Tag: fashion & beauty

I Tested 30+ Lip Balms and These Are the Top 5 I Swear By
Compare Top 5 Lip Balms

Honorable Mentions

Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane

Eos 24H Moisture Super Balm for $6: I’ve been a fan of Eos’s egg-shaped balms since middle school. The 24H Moisture Super Balm feels like the grown-up version. There are some solid ingredients like shea butter, avocado oil, and castor seed oil. It’s also free of parabens, phthalates, silicones, and synthetic dyes. It’s glossy, cushiony, and comes in delicious scents like Coconut Milk, Mango Melonade, and Watermelon Frosé. The one catch is that it’s not fragrance-free, so those with sensitive lips may not love it. The texture is also sticky, meaning your hair will find its way onto your mouth on a breezy day. And despite the 24-hour moisture claim, expect to reapply every hour or two.

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm for $4: If you’re ingredient-conscious, Burt’s Bees has probably been in your tote at some point. The original formula blends beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, and peppermint oil. There’s no petroleum or parabens, and you can find it just about everywhere. That said, the beeswax forms a solid barrier but is not the most hydrating, especially during the dead of winter. The balm coats but doesn’t penetrate, which means it won’t do much for lips that are already cracked. The peppermint oil can also be a little too spicy for sensitive lips. Still, if you’re in a pinch and standing in front of the CVS self-checkout, it’s a smarter purchase than Blistex (more on that later).

Glossier Balm Dotcom for $16: The Glossier Balm Dotcom walked so the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask could run. It’s a multipurpose salve that blends lanolin, castor oil, and beeswax for ultimate moisture retention. Plus, it comes in a handful of sheer tints that play well with no-makeup makeup days. But the thick, waxy texture can feel a bit clumpy, especially if you’re layering over flaky lips.

Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane

Goop Beauty Nourishing Lip Repair Mask for $30: This buttery lip mask from Goop is loaded with ceramides to help restore your lip barrier, along with fig seed oil and acai fruit that smells just as tropical as it sounds. While it’s free from silicones, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, those botanical oils and fruit extracts can still trigger a reaction. Patch test first. Also, at $30 for just 0.3 fluid ounces, it’s not the most cost-effective balm on my list.

Omorovicza Budapest Perfecting Lip Balm for $46: Omorovicza’s Perfecting Lip Balm’s texture leans gritty, almost like a lip polish or a micro-exfoliator. There are some goodies in here, like hyaluronic acid and omega fatty acids. But, there are also some unnecessary (potentially irritating) extras—eucalyptus oil, perfume, and benzyl alcohol.

Avoid These Lip Balms

Nivea Dewy Lip Care with Hyaluronic Acid: Nivea’s Dewy Lip Care with Hyaluronic Acid is packed with emollients, humectants, and antioxidants—like shea butter, glycerin, and vitamin E (to name a few)—that sound promising. Unfortunately, there are also a couple of unnecessary additives, particularly geranoil fragrance and “flavor,” which could include any mix of synthetic or natural compounds. Nivea’s tinted balms aren’t much better; they leave a greasy film and rely on synthetic pigments for shimmer and color. There are many better balms available that provide lasting hydration without the excessive shine.

Blistex Lip Medex: It gives you that instant tingle thanks to menthol and camphor, plus a cocktail of synthetic flavors and fragrances, but that sting is a red flag. A general note: “Medicated” lip balms often do more harm than good.

Carmex Classic Lip Balm: For similar reasons to Blistex, skip Carmex. It contains camphor and benzocaine, which are ingredients that can irritate the skin and make cracked lips worse over time.

Frequently Asked Questions
What Causes Chapped Lips?

There are a lot of triggers, and here are some of the most common causes of chapped lips:

Cold weather and dry air: Both cold and dry air zap moisture from your skin and stiffen keratin, which is the protein that keeps your lips moisturized.

Lip licking: The more you lick, the drier they get. Licking your lips breaks down your lip’s natural barrier, leading to irritation and even hyperpigmentation.

Allergic reactions: Some lip balms contain ingredients that trigger allergic reactions, making dryness and peeling worse. Usual suspects include castor oil, fragrance, dyes, and preservatives.

Sun exposure: Your lips are thinner and have less pigment than the rest of your skin, which means less protection from UV rays. Unprotected exposure can lead to painful dryness or precancerous spots called actinic cheilitis.

Tobacco smoke: If you smoke, your lips are at a higher risk for a condition called glandular cheilitis, which causes swelling, rough texture, and cracks. It can also raise your risk for infections and lip cancer.

Medications: Certain meds come with dry mouth as a side effect, including but not limited to retinoids, antihistamines, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Underlying conditions: Autoimmune conditions like lupus, eczema, or lichen planus can all show up on your lips first. If your symptoms don’t budge after trying the usual suspects, talk to your dermatologist.

What Ingredients Should You Look for (and Avoid) In Lip Balms?

Here’s what to look for on the label:

Emollients: These are moisturizing ingredients that help repair and smooth flaky, chapped lips. Some common ones include:
1. Castor oil: Thick, nourishing, and packed with ricinoleic acid that helps smooth rough texture. It is ever so slightly comedogenic, meaning it can clog pores.
2. Cocoa butter or shea butter: These rich butters toe the line between emollient and occlusive. They hydrate and help rebuild the lip’s natural barrier without clogging pores.
3. Coconut oil: Naturally anti-inflammatory, but if you’re acne-prone, it can be too much for the skin around your lips.
4. Jojoba oil: Mimics the skin’s natural sebum. Super lightweight, nongreasy, and unlikely to clog pores.

