – Buy on Amazon | Target | Walmart
- Redken One United All In One Leave In Conditioner – Buy on Amazon | Ulta | Walmart
- Aveda Nutriplenish Leave In Conditioner – Buy on Amazon
- Carol’s Daughter Goddess Stength Leave In – Buy on Amazon | Target | Walmart
- Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Heat Defense leave in conditioner – Buy on Amazon | Walmart
- Pura d’or Argan Oil Thermal Shield – Buy on Amazon | Walmart
- L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer Leave In Conditioner & Heat Protectant (450 degrees) – Buy on Amazon | Target | Walmart
- It’s a 10 Miracle Leave In Product – Buy on Amazon | Ulta | Walmart
Conclusion
There are a variety of leave in conditioners on the market, and many of them can act as a heat protectant. If you’re looking for a product to protect your hair from heat damage, you can check the ingredients list or do some research on the product to see if it contains any heat protectant ingredients.
My recommendation is to use a light weight leave in conditioner and then a product specifically designed to protect hair from high heat. This will ensure that you’re giving your hair the best defense against heat damage.
Do you use a leave in conditioner to protect from heat damage? Let us know in the comments below.
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