Here’s the healthiest way to heat style your hair. Because every once in a while, I like to heat style my curly hair to create a straighter, boho-beach-wave look, and I know I’m not alone.
So if you’re one of the 67% of women with curly hair who like to heat style your hair from time to time. Or the 73% of women with wavy hair, this article is for you!
The Healthiest Way to Heat Style Your Hair
Here’s my heat styling routine, using products from Innersense Organic Beauty for the healthiest way to heat style your hair. I’ll share my top tips to prevent and reduce heat damage, which has allowed me to heat style my hair every once in a while, and my curls bounce back on the next washday!
Although the tips, routine and product recommendations in this article will help to protect your hair and prevent heat damage when using heat styling tools. I don’t recommend that you regularly heat style your hair. This is something I do occasionally, maybe 3-4 times/year.
AD | This article is sponsored by LOOKFANTASTIC. However, this hasn’t influenced my opinion or the way I’ve written about the brands or products featured in this article. Use code CURLMAVEN for 15% off your first order at Innersense Organic Beauty.
Heat Damage
Frequent heat styling, combined with not using a good quality heat protectant is one of the most common causes of damage to naturally wavy and curly hair. And the reason why so many of us embark on a healthy hair journey to get our (heat damaged) waves and curls back.
I used to wash, style and diffuse my hair, as if I was going to wear it naturally curly. But I’d be disappointed with the results and my natural (heat damaged) curl pattern. So in frustration, I’d use a heat styling tool – even though I hadn’t applied a heat protectant!
Heat damage can cause irreversible damage to the hair that has to be either grown or cut out. So it’s really important to use good quality products and the right routine to strengthen and protect the hair, and reduce heat damage. And that starts with the products you use in the shower. Not just a heat protectant you apply before using heat styling tools.
Step 1: Strengthen
When you want to heat style your hair, use products that will strengthen and protect the hair. To prevent and reduce heat damage when using heat styling tools. Heat (just like the sun) breaks down the protein in the hair. Protein is what gives the hair strength, to not only define a wave and curl (if you have it naturally, or if you use a heat styling tool to create it). But it’s also what gives hair the strength to hold a curl and the elasticity to bounce back.
If your natural curl pattern, or the wave, bend or curl you’ve created in your hair using a heat styling tool, easily or quickly loosens, drops or falls out completely. That’s a sign of a lack of protein, and elasticity in the hair. It can also be a sign of too much moisture in the hair. Or using products that are too rich, heavy and moisturizing.
Colour Awakening Hairbath
So start off with a good quality shampoo, preferably one that contains protein. Such as the Innersense Organic Beauty Colour Awakening Hairbath. A sulfate-free, gentle cleansing shampoo, suitable for all hair types. You don’t need much as it’s very concentrated!
Apply a small amount to soaking wet hair. Massage into the roots and scalp, then through the lengths of the hair. If you feel like you need more product, or more lather – try adding more water first. Rinse out fully.
Hydrating Hair Mask
When heat styling, I prefer to skip the conditioner and use a hair mask instead. I love the Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Hair Mask because it’s super lightweight, easily-absorbed without weighing the hair down and it’s silicone-free! This means I can still achieve root lift, volume, body and definition when heat styling.
Nourishing and hydrating, the Innersense Hydrating Hair Mask reduces breakage and restores strength and elasticity. Apply about a walnut-sized amount to soaking wet hair, from the ends upwards. Working your way gradually up to about an inch away from your roots.
If you feel like you need more slip or more product, try adding more water first. Brush the product through to distribute and detangle, and leave it in for about 5 mins. Don’t rinse it out fully if your ends feel dry. I use this hair mask on the washday before, and after heat styling my hair.
Step 2: Protect
Hair Love Prep Spray
The Innersense Organic Beauty Hair Love Prep Spray is my secret weapon when it comes to my heat styling routine and the healthiest way to heat style your hair. This lightweight spray is suitable for all hair types and textures. But especially if you have fine hair that gets easily weighed down or over moisturized. Or you want more volume and body in your hair.