Occlusives: These ingredients form a protective barrier to seal in moisture and block out environmental aggressors. Look for petroleum jelly (aka petrolatum), a tried-and-true moisture sealant, or beeswax for a natural alternative.

Humectants: These ingredients attract water to keep lips plump and hydrated; they work best when paired with emollients and occlusives to trap moisture. The standout is hyaluronic acid, which hydrates without leaving a greasy residue, but you’ll also benefit from glycerin, aloe vera, or honey.

Antioxidants: Ingredients like vitamin E, vitamin C, niacinamide, and polyphenols help defend against free radicals and aid in repairing damaged skin cells over time.

SPF protection: Lips are especially vulnerable to sun damage, so opt for mineral sunscreens utilizing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. They’re effective, gentle enough for sensitive skin, and don’t leave a white cast.

Here’s what to avoid:

Synthetic fragrances and flavors: Yummy scents, including but not limited to peppermint, cinnamon, and citrus, can irritate your lips, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Menthol, camphor, and other cooling agents: These make dryness worse over time.

When to See a Dermatologist

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, if your lips are still chapped after two to three weeks of consistent balm use, you should consult your dermatologist. A professional can help you figure out if there’s something more serious going on—like an allergic reaction or fungal infection—and treat it before it exacerbates.

My lip balm obsession started sometime around 2006 with a Fanta Lip Smacker, but for this story, I got more methodical. Over the past eight months, I put 30 balms to the test across a variety of climates and conditions: dry Chicago winters, Florida heat, airplane air, etc. I judged each against a checklist of factors:

Ingredients: I scanned every balm for moisturizing ingredients and flagged substances that can irritate lips instead of helping them, like synthetic fragrances, menthol, and camphor. I also prioritized clean or vegan picks when possible.

Texture: I evaluated how each formula went on, how it wore throughout the day, and how buildable it was under lipstick and other lip products. Anything too waxy, too greasy, or that disappeared in five minutes got a hard pass.

Packaging and application: I tested squeeze tubes, tins, and twist-up sticks. I rated each on portability, hygiene, and overall user-friendliness.

Range: This guide includes drugstore staples and luxury lip treatments, tinted and high-shine options, and SPF picks.

What Are We Testing Next?
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Boutayna Chokrane

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November 15, 2025
I Tested 17 Aluminum-Free Deodorants to See Which Ones Actually Worked

Compare Our Top 11 Natural Deodorants

More Natural Deodorants We Tested

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Kopari Performance Plus Deodorant for $20: This deodorant smells great—like a floral, beachy coconut. It’s more fresh than sweet, and I’d say it’s unisex-leaning-feminine. It goes on clear and smooth, and it didn’t stain my clothes at all. However, it didn’t last me through a workout without reapplying, unlike some other brands I tried. I think it’s fine, but I wouldn’t call it a “performance deodorant.” If you’re looking for a clear formula and you don’t mind reapplying, it might be worth a shot.

Curie Clean Deodorant (two-pack) for $28: This formula smells good when first applied, but quickly fades away after an hour or two. It also stained my clothes more than some others I tried. During my second use, it caused some irritation, so I discontinued it. I didn’t notice myself sweating more or less compared to other kinds of natural deodorant. However, the brand does have a great Detox Mask that can help with the transitional period when switching to natural deodorant. It’ll be featured more prominently in an upcoming guide.

Dove Aluminum-Free Deodorant for $11: Dove’s deodorant is mostly fine, and I like how affordable it is. But the texture is really smooth and leaves my underarms feeling strangely sticky, even after letting them dry. The fragrances aren’t powerful or long-lasting enough for my own personal preference. They also all have a powdery undertone that I was not a fan of. I did notice some BO partway through the day during my testing. Since this is so subjective, your mileage may vary. The packaging also came taped shut, and the tape left behind sticky residue on the outside of my deodorant that was impossible to remove without rubbing alcohol.

Lume Whole Body Deodorant (three-pack) for $40: This pricey deodorant smelled terrible to me. I received the Invisible Cream formula in Minted Cucumber, which smelled like pool chlorine and hand soap. I refused to put it on my body. I also received the Clean Tangerine Smooth Solid formula, which initially smelled marginally better but still had a weird hand-soap element to it. It left white marks all over my clothes and oddly smelled like cheese once applied. I washed it off and called my testing done. Reader, I love you, but I’m not going to smell like cheese all day just to see if the smell magically transforms after a few hours. Senior commerce editor Kat Merck also tried the Lavender Sage Invisible Cream, and she said it reminded her of laundry that was left overnight in the washing machine—and that the deodorant made her smell worse than she would have had she not worn any in the first place. Lume does have many fans across the internet, so again, this may be something that can be boiled down to personal preference. I suggest smelling it in a store before purchasing.

Bite Refillable Deodorant for $44: I like the minimalist aesthetic of this refillable deodorant. The sleek metal case is almost miniature, and the entire setup is completely plastic-free. However, it’s easy to push the deodorant stick up too high, which can be messy if the temperatures are warm. In fact, I found the formula too soft in general, and it tended to get gunky and gummy throughout the day, both on my armpits and on the case. I also didn’t love the neroli scent. I think this could work well if you want the most minimalist, nondescript natural deodorant possible, but there are other refillable options that smell better and last longer.

