Want Silky, Smooth, Straight Hair? I Gotchu

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If you want silky, glass-like hair, you better be incorporating a good hair-straightening product before smoothing your hair with a flat iron or blow dryer. No, a product alone won't take your hair from poofy and curly to sleek and straight (only a hair-straightener brush, hair-dryer brush, or hair straightener can do that), but a smoothing cream or spray is what'll give you major shine and softness, according to hairstylist Clariss Anya Rubenstein. "These products make hair more manageable, easier to detangle, and shinier, which lends itself to a smoother look," she says. Meaning if you want Kim Kardashian-level hair, you've gotta put in the extra step.

Which is why I went on a mission, testing all of the best hair-straightening products on the market, from moisturizing creams to shine sprays to in-shower treatments. And now I’m ready to pass on my wisdom—and the wisdom of two expert hairstylists, Rubenstein and Tiffany Mack—below. And that includes the 17 best hair-straightening products to smooth flyaways and make your hair very, very shiny. Let’s get into it, but first, here's a sneak peek.

Ready for the deep dive? Keep scrolling for the 17 best hair-straightening products from brands like Bumble and bumble, John Frieda, Briogeo, and more.

Dream Coat Supernatural Spray

When I want my hair to look like literal glass, I spritz it with this after the shower, then straighten my hair with a hair-dryer brush. This formula is filled with silicones that give my hair a super-sleek, smooth look and feel, especially when I activate it with a blow dryer or flat iron. (Oh, and I'm not the only one who <3s it—it's got a casual 42,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.)

• Key ingredients: Silicones (smoothing)

• Type: Spray

• Size: 6.7 oz

THE REVIEWS: "This stuff is amazing," writes one tester. "I have fine hair, and it doesn’t weigh it down at all. I live in very humid Florida and using this, my hair does not frizz at all. It doesn’t even crease when I use a hair tie."

Stargloss Shine Hair Gloss Treatment

Straightening my hair often makes it look super dull and dry. So when I know I'll be looking for a shiny, sleek look, I smooth this through my dry hair, roots to ends, leave it on for 20 minutes, then hop in the shower and shampoo and condition like normal. Shea butter, prickly-pear seed oil, and moringa-seed oil coat my hair with major moisture, giving it a silky, soft feel, even after I blow dry and run my flat iron over it.

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, prickly-pear seed oil, moringa seed oil

• Type: Pre-wash treatment

• Size: 6 oz

THE REVIEWS: According to a tester, "I've used probably every lamellar water/glossing mask on the market, and this one has the most visible, immediate softening and shine effect. I love that it also goes on dry- much easier to use before showering. My hair also actually feels stronger with continued use as well."

Frizz Ease Keratin Infused Flat Iron Hair Spray

You don’t need to ball out to get a hair-straightening product that actually works. Just spritz this straightening spray from John Freida on damp hair, and let the silicones smooth out your flyaways. Plus, it's got a little hydrolyzed keratin to help strengthen your hair and make it look extra healthy.

• Key ingredients: Silicone (smoothing), keratin (strengthening)

• Type: Spray

• Size: 3.5 oz

THE REVIEW: "When I first saw this in the store, I had to try it. I am so glad that I did. It really helps curly hair become straight using a hair dryer, then a flat iron. It also lasts for three days," one tester writes.

Bb. Straight Blow Dry Cream

To help smooth and stretch out your curls, massage this cream into your damp hair, then blow dry section by section. The formula's silicones and polyquats (aka polymers) give your hair a silky finish that help smooth it out, especially if you follow with a flat iron.

• Key ingredients: Dimethicone, polyquats (smoothers)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 5 oz

THE REVIEW: "This stuff is liquid gold. It definitely cuts down the amount of time it takes to blow dry my hair. But the real plus is it makes my thick hair sleek and silky just-got-a-blowout feeling after I straighten it with a flatiron," one review reads.

Total Results Mega Sleek Blow Down Smoothing Leave-In Cream

Shea butter and castor oil are the MVPs of this super-moisturizing hair-straightening cream. It seals your hair cuticles (aka no frizz or flyaways), smoothes your hair, and hydrates without weighing it down. Plus, it's got a lil dimethicone, a smoothing silicone, to give your hair a silky, soft feel.

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, castor oil, dimethicone (smoothing)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 5.1 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have been using this product since at least Christmas of 1999! It is the best product ever—my hair can be curly or straight, and this cream saves my sanity! Please don't ever discontinue!" writes one tester.

Keratine Thermique Blow Dry Primer

I used to skip out on heat styling my long, thick hair because I didn’t have the patience (or the arm strength) to spend forever blow-drying and flat-ironing. But this hair-straightening product makes it so much easier. Ceramides and keratin smooth my hair, making straightening thick, long hair a breeze.

• Key ingredients: Dimethicone (smoothing), hydrolyzed wheat protein (strengthening)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 5.1 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have very thick, wavy type 2b/2c hair that is dry with plenty of frizz. I have tried for years with lots of different products—all of them had significant downsides from not controlling the frizz to drying out my hair more, or weighing my hair down too much. Discipline immediately gave me soft, frizz-free hair that was bouncy yet smooth at the same time," one review reads.

Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray

If your hair always looks a bit messy and poofy when you straighten it, give your a hair a spritz with this strengthening spray. It's got a whole bunch of proteins (hi spirulina, soy, wheat, and corn proteins) to help fill in all the cracks in your hair strands to make them look and feel smoother over time. Plus, a handful of polymers help lay down flyaways.

• Key ingredients: Spirulina protein, soy protein, wheat protein, corn protein (strengthening)

• Type: Spray

• Size: 5.6 oz

THE REVIEW: "YES!! YES!! YES!! Brought my ringlets to poker straightness!! Smells like cocoa butter and vanilla! Holy grail product! Don’t hesitate!!" one reviewer writes.

Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme

Bleach, chemical treatments (like keratin treatments), and heat styling can all damage your hair and leave it looking sad, dry, and blah. Repair the damage with this hair-straightening cream. It has coconut oil, vitamin E, and protein to leave your hair feeling (and looking) like a dream.

• Key ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate (bond-building), vegetable protein (strengthening), sunflower-seed oil

• Type: Cream

• Size: 3.3 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have naturally curly/wavy hair. I use this after I wash my hair and I comb it through, then I add my normal styling cream. WOW! Such a difference in the way my hair feels and looks. Definitely helps with frizz due to humidity. Will purchase it again. I highly recommend it to curly-haired girls," one review reads.

Sleek Shot In-Shower Styler

I’m a lazy hair styler, so my ideal product has to either multitask or not require a lot of extra work. Enter: this hair-straightening product, which can be combined with your shampoo in the shower at a one-to-one ratio (yes, you’re officially a hair mixologist now). Wash and condition your hair as usual, then blow-dry to get smooth, straight hair.

• Key ingredients: Argan oil, dimethicone (smoothing)

• Type: In-shower treatment

• Size: 5.1 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have long, fine hair that is straight. The bottom half of my hair is somewhat damaged through color—enough so that when I dry it, I don't get that shiny bouncy look like a professional blowout. When I use this product, I do," one tester writes.

Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream

If you have damaged hair, you might want to take a break from heat styling tools to bring your hair back to life. But, if you’re going to use them anyway, make sure you grab this hair-straightening cream before styling. It’s a strengthening heat protectant that works wonders on damaged hair.

• Key ingredients: Vegetable protein (strengthening); polymers, dimethicone (smoothing)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 5 oz

THE REVIEW: "I am obsessed with this product! I have thick, course type 4 hair. This product smoothes my hair out so well when I blow dry it, especially before a braid appointment. You don't even need to use that much," one customer writes.

Thermasmooth Shine Extend Anti-Humidity Spritz

If you have naturally curly hair, humidity is enemy number one when it comes to maintaining a straight hairstyle. Thanks to the humidity-resistant polymers and the moisturizing coconut oil in this hair-straightening product, your hair will be less likely to lose the smooth, sleek look on high-humidity days.

• Key ingredients: Polymers (smoothing), coconut oil

• Type: Spray

• Size: 3 oz

THE REVIEW: "This is a staple in my beauty closet," one reviewer writes. "I have A LOT of very fine hair which gives the appearance of thick hair. This product + a good flat iron keeps my hair straight, even when I don't get a touch-up/relaxer for four or five months. Plus, it doesn't make hair tacky/sticky."

Straighten Out Straightening Cream

In case you don’t want your hair to feel like straw—which I’m guessing you don’t—you’re going to want to try out this hair-straightening cream from Bed Head. It's filled with hydrating glycerin and smoothing polymers that'll keep your hair straight for hours (especially when used with a round brush or hair-straightener brush).

• Key ingredients: Polymers (smoothing)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 4 oz

THE REVIEW: "LOVE LOVE LOVE this product. It smooths and straightens my hair without feeling greasy—even on my fine hair," reads one customer's review.

Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant

The difference between your blowout leaving you with silky hair vs. poofy, flyaway-filled hair is a smoothing spray like this one. Spray it from roots to ends on damp, clean hair, then blow-dry and straighten with a flat iron. The spray is formulated with keratin to help smooth the cuticle for a straighter, smoother finish until your next wash day.

• Key ingredients: Dimethicone (smoothing), vegetable protein (strengthening)

• Type: Spray

• Size: 6.4 oz

THE REVIEW: "The first time I used this, I was a little iffy about the scent. Then I was a little iffy about the texture of my hair after I dried it. Then I used my flat iron and I was completely sold. This product truly deserves the title of 'miracle sealant.' My hair is coarse, but now my hair is now soft, sleek, tangle-free, and my ends are no longer gnarly and dry. This was worth every penny. I'd pay twice as much for this stuff—it's amazing!" one tester writes.

Infusion Keratin Replenisher

This at-home hair-straightening cream with keratin works just as well as the ones in the salon, IMO. Work it into towel-dried hair and then blow dry and flat-iron as usual. The result? Pin-straight hair that looks and feels like silk.

