The Ultimate Beauty Guide

While natural texture is reigning supreme right now, we know there is a time and a place for curls to be tamed into sleek-haired submission. Minimize damage, maximize strand sexiness with this straightening checklist.

1. Pretox Masque:

Whether you flat iron every time you wash or just on occasion, you need to moisturize your hair first, and regularly. Try a deep conditioning masque to load up your hair full of moisture.

2. Make a Cocktail:

You’ll need a few products to do the job. First, never apply a flat iron directly onto the hair. Use a heat protectant that coats strands with a protective formula and then add your styling products on top. Depending on your exact hair type, generally this will include a styling balm or smoothing cream, plus a product for anti-frizz.

3. Dry it First:

Your hair needs to be completely dry before putting a flat iron near it. Blow out your lengths first with a metal barrel brush, as this heats up inside the barrel, allowing you to get a sleeker finish, faster.

4. Choose Your Right Tool:

Use a ceramic flat iron to ensure it runs smoothly and gently over the hair shaft, not pulling it down and creating damage. For thick or truly curly hair, a wide iron allows you to cover more of the hair surface in one pass, decreasing the time you are exposing hair to heat and opportunity for frizz.

5. Use a Specialized Multi-day Product:

If you’re in a situation where you’ll be sleekifying multiple days in a row, instead of rewashing and applying additional heat over and over again, use a specific product to keep hair straight longer. John Frieda’s 3 Day Straight works to keep hair coiffed and frizz-free longer than repeating the iron process.