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Saltair AHA Deodorant for $13: I was initially really impressed by the scent I tried from Saltair. Pink Beach smells like a summer sunset on the ocean. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to make it work, I couldn’t apply this formula without my armpits feeling sticky and irritated. I used it on clean, dry, hairless skin, and I let my armpits dry fully before lowering my arms. But I had this constant feeling of tacky, sweaty irritation that eventually led to a rash, so I discontinued testing.

How Does WIRED Test Natural Deodorants?

I‘ve been wearing natural deodorant since 2020. I wore each of these deodorants at least seven times—including at least once during a calm day at home and at least once during a workout at the gym. I also tested whether they stain by putting on a black T-shirt after application. I test each on freshly showered and shaved skin, and by reapplying it at least once on a day that I haven’t showered. Next I’ll be testing liquid AHA deodorants and aluminum-free deodorant from Schmidt’s.

What Ingredients Make Natural Deodorant Work?

Here’s an explanation about some of the ingredients you may see in your research.

Aluminum: Natural deodorants (usually) mask odor and don’t emphasize sweat reduction. Antiperspirants (usually) mask odor and prevent sweat. The sweat prevention comes from aluminum salts, which block sweat ducts under your arms. There were a few studies that talked about elevated breast cancer or Alzheimer’s disease risks from using aluminum, but there’s no definite link between them (according to the FDA, the American Cancer Society, and the National Cancer Institute, among others). It’s probably fine to use antiperspirants with aluminum in them. Some people with kidney disease are advised to avoid aluminum, and others want to “play it safe” and avoid aluminum. As for me, I sort of feel better when I sweat? In any case, that’s the lowdown on aluminum. TL;DR: The science says it’s fine for most people.

Parabens: Parabens are preservatives that have been shown to mimic estrogen in the body, but at much lower rates than the body’s natural estrogen. Parabens are somewhat common ingredients in food, medicine, and beauty products, though they’re less common as more people try to avoid them. Some parabens are banned in the EU until more research can be done. The FDA has concluded that parabens are safe. It’s relatively easy to avoid parabens if you choose to. Most antiperspirants don’t contain parabens; most natural deodorants don’t, either.

Phthalates: Phthalates make plastic more flexible and durable, and they can also be used in some beauty products as stabilizers. Some studies have concluded that they’re safe; others suggest links between phthalates and skin irritation, cancer, or early death. But those links were not causal. Phthalates do have a California Proposition 65 warning. The recommended deodorants in this guide are phthalate-free. Many antiperspirants do contain phthalates, but not all of them.

Baking soda: Some natural deodorants use baking soda as an absorptive agent to prevent sweat and as an antibacterial agent to prevent odor. Some people can develop a rash from using baking-soda-based formulas, due to the reaction between the baking soda and their body’s natural pH balance. It’s hard to tell whether or not you’re sensitive to baking soda until you try it, but if you typically have sensitive skin, you may want to try a formula without baking soda. (We recommend some in this buying guide.)

What Is the “Transition Period”?

When you make the switch from antiperspirant to natural deodorant, you might go through a transition period lasting from one to four weeks. Long story short, after years of not sweating while using antiperspirants, you might find yourself sweating a whole lot more as your body adjusts when switching to natural deodorant. It’ll level out eventually, but for me personally, I smelled like a gym full of teenage boys for two weeks. Some people don’t have a transition phase at all. I also developed a heat rash from sweating so much during the middle of summer—my skin was irritated, which meant I couldn’t use deodorant at all, therefore raising the Stink Factor. Now, though, I sweat less than I ever did while using antiperspirants.

Be prepared to stick it out. I have an issue with the term “detox,” because our bodies already have a detoxifying process (called the kidneys). However, a clay mask like the Curie Detox Mask can be helpful in drawing out excess moisture and calming down irritated skin that you might experience during the transition period. Otherwise, just keep your underarms dry and be gentle on your skin. It won’t last forever.

What the Tables in This Guide Mean

It’s hard to empirically test deodorant. Scent preferences vary from person to person, and they can change based on your body chemistry. Some people might prefer a different formula, some people shave and some don’t, and some people care more about sweat absorption than scent. Do you shower every single day? Do you work out frequently? Do you naturally sweat a lot or a little? All of these things can factor in to whether or not you’ll like a deodorant. Here’s what the tables in this guide mean.

Available scents: How many scents you can choose from as of press time.

Free from: These ingredients are not in the deodorant.

Scent strength: “Strong” lasts all day. “Medium” fades halfway through the day. “Faint” means it faded fast or was barely noticeable in the first place.

Sweat level: “Low” means I didn’t notice any sweat. “Medium” means I noticed some wetness but didn’t feel the need to reapply the deodorant. “High” means I sweat a lot and felt the need to reapply throughout the day.

Clothing stains: “None” means it didn’t stain my clothes. “Few” means it might show up on a black T-shirt. “High” means it will absolutely show up on your clothes, regardless of color.

Functional ingredients: A list of the main ingredients that help absorb sweat and prevent odor.

Formula details: Is it vegan? Is it a stick, cream, or roll-on? I’ll let you know here.

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Louryn Strampe

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November 15, 2025
I Tried the Best Red Light Therapy Masks for 8 Weeks—I’m Impressed
If your skin is crying for help but you’re too tired to care, the best red light therapy mask is the easiest fake-it-till-you-make-it hack around. You might have seen a wave of people on social media channeling their best Hannibal Lecter while wearing a red light therapy device, like our top pick, the CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2 ($470). They’re not sipping Chianti but instead claiming that the wrinkles and fine lines on their faces have disappeared with the help of red light therapy. There’s nothing wrong with aging (duh), but after seeing the hype of these skin care devices, we had to find out if the “anti-aging” technology behind them could make a big impact on your skin health.