Baobab and Angelica Root protect and prevent thermal heat and UV damage. Vitamin B and Hydrolized Rice Protein help to bind moisture to the hair, restore strength and shine. Whilst also plumping the hair for body, texture and volume. Rinse out your hair mask fully, squeeze out all the excess, dripping wet water. Then apply Innersense Hair Love Prep Spray generously to prep, prime and protect the hair for maximum style retention and heat protection.
Serenity Smoothing Cream
The Innersense Organic Beauty Serenity Smoothing Cream is a thermal heat protectant, lightweight smoothing cream suitable for all hair types. This is the heat protectant to use if you want a super-smooth, frizz-free, sleek look. Or if your hair is dry, damaged, brittle or frizzy. Thanks to the Mango Seed Butter, Avocado and Coconut Oil which seal the cuticle and smooth split ends, reducing breakage and preventing frizz.
Baobab and Frangipani strengthen and moisturize the hair, providing thermal care and heat protection. This lightweight cream gives thermal protection, beautiful high-shine and gloss, smoothes frizz all without weighing the hair down! For the healthiest way to heat style your hair, apply Innersense Serenity Smoothing Cream to wet hair, from the ends upwards until you’re about an inch away from your roots.
I Create Shine
For a high-shine, smooth finish, I apply a small amount of Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Shine. A luxuriously smooth, silicone-free serum, which feels more like a gloss. Made with a lightweight blend of cold-pressed plant extracts, which absorbs into the hair in seconds. It replenishes, repairs, and strengthens strands, preventing breakage and protecting against harmful UV rays, split ends while boosting elasticity and bounce.
Rich in antioxidants, omega fatty acids and nutrients, Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Shine creates an invisible seal on strands that smooths frizz and reflects light for maximum gloss and shine. You can apply a few drops to wet or damp hair before you dry it. Or you can apply it to dry hair after heat styling.
FAQ’s
Where can I get Innersense Organic Beauty outside the USA?
You can get 10% off Innersense Organic Beauty using code CURLMAVEN at Curl Warehouse in Canada, The Clean Beauty Edit in Ireland/EU and Kiyo Beauty in the UK. You can also get Innersense Organic Beauty at Cult Beauty, who ship worldwide with no custom fees and FREE shipping!
I diffuse my hair, do I still need to use a heat protectant?
If you just diffuse your hair then you don’t really need to use a heat protectant. I always recommend diffusing your hair on medium heat and medium speed. But even if you diffuse on a high heat, it’s not the same heat or causes the same damage as heat styling tools such as wands, tongs, flat irons and straighteners.
What’s the best heat protectant to use in the sun to protect against UV?
If you’re in and out of water, getting your hair wet or your hair feels dry, I recommend the Serenity Smoothing Cream. Apply it to wet or damp hair at the start of the day, or before getting in water. Re-apply as needed and rinse out at the end of the day and wash and/or style as normal.
If you’re not getting your hair wet, and/or you have fine hair that gets easily weighed down or over-moisturized, I recommend the Hair Love Prep Spray. It gives all the same thermal and UV protection, but in a light spray. Both products are a great size to pack for travel or throw in a beach bag!
I really struggle with frizz when heat styling, what do I use?
If your hair is dry, don’t rinse the Hydrating Hair Mask out fully before applying the Serenity Smoothing Cream. Followed by I Create Shine once you’re finished heat styling. Use either the Revlon One Step, Hot Tools Volumizer Brush or the InStyler Max. They’re all heat styling brushes with bristles which smooth the hair. Especially at the ends and great for dry, coarse, frizzy and/or textured hair.
My hair looks really flat and lifeless when I heat style, what do I use?
Rinse your conditioner or hair mask out fully, squeeze out all the excess water out of your hair. Then apply the Hair Love Prep Spray. If you want to add a little more body and texture, use I Create Waves too. And instead of using hair straighteners or a flat iron. Use the Hot Tools Volumizer Brush instead as this creates much more root lift, volume and body in the hair.
I really hope you have found this article helpful and feel more confident about the healthiest way to heat style your hair. The best heat protectants to use for your hair type. And the finished look you’re trying to achieve with your heat styling tools.
I used the Hot Tools Volumizer Brush and 32mm Curl Bar for the images in this post. But you can click here to watch this quick video to see the look I create and how I use the InStyler Max. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these products from Innersense Organic Beauty and which one is your favourite.
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