Buying guide for best blow dry sprays
Short on time? You don’t have to sacrifice your hairstyle anymore, thanks to blow dry sprays. These products cut down the dry time while keeping hair frizz-free and manageable during heat styling.
Time is of the essence, and blow dry spray makes the most of it. In fact, it can speed up drying by up to 50%. That means busy moms, students, and professionals can optimize their morning hair routine and leave time for other important tasks. Blow dry spray is also a master at taming hair in other ways during heat styling, depending on the formula. There are some blends geared toward extreme conditioning, whereas others aim to tame flyaways.
If you’re ready to say goodbye to lengthy blow dry sessions, keep reading our buying guide. We examine the top blow dry sprays to help you choose the right one for your beloved tresses.
Key considerations
Your hair texture
For the best results, make sure you buy a blow dry spray specially formulated for your hair texture. While many formulas are designed for all hair types, those with curly hair or long, coarse hair are better served with blow dry sprays dedicated to their hair type. These specialty sprays include ingredients that target common hair issues for these textures, such as frizz or breakage.
How it works with other products
If you’re new to using blow dry spray, round up your hair care routine products to see how it fits in with them. You might need to adapt your routine to maximize results with your blow dry spray. Those who have done it say it makes a world of difference.
- First, your shampoo and conditioner should be an ideal pairing for your hair. If not, it doesn’t matter which products you use; you’ll be dealing with a challenging mane from the get-go.
- Next, if you use a leave-in conditioner or thermal protection prior to blow drying, you might need to ditch it. Putting blow dry spray on top of some of these products can be too heavy for your hair, which means your hair will dry quickly — but look less than excellent.
- Once you’ve blown out your hair after using the spray, use the right products to set your style. A weatherproof hairspray with medium hold should do the trick, depending on how susceptible your hair is to frizzing.
Of course, for maximum results, you might want to use other hair care products from the same line as your blow dry spray. With complementary formulas, you’re less likely to counteract results or suffer from product build-up.
When to use blow dry spray
Blow dry spray is used right before you start your blow out when your hair is wet. Theoretically, you could use blow dry spray on partially dry hair, but that could have an over-drying effect. It could also settle on hair unevenly, leaving you with a lopsided ‘do.
With that said, there are some versatile formulas that can be used at different parts of the heat styling process. Unlike formulas with a singular focus, these blow dry sprays consolidate the number of products you need to buy, such as shine mists or frizz treatment products.
Features
Ingredients
Blow dry sprays generally contain alcohol, which is what expedites drying time. It comes as no surprise that formulas include rather long ingredients lists of chemical compounds. Some popular ingredients include glycerin, which is a moisturizing agent, and dimethicone, which seals in moisture. Oils are present in most sprays, such as keratin, argan, jojoba, or coconut. Fragrances are often added to blow dry sprays, both to boost their appeal and to mask the scent of alcohol.
Heat protection
Blow dry spray is all about turning up the heat. That’s why most formulas include some degree of thermal protection. While faster-drying hair means reduced exposure to heat, formulas without adequate protective qualities can make hair brittle. If you’d like to double down on protection and hydration, your best option is to choose a blow dry spray with conditioning ingredients, like argan oil or coconut oil.
Styling
Blow dry spray also makes styling after your blow out much easier. Many sprays handle frizz and shine, while advanced formulas focus on volumizing, conditioning, or hydration. Some blow dry sprays are intended for use alongside other products, such as flat iron spray, and continue to work during that phase of styling.
Formula type
Blow dry spray comes in either aerosol cans or pump sprays. Aerosol formulas have a fine mist, and as expected, they make up the majority of lightweight formulas. Pump spray bottles tend to have heavier, stickier formulas.
Accessories
Hair spray: TIGI Catwalk Haute Iron Spray
Set your fancy new blow out with a top-quality hair spray. We like this one by TIGI, whose shine-enhancing ingredients give a glossy, red carpet finish. It holds curls and straightened locks for up to 48 hours.
Round brush: Osensia Professional Round Brush for Blow Drying
Get a salon blow out in the comfort of your own home with a round brush. We like this ceramic one from Osensia, which helps hair dry faster by evenly distributing heat along the barrel. Bristles are infused with negative ions to promote shine and an antistatic finish.
Blow dry spray prices
Blow dry sprays cost between $5 and $50, depending on formula quality. Like most hair products, the more you spend, the better the product and benefits.
Inexpensive: Budget-friendly blow dry sprays cost $12 and below. These formulas can be heavy on alcohol content and are hit-and-miss with consumers. There are some quality formulas in this price range, so look for those with protective ingredients.
Mid-range: Mid-range blow dry sprays cost closer to $20. They include premium ingredients and provide real results. Blow dry sprays in this range tend to be on the heavier side, so if you have flat hair, look for a volumizing or lightweight formula.
Expensive: When you spend $30 and above on blow dry spray, you’re entering salon product territory. These formulas are the cream of the crop, and the results are dramatically different than lower-priced formulas. Luckily, a little goes a long way with these, so you won’t need to burn through as much product.
Tips
- Ask your hairstylist. If you love the way your hair looks after going to the salon, ask your stylist which blow dry spray they use on your hair. See if you can buy the same one and ask whether it works well with your current hair products.
- Don’t expect to find travel-size bottles. Blow dry spray is a bit of a specialty hair product, so it’s hard to find it in travel bottles. With that said, if it’s a liquid formula that can be accessed by removing the spray nozzle, you can transfer a small amount into a TSA-approved spray bottle.
- Always keep the cap. While it’s tempting to throw away the plastic cap to blow dry spray, keep it on hand. In the event you want to pack it in your gym bag or suitcase, it won’t spray or leak all over your belongings.
FAQ
Q. What’s the difference between flat iron spray and blow dry spray?
A. Flat iron spray is used to keep hair shiny and frizz-free during straightening. In some formulas, it works as blow dry spray in that it accelerates the time it takes to straighten hair while protecting it from heat damage. Blow dry spray, on the other hand, activates without the concentrated heat of a flat iron.
Notably, there are some dual-purpose blow dry sprays that can be used on wet hair for drying as well as dry hair for flat ironing.
Q. Won’t blow dry spray dry out my hair?
A. Many blow dry sprays contain alcohol or volumizing ingredients which, over time, can dry out hair. If you love the results of blow dry spray but don’t want the damage, make sure you’re using a top-quality conditioner on a regular basis. You should also give your hair a deep conditioning treatment a couple times a month to help restore its natural oils and moisture.
Q. Do I have to use blow dry spray all over my hair, or can I limit it to certain sections?
A. Blow dry spray offers the best results when applied evenly throughout hair. It’s recommended to avoid concentrating the spray over certain sections to prevent product build-up or uneven results.