You can’t get the same effect with just any red LED from the hardware store. If the wavelength isn’t strong enough, it won’t penetrate your skin—sorry to the one TikToker sitting in front of a chicken coop heat lamp. After talking to board-certified dermatologists and testing several at-home devices, we’ve rounded up the best red light therapy masks for every sensitive skin condition, budget, and lifestyle.

For more beauty and wellness recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Electric Toothbrushes, Best Hair Dryers, and Best Lip Balms.

Featured In This Guide

Best Value

Shark CryoGlow Red Blue and Infrared iQLED Face Mask and Under Eye Cooling

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Updated October 2025: We’ve reevaluated the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro. We also added more information about our testing methodology and updated prices.

Best Red Light Mask Overall
Courtesy of CurrentBody

Courtesy of CurrentBody

Photograph: Nena Farrell

CurrentBody

LED Face Mask Series 2
The CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2 is a medical-grade, silicone mask. It also comes with a more secure strap—each side is shaped like a U, instead of using a single strap, making it much more secure. I can wear it and walk around if I like, without worrying about it slipping off, and the attached remote even has a little clip on it to hook it to your body.

This red light face mask only has one mode, but it does have three red light wavelengths, while most others only have two. The three levels are red (633 nanometers), near-infrared (830 nm), and what CurrentBody calls deep near-infrared (1,072 nm). CurrentBody says the deep near-infrared lights are designed to target areas that will have more signs of aging, though you can’t tell a difference in the lights just by looking at the lit-up mask.

It also has more LED bulbs in it than most other masks, with 236 LED bulbs in total. It’s a powerful mask, but I didn’t see much different results than I did from the cheaper LED Esthetics, once again seeing my acne clear up quickly with fewer scars left behind and a good glow to my skin. It was noticeably more comfortable and easier to wear around the house, so if you’re looking for a red-light-only mask you can multitask while wearing, the CurrentBody Series 2 is a great choice. —Nena Farrell

Best Value

Courtesy of Shark

Shark

CryoGlow Red Blue and Infrared iQLED Face Mask and Under Eye Cooling

The Shark CryoGlow is one of the best LED face masks on the market and is a great choice for newcomers, since it holds your hand through the process. There are two main programs to follow—Blemish Repair, which uses a combination of blue light (415 nm), infrared, and red LED (630-830 nm) for eight minutes, and Better Aging, which uses just infrared and red LED for six minutes. It’s recommended to follow one program daily for eight weeks, switching to the four-minute Skin Sustain program afterward to maintain the best results. It comes with a handy controller that counts down your time remaining and also tracks your progress, plus the mask has a party trick of cooling under-eye pads that can be used in combination with the LEDs or on their own, to soothe puffiness.
Boutayna Chokrane , Nena Farrell

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October 26, 2025
I Tested Over 40 Heat Protectant Sprays to Find the Best of the Best

Compare Our Top Picks

Honorable Mentions

Photograph: Kat Merck

Sutra Heat Guard Blowout Cream for $24: I love Sutra’s IR2 hair straightener, so I had high hopes. This thick and almost fragrance-free cream is meant to protect up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce drying time, but my hair felt dried out after use.

Function of Beauty Smooth With It Blowout Mist for $13: This Target-exclusive spray is fortified with argan oil and Tsubaki oil (from camellia fruit), a common ingredient in many K-beauty products. It is a spray, but I was surprised to find it comes out with an opaque, creamlike consistency rather than as a liquid, which means it goes on a bit heavy. That said, sometimes my frizzy hair needs something on the heavy side, and this definitely fit the bill—it did visibly reduce frizz after blow-drying, and my hair felt very soft.

Remilia Rice & Shine Leave-in Conditioner for $24: This is a hydrating, heat-protective leave-in spray with a cool, cork-topped bottle and an inoffensive scent. However, it did not do much for frizz in my tests.

Mark Anthony Grow Long Anti-Frizz Shield Ultimate Blowout for $10: This anti-frizz spray is a great value, but it didn’t work wonders on my 3a curls, and Function of Beauty’s Smooth With It (above) outperformed it in this price category.

Raw Sugar Multi Miracle Leave-in Conditioner for $10: I really liked the wood accent and spray nozzle on the bottle of this heat-protective leave-in conditioner, but it did not perform well on frizz in my tests.

Biolage Thermal Setting Spray for $24: I like the Biolage brand, and the fact that this can be used on either damp or dry hair (though it doesn’t give a temperature limit). However, whether I used it wet or dry, I found it left parts of my hair stiff. Some online reviewers, though, found they quite liked it for setting curls.

Courtesy of Emi Jay

Emi Jay Heavenly Hair Milk for $40: This is not exactly a spray, but it is lightweight enough that it could be, and it comes in a cool bottle with a pump that twists down to become a flush cap. It’s a combination heat protectant and detangler that happens to be an excellent anti-frizz product on its own (it supposedly cuts down on drying time too, but this feature wasn’t notable in my testing). This was at one time my first pick for best smelling, but someone online said it smelled like Play-Doh, and I was never able to un-smell it.

Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant for $15 (2 ounces): All of Moroccanoil’s products come infused with argan oil, and this spray that protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit is no exception. It can be used on wet or dry hair, and it’s extremely lightweight—I thought it felt and acted like a light hairspray, for better or for worse. I didn’t love the scent or the super-fine, alcohol-based mist—in fact, I was worried it would dry my hair out, but it didn’t.

