Skip to main content
Drybar

Hot Toddy Heat Protectant Mist

Heat protectant / Lotion, heat-protecting

  • Heat protectant
  • spray
  • Sulfate-free
Size1.5 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$16seen at one store · 1.5 oz · from $6.74/oz in the 4.6 oz
Price / oz$8.71/ozat 1.5 oz
Where to buy1 store · 2 sizes

Scent:

Notes: amber, coconut, fresh, muguet, sweet, vanilla.

“Offered in two fragrances: Blanc (coconut, vanilla, amber) and Coconut Colada (coconut water, muguet, coconut)” — Brand page

Manufacturer page: drybar.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.

  • In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
  • Every product matched against your hair across the 21 factors we check.
  • A personalized routine for your daily life — your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
  • Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

$49.00 one-time consultation, no subscription

Add the optional $49/year membership for unlimited adjustments for changes in weather and lifestyle.

Start your consultation

Priced above most heat protectants

$8.71/oz at 1.5 oz — more than 85% of the 223 heat protectants , which mostly run $2.25–7.40/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Heat stylingthe brand states protection to 450°F
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Aerosol avoidancethis is a pressurised can
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

How much heat protection you need depends on how often and how hot you style — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Heat protection Stated to 450°F

The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Fast-drying alcohol High in the list

Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a propellant Pushes the product out of the can Neutral
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat drying alcohol Speeds drying — and can read dry on the hair Drying
Disiloxane silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Spathodea Campanulata Flower Extract botanical extract A plant extract, marketed as much as functional Neutral
Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed OilSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Ppg-12 Dimethicone silicone A little heat-spreading smoothing Buildup
Coumarin fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones — needs a detergent wash to remove. This is a pressurised can.
Full ingredient list (22)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

  • 1 Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
    General function

    A non-flammable aerosol propellant used in dry shampoos and finishing sprays.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    PubChem
    • propellant
  • 2 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol Denat
    General function

    Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Porous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    It evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 3 Disiloxane
    General function

    A very light, fast-evaporating silicone used for weightless slip.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 4 Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
    General function

    A light ester used for shine and slip in finishing products.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 5 PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
    General function

    A shine-giving emollient used in serums and finishing oils.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 6 Spathodea Campanulata Flower Extract
    General function

    An extract from the flower of Spathodea Campanulata. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    • botanical extract
  • 7 Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil · Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
    General function

    Marula oil - light, stable, used for shine and softness.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 8 Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
    General function

    A light plant protein that adds body and shine, popular in volume products.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.

    • film former
    • protein
    • hydrolysed protein
  • 9 Glycerin
    General function

    A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 10 Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
    General function

    A firm hold polymer used in hairsprays and gels. It holds well in humidity and brushes out.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

    • film former
    • polymer
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 11 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 12 Ppg-12 Dimethicone
    General function

    A silicone made water-soluble by ethoxylation. It smooths and adds slip, and rinses out with water rather than needing a detergent.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    • silicone
    • emulsifier
  • 13 Water · Aqua (Water, Eau)
    • solvent
  • 14 Butylene Glycol
    General function

    A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • solvent
  • 15 Polyquaternium-59
    General function

    A styling polymer chosen for a soft, brushable hold.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 16 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 17 Aminomethyl Propanol
    General function

    A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic hold polymers so they thicken and set properly.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
  • 18 Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
    • antioxidant
  • 19 Sorbic Acid
    • preservative
  • 20 Benzyl Alcohol
    • preservative
    • solvent
  • 21 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 22 Coumarin
    General function

    A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 solvents
  • 4 emollients
  • 4 preservatives
  • 3 film formers
  • 2 silicones
  • 2 light esters
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 fragrances
  • 1 propellant
  • 1 drying alcohol
  • 1 botanical extract
  • 1 oil
  • 1 protein

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 1.5 oz

Seen at $16 1 store · checked Aug 23
Good value under $5 Under $3.26/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $5 line; products that do this job typically go for about $7 at this size.

Sizes

1.5 ozmost listed
$16
$10.67/oz
4.6 oz
$31
$6.74/oz

The 4.6 oz costs 37% less per ounce than the 1.5 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store

1.5 ozmost listed

4.6 ozBest per ounce

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 1.5 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $16 is the price we have observed for the 1.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $5 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.26/oz; at 1.5 oz that is $5. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $7 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
8 of 10

Above the range for heat protectants per ounce for a complete formula, with no close, lower-priced match in our library.

How the score is counted
  • Nothing in our library does the same job for less
  • Costs more per ounce than 85% of the 223 heat protectants we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a heat protectant should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • A film-forming heat spreaderSilicones or polymers that spread heat along the strand.3 pts
  • A stated heat claimThe brand names the protection it claims.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

MoroccanoilLowest cost per oz Perfect Defense Heat Protectant $3.21/oz $5.50/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Lightweight
· Related function
Function
  • Film formers
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Weight on the hair
Also
  • Fresh scent, not sweet
  • Cruelty-free
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
Kristin EssLighter feel Style Assist Blow Dry Mist $3.30/oz $5.41/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Lightweight
  • Budget
· Related function
Function
  • Film formers
  • Oils and butters
  • Weight on the hair
Also
  • Mint scent, not sweet
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
Compare
Kevin MurphyClose function Heated.Defense $4.80/oz $3.91/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Protein
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Protein
  • Fast-drying alcohol
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Salon tier
  • 5.1 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Built for straight to curly hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Only if you need exactly this
Best user

People who blow-dry or flat-iron — for heat protection and something that is neither heavy nor thin

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or very dry or high-damage hair

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
2
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Protects hair from heat (up to 450F/232C)

Our library captures this as a heat protectant, but thermal protection is measured in a lab, not read off a list.

  • Disiloxane
  • Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
  • Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Partly supported

Sold for hot tools; untestable here.

FOR USE ON DRY HAIR: shake well, lift sections of dry hair and spray throughout before using hot tools

A mid-weight formula: it will not flatten fine hair, but lift is not its main job.

  • Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
  • Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
  • Polyquaternium-59
Partly supported

Neutral on lift.

Offered in two fragrances: Blanc (coconut, vanilla, amber) and Coconut Colada (coconut water, muguet, coconut)

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Signature scent is appreciated by many reviewers

Ulta and Walmart reviewers

Protects hair during styling and supports a healthier feel

Ulta and Walmart reviewers

Some users report residue, overspray, or difficulty controlling the aerosol

Ulta and Walmart reviewers

More from Drybar

How this page was made

  • Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 5 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 14 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
  • We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.