For anyone who regularly styles with hot tools -- flat irons, curling irons, or a blow dryer -- and wants both heat protection and added shine from the same product. Joico rates it for most hair types and gives it a light hold (level 3), so it fits people who want their protectant to also help finish a style, not just guard against heat damage.

Most heat protectants are meant to go on once, before styling. Heat Hero is built for a two-step routine: a first application on dry hair to shield it from the tool, then a second pass afterward purely to add gloss and light hold to the finished look. That before-and-after design, plus the 450°F protection threshold, is the main thing that separates it from a basic pre-styling spray.

1. Apply to dry hair before using a flat iron, curling iron, or blow dryer.
2. Once your style is finished, apply a second light pass for extra shine and hold.

• Pro: Rated to protect hair up to 450°F (232°C), covering flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers.
• Pro: Designed to be applied both before and after heat styling, adding gloss and light hold once the style is finished.
• Pro: Contains moringa seed oil, which contributes antioxidants and vitamins A and E.
• Con: Aerosol/propellant format (isobutane, HFC-152a) rather than a pump spray, which some people prefer to avoid.
• Con: Contains fragrance allergens (limonene, hydroxycitronellal, alpha-isomethyl ionone), worth noting for fragrance-sensitive users.
• Con: Hold level 3 is light -- it's not a substitute for a stronger-hold finishing spray on styles that need heavy hold.