Milk_Shake Lifestyling Amazing Anti-Humidity Spray for $28 and Smoothing Cream for $24: I love Milk_Shake as a brand, and these products were just fine, but didn’t stand out enough to qualify as top picks.

Verb Frizz Defense Smoothing Spray for $22: I’d heard great things about this frizz-fighting spray, and indeed it’s lightweight, feels non-drying, and doesn’t leave any heavy residue. It’d be a great pick if you have straight or wavy hair, but there are more effective options to cut frizz for type 3 and 4 curls if you’re trying to achieve a blowout.

Reverie Milk Anti-Frizz Leave-in Nourishing Treatment for $44: I loved this cream’s spicy botanical scent, stylish glass bottle, and the fact that it protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (according to Reverie; it does not say so on the bottle). It worked fine! There are just too many better options for half the price. (Ed. note: This is reviews editor Adrienne So’s current favorite heat protectant for thick, wavy 2a hair. She mainly likes the ease of application and frizz prevention, but admits that it’s stupid expensive.)

Others We Tried

Photograph: Kat Merck

Hairstory Primer Smoothing & Protecting Mist for $36: This leave-in mist protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and is designed to work with the whole Hairstory New Wash Method ($64), which involves a detergent-free “cleansing cream.” I tried it and it reminded me of the whole “no ’poo” movement of the early aughts, where practitioners eschewed modern shampoo for more natural options like baking soda. This method is not for everyone, but if you do try it, I don’t think the mist adds enough to justify the cost.

IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray for $38: This aerosol felt like it dried my hair out a bit, and it has the same unpleasant scent as the 4-in-1 (above). I didn’t care for it in a liquid spray, but it was overwhelming in aerosol cloud form.

Photograph: Kat Merck

R+Co Bleu Hypersonic Heat Styling Mist for $36: This high-tech-looking aerosol in a recycled aluminum bottle was a favorite during the early weeks of testing—I liked its protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and its frizz-fighting properties. However, it does use a polymer and resin complex to smooth hair, and over time I noticed it was leaving a sticky residue on my hands and heat tools.

Cloud 9 Miracle Repair 3-in-1 Leave-in Conditioning Spray for $26 and Cloud 9 Blowout Blow Dry Serum for $23: People rave about Cloud 9 online, and I really like parent brand Beautopia’s vibrating hair straightener, but neither of these products did much to cut down frizz during my tests.

Mane Cotton Candy Dry Texture and Volume Spray for $26: Protective up to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, this styler is supposed to add volume, and I had high hopes given my positive experience with this brand’s Temp Check heat protectant (above). However, it had the opposite effect on my mid-back-length hair.

Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blowdry Perfection & Heat Protectant Creme for $26: I have thick, unruly hair, and this cream protectant felt like it actually made my hair unmanageable and harder to style. It may speak to its effectiveness, but I felt like I had to take too many passes with a titanium flat iron turned up to max temperature.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Pureology Instant Levitation Mist for $32: Pureology is known for its formulas made specifically for color-treated hair, so I was hoping this would be a great-performing solution for those who don’t want to risk ruining their expensive highlights or balayage. However, it seemed to leave a dull residue, and neither I nor my short-haired tester found the volumizing feature to be very effective.

R+Co Chainmail Thermal Protection Styling Spray for $36: I appreciated this spray for its ability to add lots of visible shine, but the aerosol nozzle was not as targeted as I’d have liked, creating such a wide-ranging, fine-mist fog that it was nearly impossible not to breathe it in. I also found the cologne-like scent overwhelming.

Milk_Shake Lifestyling Thermo-Protector for $40: I usually love Milk_Shake products, but this aerosol spray felt like it dried out my hair and amplified my already hard-to-handle frizz after blow-drying. It also did not add a discernible amount of shine as promised.

FoxyBae Cool AF Heat Protectant + Biotin for $16: I like the cheery design of this pump spray bottle, as well as the fact it can be used on wet or dry hair. However, it didn’t seem as effective as other brands and was greasy when used on dry hair.

Chi 44 Iron Guard for $19: This drugstore stalwart works well to protect from heat while also tamping down frizz, and the new Botanical Bliss scent is an improvement over the original formula’s. However, it left a sticky residue on my hands and heat tools.

Neqi Diamond Glass Styling Spray for $12: I love Neqi’s hair perfume spray, so I had high hopes for its heat protectant, but it just didn’t do much to reduce frizz.

FAQs

How Do Heat Protectants Work?

Ingredients vary, but most heat protectants work much the same way: by deploying ingredients like copolymers or silicone that coat the hair shaft to slow (though not totally stop) heat conduction. Many heat protectants also include moisturizers to help seal and smooth the cuticle to reduce frizz. Because heat protectants can only slow, not completely stop, heat damage, it’s still important to use the lowest heat settings you can for your hair for the least amount of time.

I wash my 3a curly hair twice a week, then blow-dry and follow up with a straightening iron. I touch up my hair with a straightening iron daily in between. I tested the heat protectants in this guide in the course of my normal day-to-day life over a period of four months. I used each product on either damp hair before blow-drying or on dry hair before the straightening iron—whichever was indicated by the instructions. If a product could be used on damp and dry hair, I tried it both ways.

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Kat Merck

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October 18, 2025
I Love This Little Red Light Wand, and It’s on Sale for Prime Day

There are a lot of great red-light tools out there. I’d know; I’ve tried several masks over the past year that I’ve been testing red-light therapy masks and LED devices here at WIRED. You can find me testing some kind of red light device almost daily, from soft, flexible masks to even a red-light cap for hair growth. While I’ve mainly tested masks, there’s another handy little gadget I’ve also tried: Solawave’s 4-in-1 Renewal Wand.

