5 Natural heat protectants for your hair

Whether you are looking to protect your hair from the sun, or you just want to protect it from your daily routine of hot hair-styling tools, these 5 natural heat protectants could be what you need. 

I have naturally curly hair, and while I don't style it every day, I do so at least twice a week. Hot tools and UV light can wreak havoc on your precious mane, but with a little bit of help from nature, you can minimize the effect of continued exposure to heat. 

5 Natural heat protectants for your hair

While we do love DIY recipes at KOKO, it should be made clear that these choices cannot be arbitrary. It is important to do your research on the ingredients of the products, take into consideration previous damage and chemical treatments and of course your hair type, before choosing a heat protectant for your hair. One of the most important aspects to take into account is the smoke point of oils, if you use a hot tool at a higher temperature than what the oil can stand, it could actually cause your hair to “fry.” Even if you are not using any specific oil, it is paramount to use styling tools at the lowest temperature possible to avoid drying your hair out. 

1. Coconut oil

Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350°F, making it the best for fine hair. Use a teaspoon of coconut oil and diluted it with ¾ cup of water. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle, and shake it before you use it. Apply it to wet hair, to your length but avoid the roots – we don't want our hair to look oily. Then style your mane, as usual, just make sure you don't exceed 325°F. 

2. Grapeseed oil 

Grapeseed oil is great for dry scalp and thick hair, especially because of its high smoke point, which is 420°F, and keep your iron to 400°F to avoid any risks. It hydrates your hair without weighing it down, and it is also packed with Vitamin E essential to maintain a healthy scalp. Apply up to 6 drops of oil onto your hair – the best: it absorbs rather quickly.

3. Avocado oil

Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points at 520°F, this makes avocado oil a perfect choice if you have thick, dense hair or texture. To use it, mix a tablespoon of oil in a cup of water and place the mixture in a spray bottle. Shake well and apply it to your hair before styling it. 

4. Almond oil

Almond oil is great for chemically treated hair, it is absorbed easily and it does not weigh down fine hair, also it has a smoke point of 430°F. Just apply a few drops to your wet hair and style it keeping your hot tool to a maximum of 420°F. 

5. Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is great because, first of all, I'm pretty sure you've got a bottle at home, second it has a smoke point of 440°F, making it perfect for thick, dense hair. It acts in a similar way to silicone, meaning it coats your strands and acts as an emollient. To use it, dilute a teaspoon of sunflower oil with a cup of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Apply it to wet hair, and let it sit for a few minutes before styling it at a safe temperature.

Now you know that you don't need to go shopping to protect your hair from heat damage!