• Key ingredients: Hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein (strengthening)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 2.5 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have been using this product for years because I really like what it does for my hair. I don't always blow-dry my hair completely until it's dry, and it still keeps the frizzy hair away. The price has gone up quite a bit though through the years, so I stock up when it goes on sale," one customer writes.

Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Cream

Working with curly or damaged hair? Heat styling isn’t exactly going to help it look (or feel) healthier, but you can at least help mitigate future damage with this heat-protectant cream. The creamy formula is packed with argan oil, coconut oil, and proteins to lock in moisture, repair damage, and add back some softness and shine.

• Key ingredients: Rosehip oil, argan oil, coconut oil

• Type: Cream

• Size: 4 oz

THE REVIEW: "I have extremely compromised hair—years of EXTREME heat damage, bleaching, cheap hair dye, and using cheap products. my hair is a mess. But this stuff makes it look BEAUTIFUL. I will say I have to use quite a bit of it but it's worth it, nothing has ever made my hair this soft before," one review reads.

Finishing Crème

If unwanted flyaways are your main concern, this finishing cream will lay them flat and give your straight hairstyle a smooth, shiny finish. It’s spiked with ultra-moisturizing shea butter, as well as rice-bran and jojoba oils, which deliver some glass-like shine and lock in the moisture

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, rice bran oil, jojoba oil

• Type: Cream

• Size: 3.4 oz

THE REVIEW: "This product smells so good and lasts forever. I use only a pea-sized amount when I finish styling my hair to manage flyaways and it works great. It can be used for other styling too, but that’s my favorite way to use it," one customer writes.

Multi-Use Softening Leave-In Conditioner

Curly-hair folks: You’re no stranger to putting moisture at the forefront of every haircare routine, which means you already know it's a requirement when it comes to heat styling. So before you even get to the smoothing creams for straightening and stretching out your coils, load your hair with a hydrating leave-in conditioner like this one. It's not only packed with moisturizing ingredients, like jojoba oil, argan oil, and aloe extract, but it’s also super lightweight, so it won’t leave you with weighed-down or greasy hair.

• Key ingredients: Argan oil, jojoba oil, wheat protein (strengthening)

• Type: Cream

• Size: 16.1 fl oz.

THE REVIEW: "I love this multi-use conditioner," one tester writes. "I use it as a conditioner after shampooing and also as a leave-in. It has a ton of slip and I have 4b hair. It has the spearmint gum smell and I love it. I’m on my fourth bottle and will continue to repurchase it!!"

What to look for in a hair-straightening product:

Consider your hair type

Hairstylist Tiffany Mack says to pick your products based on your hair porosity (which is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture). For high-porosity hair (which absorbs moisture but can also lose it easily), Mack says to look for serums, leave-ins, and creams that contain heavier moisturizers like coconut oil and shea butter (see: Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Blow Down Smoothing Leave-In Cream). Low-porosity hair (which needs help absorbing moisture), on the other hand, should opt for lightweight oils like jojoba or argan oil to avoid weighing down strands or leading to buildup. I, personally, love Garnier Fructis Sleek Shot In Shower Hair Styling Cream on my fine, super-low porosity hair.

And if you live in fear of anything oil-based touching your already-oily hair, Rubenstein says to "avoid products with heavy oil ingredients like coconut, almond, or avocado oils, to name a few." But she says that as long as the product is far enough from your scalp (which is what's really causing the oiliness) in just the length of your hair, you should be able to use most of these straightening creams. But if you have dry hair? "Keratin, rich oils, and ingredients with hydrating properties are important," says Rubenstein. Or mix 'em all together, like in Ouai's Finishing Crème.

Look at the formula

If you want that glossy, straight hair, you want to look for products that say “anti-frizz,” "straightening," or “smoothing" on the label, which means they usually contain smoothers like silicones and polymers. “Heat protection is also super important," says Mack, “especially for people who are heat-styling twice a week or more.” So look for products that offer clear heat protection on the packaging (we love Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Cream), as well as formulas that boast damage-repairing ingredients, like proteins (ahem, Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme is the GOAT).

Meet the experts:

• Tiffany Mack is a celebrity hairstylist based in New York City who works with clients like Patina Miller, Jaden Michael, and Naturi Naughton, and is the founder of Lucid Bliss, a hair care and hair extension brand.

• Clariss Anya Rubenstein is a celebrity hairstylist based in L.A., who works with celebrities like Katie Lowes, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Sarah Hyland.

Why trust 'Cosmopolitan'?

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience writing, researching, and editing hair stories, like hair-thickening shampoos and dry scalp treatments. She's spent a lifetime nursing her fine hair into sleek styles with every hair oil and blow-dry spray she could find.

Siena Gagliano is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan and has three years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She's an expert at writing hair stories that range from curl creams to sulfate-free shampoos. She's an authority in all haircare categories, but an expert when it comes to straightening products, thanks to a lifetime of trying every hair-straightening product she can get her hands on. She regularly tests and analyzes them, while working with the industry’s top hairstylists to assess new products and brands.

Sami Roberts was previously the beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing, and editing health, social media, and beauty-related stories, including the best natural hair dyes to hair volumizing products. Her hair-straightening product picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from experts.

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