Solawave’s wand stands out for a handful of reasons. It lets you target specific areas, rather than just masking your entire face and hoping the right wrinkles vanish; it vibrates and radiates warmth for a massage-like experience; and it’s much more affordable than a full face mask. With Prime Day underway right now, it’s more affordable than ever, letting you snag red light benefits for a little over $100.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Solawave

4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Wand

Solawave’s wand will take a little more work than just slapping a mask on. You need to hold it (duh) and manually massage your face while you use it, but you’ll only have to do this for three minutes at a time compared to the 10 minutes of a typical face mask. The vibration can feel funny at first, but it makes for a relaxing experience once you get the hang of it. A few different WIRED staffers who tried this wand said they saw positive results with skin tightening, particularly in areas around the eyes. Note that it only has a single 630-nm red-light wavelength.

The wand isn’t the only thing Solawave has on sale. Solawave’s Red Light Therapy Face Mask is also on sale for $227 ($122 off), and is a pretty comfortable, flexible mask. It’s an affordable price point, too, while on sale, but our mask picks have better features and more comfort. But there’s nothing else we recommend like Solawave’s 4-in-1 Renewal Wand.

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Nena Farrell

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October 7, 2025
Are Dyson Hair Tools Worth the Price? These Are My Top 5, Tested and Ranked

We test each tool on a range of hair types, lengths, and textures, including fine, curly, and color-treated hair. Our testers live in varied climates and span different routines, so we see how these tools perform in different environments.

We time how long it takes to dry freshly washed hair of different thicknesses and lengths. We pay attention to heat distribution and airflow strength across settings, and we note how comfortable the tool feels during styling sessions. Weight, cord length, and dual-voltage compatibility are also factors we consider.

We test every attachment as it’s intended, and we judge ease of use, durability, and styling results.

Beyond our initial two-week testing period, we continue using each tool for several months. This lets us track motor wear, filter maintenance needs, and any overall performance loss.

Boutayna Chokrane

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September 9, 2025
This $1,700 LED Mask Feels More Like Punishment Than Self-Care

Wearing the Pro by Déesse Pro is like cosplaying the Phantom of the Opera—if the Phantom had better LED coverage and $1,700 to spare. With 770 lights, six treatment modes, and four wavelengths, it looks like the most advanced LED mask on the market.

But after six weeks of consistent use, I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and delivers results that are far less impressive than its theatrics.

Missing the Basics

Courtesy of Déesse Pro

The Pro is a hard-shell LED mask with six treatment modes: Anti-Aging, Purifying, Brightening, Post Procedure, Calming, and Anti-Aging Express. Sessions can be customized by adjusting the duration or adding red-light therapy. With 770 LEDs, it outnumbers any mask I’ve tested (Therabody’s Theraface Mask has 648), but more bulbs doesn’t mean better results.

Déesse Pro touts its 770 LEDs, six treatment modes, and the inclusion of green-light therapy (more on this later) as proof of superiority. But the company hasn’t published any clinical trials or results to back its claims. Instead, its website features anonymous before-and-after photos with no context or background information. The mask also isn’t FDA-cleared in the US.

Six treatment modes sounds intriguing, but in practice, I only ended up using three. Mode 4 is billed as a post-procedure setting, but it’s simply a combination of red, near-infrared, and blue light; that’s a combination most masks bundle into a general treatment cycle. Labeling it Post-Procedure actually made me less likely to use it. The Anti-Aging Express mode is also essentially a shortened version of the standard anti-aging mode, which feels redundant, considering you can adjust the lengths of sessions.

I followed the brand’s recommended regimen—two to four sessions a week—for optimal results. Despite the consistency for six weeks, the payoff was underwhelming. My skin tone and acne breakouts looked no different than usual. I wasn’t expecting a total makeover, but for $1,700 and hours of my life, I anticipated visible results.

Courtesy of Déesse Pro

Boutayna Chokrane

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August 25, 2025
The Best Beauty Box Subscriptions

I’m a big proponent of treating myself. I think everyone should have more little treats, all the time, always. A monthly beauty box subscription guarantees that once per month you will receive a little box of joy on your doorstep. Whether that joy is centered on sample sizes, full-size products, makeup, skin care, or bath and body items is largely dependent on the service you choose. But I tried a few months of the most popular services, and these are the best I’ve found. (Note that we’re still waiting on our Ipsy and BoxyCharm shipments to arrive, so look out for our thoughts on those and more popular services in a future update.)

Be sure to check out our related guides on the Best Subscription Boxes for Kids, Best Snack Boxes, and Best Meal Kit Subscriptions for more recommendations.

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Are Beauty Boxes Worth It?

WIRED: Beauty boxes are an excellent way to discover new products, and they usually offer excellent value compared to buying the items separately. You can’t put a price tag on the sheer dopamine rush of getting a present in the mail every month. (Or maybe in a literal sense, you can, but I still think it’s priceless.) Products that don’t work for you will make good gifts or donation items.

TIRED: Some beauty boxes have a whole lot of little environmentally unfriendly plastic bottles and tubes, which can be bulky and hard to recycle. You’ll likely receive some products that aren’t right for your hair or skin type, or just don’t work out. Most beauty boxes don’t allow for any customization—what you get is truly a surprise.

