Here’s to sleek, glossy hair
If you’re continually on a quest for ultra-smooth, ultra-sleek hair, you probably have an arsenal of styling tools to help you achieve the look. No matter how naturally straight your hair is, a blow dryer is a must to get it perfectly smooth. A flat iron is probably involved, too, especially if your natural texture is thick or curly.
Hot tools are a necessity for straight hair but don’t forget another part of the equation: styling products. In addition to a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, you’ll want a straightening product—whether a cream, spray, or serum—within arm’s reach too. “A hair straightening product can be especially beneficial for those prone to flyaways or very thick hair,” says Ayano Jinnouchi, a Mane Addicts stylist, although anyone can use them.
Not only do the latest and greatest formulas smooth and straighten, but they also offer a host of other benefits too. That’s why we narrowed down the best of the best hair straightening products, which will also protect your luscious locks against heat, lock in moisture, and fight the effects of humidity too.
Best Overall: Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Iron Smoother Defrizzing Leave-In Spray
No matter your natural texture, a few spritzes of this formula sprayed evenly over dry hair will help smooth it out—and fast. You’ll especially want to add this to your hair routine if you constantly battle humidity since it tames weather-induced flyaways. When paired with the accompanying shampoo and conditioner, it can leave hair up to five times smoother too. This spray also helps protect your hair from temps up to 450 degrees, so you can feel a little less guilt about heat styling too. Plus, it contains shea butter to infuse your locks with plenty of moisture without a greasy feel. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, beware: this one has a strong scent, which might be too strong for some.
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray Anti-Frizz Treatment
This spray truly does leave our hair impressively smooth and sleek, rightfully earning its place on this list for its many benefits. Credit a proprietary anti-humidity technology that essentially acts like a raincoat (hence the name), forming a shield to block out frizz-inducing moisture. It leaves you with silky, shiny hair, even on humid or rainy days. The smoothing effects are long-lasting, too—through three or four shampoos!—and it works on all hair types and textures. Just keep in mind that that technology is heat-activated, so you need to blow-dry after using it, but in our experience, you can usually skip the flat iron; the product is that good.
Best Budget: John Frieda Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray
Don’t feel like styling your hair every day? We’re right there with you. That’s where this budget-friendly straightening spray comes in handy. It’s long-lasting—“3-Day” is in the title for a reason—and lightweight, so it promises not to weigh down your locks. Here’s how it works: heat-activated polymers and keratin proteins wrap around each hair strand, leaving it smooth and sleek after you blow dry and flat iron. The results last up to three days (or until your next shampoo), leaving you with soft, touchable hair—never heavy or stiff strands. For those prone to grease, go light on the spray; otherwise, it may make your hair oilier.
Best for Curly Hair: SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Finishing Oil Serum
Those with naturally curly hair know what a time-consuming challenge it can be to straighten it. Plus, you need to give your curls extra TLC in order to avoid fried locks. To spare yourself from dry, damaged hair post-straightening, add this affordable hydrating finishing serum to your product must-haves. With just a few spritzes, it smooths, protects, and gives you plenty of shine too. Thanks to a combo of coconut oil and coconut milk, it’s also gentle and hydrating—always a good thing for curls. It’s too heavy to use on non-curly textures, so keep scrolling if that’s you. It’s also only intended to be used on dry hair, so spritz it on between blow-drying flat ironing or as the final smoothing step in your routine.
Best for Color-Treated Hair: Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
While intended to be a strengthening treatment, this beloved Olaplex formula is a Byrdie fave for good reason: it does double-duty as an ultra-effective smoother too. Its science-backed formula works to repair the protein bonds in your hair that are broken due to (oops!) heat tools, coloring, and sun damage. No matter your hair texture, you can incorporate this into your styling routine a few times a week. You’ll almost instantly have a head full of smoother, shinier, more resilient, and—most importantly!—healthier hair. It may seem pricey, especially for such a small bottle, but trust us, it’s worth it.
Best for Thick Hair: R+Co Mood Swing Straightening Spray
Like curly hair, thick hair also often needs a little extra help in the smoothing department. This R+Co spray is a must-have for those blessed with a lot of locks, thanks to a formula packed with natural extracts. Its ingredients—which include amaranth seed extract, shikakai fruit extract, pequi oil, and acai seed oil—work together for a melange of benefits. Together they strengthen hair follicles, seal in hydration, repel humidity, promote a healthy scalp, and add a serious dose of both shine and softness. Also nice: It lasts up to three shampoos. Just keep in mind that it is heat-activated, so remember to spritz it on damp hair before blow-drying.
