Must-Have Hair Product: Blow Dry + Heat Protector Spray or Serum

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Whether your hair is in great shape and healthy, or needs a little extra conditioning love, a blow-dry serum and/or heat protector is a great daily-use product to add into your routine. Sometimes you can get the benefits of heat protection along with a speedier blow dry, like in this product, which is probably the best option for most people!

Apply a blow dry serum or heat protector to your hair before any other products. The goal would be for it to sink in the deepest to the hair shaft so it can do the most work for the strength and conditioning of your hair! If you put on a thick smoothing cream first, then try to apply the heat protector, the other product may get in the way of the thinner, lighter product!

My routine when I wash my hair is as follows:

One. Brush through hair from root to tip before getting wet.

Two. Wash, condition, and while the conditioner is in my hair I will rake through it with my fingers.

Three. Squeeze out extra water when finished, and do not RUB with the towel.

Four. Wrap it up in a turban, like this!

Five. Let it down and rake through it with my fingers. I don’t brush or comb wet hair, but if I need to use something it would be a wide-tooth comb like this!

Six. Apply products, starting with this heat protection serum first!

If I’m using other products, and I usually am, I’ll apply those next and then continue by blowing my hair dry. If you are in need of some blow-dry assistance, check this video!

P.S. If you liked this post, you’d probably enjoy this one about how to layer products!

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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says · 10.28.19

Thanks for the recommendations! I rarely blowdry my hair so I don’t have a protector, but I definitely need to get one for the rare occasions I do blowdry my hair! ❤️✨

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

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Sheila A Stabler says · 10.28.19

I noticed on the heat protection serum that is says “blond” … does that matter if you have dark brown/black hair?

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Kate says · 10.28.19

It doesn’t matter and wont affect your hair color if it’s darker than blonde, but the point is for it to keep blonde hair from turning brassy. You can choose a different heat protector that doesn’t focus on blonde maintanence since you don’t have to worry about that!

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Alison says · 10.28.19

Thanks Kate! I know you don’t typically air dry your hair, but do you have any product layering tips for those of us that air dry overnight and then heat style in the morning? Should we still put the heat protector on first since we won’t actually be heat styling until the next day? Or would it make more sense to do a leave in conditioner overnight and then spray heat protector in the morning on dry hair?

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Sydney says · 10.28.19

Love this makeup look. Very minimalist and you look gorgeous! Go girl!

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Katie says · 10.28.19

I’m amazed by the idea of not brushing wet hair!!! I have poker straight fine hair that is regularly highlighted and toned, and it gets super snarled and tangled when I wash it. I always brush it before a shower and don’t scrunch it up with a towel or rub it… but detangling it post shower is my most-dreaded task, even after conditioning treatments! I use a detangler/leave-in conditioner and a “wet brush” with the ball-tipped bristles as gently as I can before I apply products and blow-dry.

I haven’t tried skipping the brushing/detangling because I have no idea how I’d be able to apply products evenly with my hair all tangled. I also don’t know how I’d dry it without brushing it smooth first. Any tips???

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Kimberly says · 10.29.19

I have the same problem with insanely tangled hair. I keep a super wide tooth comb in the shower, put on the conditioner and let it sit for a minute, then gently comb the tangles out with the conditioner still in my hair. Game changer for me. Makes post shower detangling (again gently with a super wide tooth comb) so much easier.

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Jenny says · 10.29.19

Same here with the fine, straight and extremely tangled hair when I get out of the shower. Thanks for the tip, I am definitely going to try this!

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Nicole says · 10.28.19

Hi Kate! I never post comments on any kind of posts (anywhere). I just want to say thank you for your tutorials and recommendations – I’ve learned so much from you, and I appreciate your honesty! After watching one of your tutorials I realized I’d been curling my hair wrong for years!!

I was looking at an old post and some of the comments were so horrendous I I actually teared up a bit. I can’t believe that people feel the need to say such terrible things to someone. They forget there is a real person that they are speaking too. As a mother, it would be one of my worst nightmares to have any child of mine speak that way to anyone (virtually or not).

I just want you to know that I appreciate you, and what you do….so thanks ❤️

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Kate says · 10.29.19

That means so much Nicole, thank you! Some people can be so cruel, it’s actually really sad from my perspective. And kind of embarrassing as well, as it is always a greater reflection of who they are than anything about me. Thanks for your support, it means so much!!

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Angela says · 10.29.19

I’m happy to say that I follow all these tips myself when I was my hair, as it’s quite prone to breakage.

Angela at Blush & Pearls

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Norah says · 10.29.19

Silly question but if you don’t brush your hair when wet when do your brush it? I started using the Revlon curl brush hair dryer but don’t know how that owuld work without brushing first? What is the benefit of not brushing wet hair? Thank you!

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Kate says · 10.29.19

I brush it through before I wash it! Brushing through wet hair can cause it to stretch and snap. It’s best to use a wide tooth comb on wet hair, or simply to brush it dry!

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Layla says · 10.29.19

Have you heard of the “vloom” volumizing tool? I’ve been seeing ads for it constantly and I’d love to see you do a review or tutorial on it! It kinda looks like a waffle iron lol! Thanks!

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Kate says · 10.29.19

LOL! I have and I think it’s kind of gimmicky. Steer clear!

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Annie says · 10.29.19

Thank you so much for this info!!!!! I have dry hair, as it is colored and I also use flat iron, curling irons, and blow dryers!!! I have a question…do you use both the blow dry primer and serum, and if so, which do you apply first? thank you kindly, Kate!

Annie

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Emma says · 10.30.19

HI Kate,

Love your blog! I’ve been reading it for several years now…it’s refreshing.
What color/tone would you consider your hair to be in the above picture? Is it a neutral blonde, pale blond, ice blond, warm blond, buttery, etc…? I recently took my daughter to get a full highlight for her 18th bday and the final result wasn’t too far off from when we walked into the salon…hundreds of dollars later:( I’m not sure if there was a miscommunication on our end describing the brightness of the blonde shade she was looking for. Can you possibly describe the difference between the shades and tones of blonde so in the future I can be very specific when communicating with a stylist. Thank you so much for your time.

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Shannon says · 10.30.19

Which tutorial goes with your hairstyle in this picture?

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Lisa says · 11.02.19

Hey Kate-

I usually wash my hair at night and let it air dry (I am not a morning person!). But I like my hair so much better when I use the Aquage Uplifting root foam and blow dry. I haven’t tried this at night though. Do you ever wash yours at night and follow these steps or is it primarily in the morning that you wash your hair?

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Stacie says · 11.02.19

When you use the kerastase heat protect serum mentioned in this post do you use any type heat protect or spray when you use the flat iron?

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Cindy says · 11.03.19

Kate, I need help. My hair is about your length. I have naturally curly hair. The crown is straighter but the underneath hair is very curly. I have my hair cut in a few long layers. The problem is when I blow it dry to get it as straight as possible, it still requires me to flat iron my whole head of hair which never really gets straight because of the curl. I want my hair to look like yours with soft waves. After I have flat ironed it, I take a 1 and a half inch rod and try to create this wavy but it never turns out because my ends always end up going weird directions. What am I doing wrong? Also, I use Kenra mousse and Aquage Uplifting Foam. I have alot of fine curly hair. Can you give me some tips? Thank you! You are so beautiful and I enjoy your post so much. I love hearing about your sweet little family. Cindy

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