I reached out to popular services and asked to test at least one month’s box but ideally three months’ worth. I compared the value of the included items to what the box itself cost. I also took notes on the overall variety and likelihood of the average person being able to use them—weighing specialty products against those that would work for most people. And yes, I put all of these pretty little potions on my actual face and hair and skin. Please refrain from asking me about the state of my bathroom countertop at this trying time.

Note that some brands offer one-off boxes that are available for purchase outside of a subscription. I didn’t test these or consider them as part of the criteria for this guide.

Louryn Strampe

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November 3, 2024
The Best Curling Irons of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with curling my hair, and it’s been a long journey finding the best curling irons to style with. My tumultuous tryst with curling irons probably began because not only is my very naturally flat, straight hair hard to curl to begin with, but also because I’ve had my fair share of curling iron burns on various areas of my face and neck throughout my teen years (don’t ask).

I hated the trial and error of learning how to curl my hair in those days, but loved how my curled hair transformed me every time, whether it was bouncy ringlets for my adolescent theater performances, rounded curls for my senior prom, or loose waves for college graduation. Never have I gone to an important milestone in my life without a curling iron—no matter how clumsy my hands were or how bulky the device was.

But curling irons have come a long way since the late 2010s, and have followed me into adulthood as I test out various hair styling tools for my job as a beauty editor. Ceramic barrels, multistyling blow-dry curlers, and ion technology have ushered in easier ways to control temperature and allow for more dexterity, and are much quicker to use than their medieval counterparts of the early aughts.

Here, I tested some of the best curling irons on the market to uncover which stylers rose to the top for someone like me with very hard-to-curl hair, plus which ones are best for wherever you may be in your curling iron journey, whether you have long hair, are a beginner, or just want a beachy wave. These were my favorites—and in case you were wondering, I’m happy to report that I did not burn myself with any of these!

For more hair tool guides, check out Best Hair Dryers and Best Hair Straighteners.

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What’s Better, Ceramic or Titanium Curling Irons?

Curling irons are typically either tourmaline ceramic or titanium, and while neither is necessarily better than the other, there are a few differences to keep in mind when shopping. Ceramic irons generally take longer to heat up, and they can also distribute heat more evenly, making them suitable for thinner and finer hair types. Titanium curling irons, on the other hand, heat up very quickly and are better if your hair is thicker or coarser. You’ll want to choose either a ceramic or titanium curling iron depending on your hair type and texture. Since I have longer and thinner strands, I found that the ceramic irons I tested were a bit more suitable for me.

What’s the Difference Between a Curling Iron and a Curling Wand?

A curling iron typically has a safety clamp that allows you to hold the hair in place without needing both hands. Curling wands don’t have a clamp—so you’ll have to hold the tip of your hair as you curl it. Both irons and wands have their pros and cons: The safety clamp can sometimes leave a funny crimp in your hair (which I experienced while testing a handful of these), while wands unfortunately make it a lot easier to burn your fingers (which thankfully, I was able to avoid).

I tested these curling irons over a span of a few months, right before a handful of events and occasions when I wanted to add more volume and style to my look. My hair is thin and pin straight, but there’s a lot of it, so I was most excited about the irons that not only successfully curled my hard-to-curl hair, but that allowed me to do so in a short amount of time.

I typically sectioned my hair in pieces from left to right. Although I did test upper and lower sectioning a few times, I found the former to be more successful for me personally because it was more comfortable for my arms and allowed me to focus on each strand of hair a bit better. And for those science buffs out there: I tested all of these on second-day hair, except for two (the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle) that require damp hair. I usually curl about three-quarters of my hair (from midshaft to end), so I tested roughly that length for every iron I tried. I also used a heat protectant spray and set most of these (except one … more on that, later) with hairspray.

Alanna Martine Kilkeary

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October 13, 2024
T3’s Aire 360 Air Styler Has High-End Ceramic Attachments for a Killer Blowout

You might be done after this step, but I prefer to add curls—whether I’m flat-ironing or doing it this way, my hair looks a little better with some wave as to not draw attention to the crispy ends. Like the wands you might be used to from Dyson or with the similarly impressive Shark Flexstyle, T3 auto-wraps your hair around the curler and keeps it in place with airflow, no clamps needed. One thing to note, though, is Dyson went from needing two curling wands to go in each direction to just one, with a switch at the top to change direction. So far, Shark and T3 still need two.

Photograph: Medea Giordano

The first thing I noticed upon unboxing the Aire 360 was how much nicer the wands are in construction than the others I’ve tried. They’re ceramic rather than plastic, so they’re sturdier but also distribute heat evenly. There are three heat settings (and three speeds), and it gets hotter than others, reaching 237 degrees Fahrenheit. You can’t touch these barrels straight away, but there are cool tips on top so you can still take them off and switch between the attachments. I like that there’s not a separate cold-shot button cluttering up the handle. Instead, you just long-press the heat button, though I did think it didn’t get as cool as hair tools typically do.

Even being hotter, it’s significantly lower than the temperature I’d need from a traditional curling iron, which I usually crank up to 400 degrees or more. It’s hot air, but it’s not a scalding hot plate, which means you’re not singeing your hair. Though I wasn’t willing to confirm this with my own hair, I can’t imagine you’d accidentally burn a piece of hair off if you left it too long.

High-End Finishes

Photograph: Medea Giordano

For about the same price as the Shark Flexstyle, you get fewer attachments. There, you can choose between different types of brushes, a wide-tooth comb, a diffuser and concentrator for drying, a frizz smoother, and two different thicknesses of wands. That one is a total tool, in my opinion, because I can own just that and diffuse curls on the days I wear them natural or blow them out other days. However, depending on your hair type and needs, all those attachments could be overkill. If that’s the case, I’d go with the T3 that looks and feels higher-end.

