With an ever-growing array of hair appliances on the market, something as seemingly simple as shopping for a new hair dryer can turn into an arduous task. From high-end to low-end, many tools across a category often make similar claims with science-based vocabulary. How do you know what’s what? Take out your notebook and a #2 pencil because it’s time for Cricket Company’s Hair Technology 101:

CERAMIC
What is it? Ceramic is a composite material usually made of clay. It can be used in the body of a dryer, the heating element, or as a coating on internal parts.
How does it help my hair? The benefit of ceramic is that it heats up quickly and evenly across its surface.

IONIC
What is it? Ions refer to any particle with a negative or positive charge. Negative ions interact with wet hair by breaking up the water molecules, allowing the smaller droplets to penetrate the outer layer of the hair shaft.
What’s in it for me? Ionic technology reduces the hair’s surface tension, leaving locks shiny and frizz-free.

TOURMALINE
What is it? Tourmaline is a semi-precious mineral which generates only negative ions when heated. While some of the best ionic dryers are made with tourmaline, they are not all equally effective. Internal parts of dryers may be molded of tourmaline, or some parts may just be coated with a mineral compound. Because tourmaline is a rare gemstone, the price of these hair dryers can get quite steep, depending on the quantity and the way it is incorporated into the dryer.
Benefits por moi? In a 2006 issue of Good Housekeeping, an experiment testing the effectiveness of tourmaline hair dryers found, “All three tourmaline dryers dried the hair swatches faster than the standard ionic dryer — roughly 40 percent faster.” For a speedy and productive blowout, opt for tourmaline.
Fun Fact: Tourmaline is one of the two birthstones for October!

The Centrix Q-Zone Dryer delivers all three of these technologies in a r evolutionarily quiet, lightweight design. Ionic technology helps significantly reduce drying time while ceramic tourmaline ensures shiny, healthier-looking hair. It features patent-pending Insanely Quiet™ (IQ) technology, which dries hair quickly without the loud noise, and the energy efficient 1500 watt, 2-speed motor delivers the drying power of 1875 watts. Lightweight and ergonomically designed, its dual position cold shot button can be activated from either the handle or barrel grip, making it perfect for both righties and lefties!