Heat protectants Good v evil | Shona

 My first voyage into heat protectants has been mixed. Previously I had been oh so uncouth to subject my hair to heat without any protection, and as a result had at least four inches chopped at the hairdressers (although this may have also had something to do with setting it on fire whilst boiling a pot of pasta...but that's another story for another day). I suppose I just never really thought a heat protectant could actually be effective in stopping any damage, however after that trip to the hair dressers and the stern telling off I received I decided to start playing by the rule book. On the other hand, I wasn't about to spurge on these items, so when I spotted a two-for £4.00 offer in boots I snapped up the chance. I picked up the L'oreal Paris 'HotCurl Thermo Curling Spray' and the 'Hot Straight Spray'.

Are they any good? Well that'll be both a 'Yes!' and a 'Hell No!'  I rather likes the straight spray, but the Curling spray has to be the worst hair product I have ever put in it. It made my hair feel really dirty, from the moment it was sprayed and no amount of brushing could get rid of the sticky, grimy feel. If your reading this and thinking it might be useful for a beachy, tousled look, you might be right...if you want your hair to look and feel as if you've washed it in sea water and then rolled around in a sand dune for half an hour. that nay be a bit strong but you get the gist. On a side note, and another reason to stay well away is that it smell like really really cheap vodka, as one of it's main ingredients is 'Alchol denat' so it's probably just as bad for your hair as not using a heat protectant at all.

The Hot Straight spray on the other hand is really nice, I was quite apprehensive to try it after my experience with the curling spray but it is absolutely nothing like its counterpart. It definitely leaves my hair feeling smooth and glossy after I have straightened or blow-dried. Also It smells quite nice, nothing to write home about but it has a cleanly, floral vibe about it. The only downside is that when I decide to curl my hair I feel like it works against the curl, weighing it down and so by the end of the day they are pretty much non-existent.

Do I think it has protected my hair? I'm not too sure, its hard to tell but it makes straightening easier and produces good results so I'm more than willing to keep on using it if not only to avoid the wrath of my hairdresser!

Do you know any good heat defense sprays that work for more curly hair?

Shona xx