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Tourmaline versus Ceramic versus Ionic Curling Irons
You may have heard the terms tourmaline, ceramic, and ionic when it comes to your curling iron, but do you really know what these terms mean?
Whether you are a hairstylist or just a girl that like to curl her hair, understanding the type of tools you are using is important for achieving the look you’re after. That’s why today we are going to share with you what tourmaline, ceramic, and ionic mean so the next time you’re buying a curling iron, you know exactly what you’re getting.
Tourmaline
If you have a tourmaline curling iron, you are using an ionic curling iron that is made up of crystal boron silicate minerals that aid in the hair smoothing process because they close up the hair’s cuticle. These crystals are crushed up into a fine powder and transferred or baked into the major components of the curling iron so that when you use it, negative ions are emitted.
Because of the negative ions the iron emits, the positive ions in your dry or damaged hair are neutralized. As a result, you end up with not only a fabulous curl, but a shiny and smooth one. Not to mention, tourmaline seals in your hair’s moisture and counteracts any frizz you might be experiencing for your best look ever.
Tourmaline is a positive component of many styling tools such as brushed, hair dryers, combs, and more.
Ceramic
Ceramic materials in styling tools are a composite made up of clay. It is usually built into the heating element of the curling iron or as a coating on its internal parts. The best kind of curling iron to have if you are looking for one with ceramic include ceramic plates, not just a ceramic coating.
The ceramic in your curling iron creates a far infrared heat that penetrates deep into your hair to preserve its natural moisture and shine. In other words, it is designed to protect your hair as your expose it to the extreme temperature of your curling iron. It also helps your hair glide through the appliance so that when you are pulling your hair through to start a curl, there is no snagging or breakage.
One of the added bonuses to having ceramic built into your curling iron is that it heats up quickly and evenly making for the most uniform curling experience possible.
Ionic
If you see the term ionic on your curling iron, it is referring to the positive and negative charges being emitted. For example, in your hair dryer, negative ions react to your wet hair by crushing water molecules so your hair can dry. This reduces the amount of frizz you’ll have after a long blow drying session, leaves your hair shiny and smooth, and reduces the tension and damage your hair experience when it is blow dried a lot.
That said, the same technology is being applied to your ionic curling iron. Though your hair is not wet when you curl it (at least we hope not!) the same negative ions react to the positive ions your hair emits when it’s dry to leave your curls bouncing, sleek, and shiny, all at once. This is because the negative ions close up your hair’s cuticle and lock in that beautiful curl.
As you can see, there is a lot of tech talk that goes into your curling iron that can be confusing if you don’t have a clue what they mean. That’s why learning about them before you invest in a new curling iron is your best bet.