Best Splurge: Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream
Jinnouchi names this Oribe cream as her go-to, lauding it for being a foolproof pick for pretty much any and every hair texture. Not only does it smooth your locks, but it also includes antioxidants and protective proteins that shield your hair from the damaging effects of heat styling. Plus, it reduces your drying time, saving you time and leaving you with more manageable and super touchable hair. It’s pricey, yes, but a little bit goes a long way. In true Oribe fashion, it smells ah-mazing too.
Best In-Shower: Garnier Fructis Sleek Shot In-Shower Styler
Want to shave off some precious minutes from your hot tool styling routine? (Who doesn’t?) Try this affordable, innovative in-shower styler. It couldn’t be easier to use. Simply mix equal parts of the styler with your shampoo and wash your hair as normal. Condition, rinse, and blow dry as you normally would too, but leave your flat iron unplugged. You won’t need it, thanks to the Moroccan argan oil-based formula, which wraps your strands from root to tip. You’re left with all-day smoothness and shine, all while cutting back on the amount of heat your hair is subjected to and saving you time too.
Best for Damaged Hair: Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème
Damaged hair, whether from frequent flat ironing or color treatments, needs all the TLC it can get, and this heat-protectant cream, which safeguards your locks from temperatures up to 450 degrees, does the trick. A trio of oils—coconut, argan, and rosehip—provides essential fatty acids to help protect it from environmental stressors, as well as thoroughly condition your strands. Don’t let “oil” give you the impression that it’ll weigh down your hair, though; it won’t when used in moderation. Consider this a bottle of magic for dry, damaged hair, offering smoothing benefits while rehabbing your hair with plenty of hydration.
Best Smoothing: Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry
Straightening, smoothing, and heat-protecting—what can’t this Bumble and Bumble cream do? As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a conditioning blend in the formula to help hydrate and boost shine. It adds a touch of hold to hair too, which is helpful when styling. While it’s non-greasy, this cream is best for thick and curly hair textures. (As lightweight as it is, it can be too much for fine hair.) It’s a little pricey, but consider it a one-and-done product, so you can streamline your getting-ready process.
Best for Air-Drying: Odele Air Dry Styler
Okay, look: Even if your hair is naturally straight, there’s no way you’re going to get the straightest, smoothest style if you don’t at least blow-dry. That’s just basic science. But for times when you want to forgo hot tools and simply air dry, working this cream into your locks can make a huge difference. No, it’s not a straightening product, per se, but what it does do is help smooth your hair, tamp down flyaways, and generally make hair less ‘poofy.’ (You know what we’re talking about.) The clean formula and subtle yet sophisticated, 100% natural fragrance is just a bonus, as is the wallet-friendly price tag. We’re suckers for its sleek packaging too.
Best Long-Lasting: IGK Smoothing Blowout Balm
Apply this smoothing balm on, say, Monday morning, then don’t think about it again until the following Monday. Its benefits, which are plentiful, last up to one week or through three washes—whichever comes first. Not only does it smooth out your locks, mimicking the shine you would get from a keratin treatment, but the spirulina protein in its formula helps strengthen and nourish your hair too. While it needs to be heat activated, it protects against hot tools up to 450 degrees and guarantees 72-hour definition and hold. Just think: you could use this the day before a hot, humid-weather vacation, then not have to think about styling your hair until you’re back home.
Final Verdict
When your goal is a super straight, super sleek, super smooth style, prepping your hair with a straightening product is the move. The Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Iron Smoother and Color Wow Dream Coat tie for our overall top pick, both having the added benefit of also offering heat protection. If you want a product whose effects will last for days on end, try the John Frieda Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray or TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment (both of which just happen to be very affordable drugstore buys), while the Oribe is a splurge-worthy stylist fave that works on all hair textures and types.
How We Researched & Tested
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. Our team also incorporated their own personal experiences testing products in their own lives. We then used these insights from our research and testing to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
What to Look for in a Hair Straightening Product
The Hair Type It’s Meant for
While many straightening products are universal, so to speak, Jinnouchi underscores the importance of making sure that the one you choose is suited for your hair type or texture. (This is particularly important the curlier and coarser your hair is.)
Added Heat Protection
Given that you’ll very likely need to use at least one type of hot tool to achieve a super straight style, choosing products with built-in heat protectants will help cut out one step from your routine and, more importantly, keep your hair healthy.
FAQ
How do you apply hair straightening products?
Follow the directions of the specific product you pick, though, as a general rule of thumb, most are meant to be applied onto clean, damp hair before blow-drying, says Jinnouchi.
How often should you use hair straightening products?
Again, generally speaking, you can use these daily, says Jinnouchi. The caveat? Some of the ones that are very protein-rich or strengthening should be used more sparingly.
Do hair straightening products work for all hair types?
“Yes, so long as you’re choosing the right product for your hair type and texture,” says Jinnouchi.