Medea Giordano

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July 6, 2024
The Uncanny Rise of the World’s First AI Beauty Pageant

What makes an AI pageant different, Friedman asserts, is that Fanvue’s contestants are products of their creators. “They’re drawing on all these stereotypes that we have about what a ‘beautiful woman’ is,” she says, “and people who tend to use AI might have a different idea of what an attractive woman might be. She might have pink hair, but she’ll still be within the realm of traditional beauty, with a thin body or not a lot of moles on her face.”

The creators of AI model Aitana Lopez (above) are serving as judges for the World AI Creator Awards beauty pageant.

Courtesy of Idea Farm

For the record, Fanvue’s contest, like human beauty pageants, will anoint a winner based on more than appearances. Unlike some of those contests, though, the World AI Creator Awards are looking for things like “social media clout” and how well their creators used prompts to create their contestants. Winners are set to be announced later this month.

Berat Gungor, one of Seren Ay’s creators, says that “in AI, you actually can’t create an ugly face,” though he’s careful to note that no human faces are ever truly ugly. While it’s easy enough for image-generating newbies to end up with blurred features and weird hands, Gungor says his experienced team was able to create an initial pool of 300 beautiful women in Stable Diffusion, ultimately picking Seren Ay’s face from the crowd because “she looked like a real person.”

Fanvue’s pool of thin, beautiful, mostly light-skinned finalists reflects what The Washington Post found when it tasked Dall-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion with creating beautiful women. Stating that the programs tended to “steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness,” the Post reported last week that in the thousands of images it generated, almost all were thin, light- to medium-skinned, and young. (Just 2 percent of the “beautiful woman” images showed visible signs of aging.)

In some ways, those images are reflective of the pool they pull from. “How people are represented in the media, in art, in the entertainment industry—the dynamics there kind of bleed into AI,” OpenAI’s head of trustworthy AI, Sandhini Agarwal, told the Post.

But if mass-market images of thin, beautiful women yield AI-generated images of thin, beautiful women, who then turn into thin, beautiful AI-generated influencers, creating pictures that just feed back into the collective media stream, isn’t the snake just going to end up eating its own tail? And what does that mean for those of us who aren’t traditionally beautiful, whose bust-waist-hip proportions can’t live up to Barbie-like online standards or who just can’t afford the upkeep on a head of perfectly coiffed hair?

Marah Eakin

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June 3, 2024
Dyson’s New Smart Hair Dryer Is Unfortunately Worth Every Penny

For me, a dryer lives and dies by its diffuser, and I’ve never seen one like this, which is actually two diffusers. In “diffuse mode,” it looks like any diffuser you’ve ever seen, with prongs to get right into the root to dry and help with volume. Dyson says this one is best for more textured curls and coils.

Pop that prong part off to use “dome mode.” Instead of pushing air out, it creates a vortex of air within the dome so air spins around the curls to dry them. It’s meant to elongate and enhance waves and curls. For my hair, they were best used together, and I think many curl types would benefit from both. I dried the roots and coarser bottom layer with the regular diffuser, and then switched to the dome for the length, particularly focusing on the damaged curls on top that require a bit more care to bring out the shape.

You’ll notice a few slight visual changes from the first Supersonic. Lights change colors based on the heat setting, turning blue for cool, yellow for low heat, orange for medium, and red for high. It makes it a little more fun-looking, but it’s also a nice visual cue to quickly check which setting you’re on. My favorite new addition though, is the clear back where the settings are, which gives you an inside look at some of the internals. As a huge fan of ’90s clear tech, I want more of this all the time. Dyson, if you’re reading this, the people want fully transparent hair tools with candy-colored wires.

Putting most of the controls on the back of the barrel is a smart move (as it was with the original). Most dryers put the buttons right where your hands grip the handle, so you can accidentally change settings when you’re just trying to hold it to your head. Here, the power switch and cold shot button are on the handle, but out of the way.

Smart Features

Photograph: Medea Giordano

The Supersonic Nural has a few unique smart functions that make the hair-drying process a little easier. Scalp protect mode uses a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor and infrared beam to detect when the dryer gets close to your head, automatically turning the temperature down to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Though it works with only some of the attachments, like the gentle air attachment, styling concentrator, and smoothing nozzle, it means you don’t have to fiddle with settings as you move from roots out.

Medea Giordano

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June 2, 2024
The Best Hair Straighteners to Iron Out Those Kinks

Curls are beautiful, but taking care of and styling them can be a long, frustrating, and often expensive task. Whether you have tight coils, waves, or Shirley Temple spirals, sometimes you just want to smooth them out and not be bothered for a few days. Having a good tool, be it a hair straightener or a blow-dry brush, makes that process easier.

WIRED’s Gear team has an array of curl types, needs, and hair-styling tricks, and we’ve all tried a lot of hair straighteners in our lifetimes. Some flat irons have left us with crispy ends and cramped hands, while others, like the ones listed here, gave us sleek hair. There’s a dizzying number of options around, but hopefully our favorite hair straighteners can help narrow down your search.

Updated April 2024: We added GHD’s Chronos flat iron, BabylissPRO Nano Titanium Prima3100 Hair Straightener, and Drybar Reserve Vibrating Styling Iron. We also updated links and pricing.

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Medea Giordano, Victoria Woollaston-Webber, Brenda Stolyar

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April 19, 2024