A process for reducing hair damage upon exposure of the hair to heat, comprising: providing a cosmetically acceptable aqueous carrier; selecting a heat protectant, wherein the heat protectant is selected based on its ability to impart thermal protection to hair from exposure to heat, wherein the heat protectant is selected to be a modified carbohydrate polymer, comprising a cellulose ether base material functionalized with (i) trialkyl ammonium moieties of formula wherein each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of a C 1-7 alkyl group and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer has a Kjeldahl nitrogen content, TKN, corrected for ash and volatiles, of 0.75 to 2.5 wt%; and (ii) hydrophobic substituents each having 16 carbon atoms; wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises 0.005 to 1.5 wt%, based on weight of the cellulose ether base material, of the hydrophobic substituents; wherein the hydrophobic substituents are randomly distributed across the backbone of the cellulose ether base material; wherein the cellulose ether base material has a weight average molecular weight, Mw, of > 1,000,000 Daltons; and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises < 0.001 wt%, based on weight of modified carbohydrate polymer, of crosslinking units; providing the selected heat protectant; combining the cosmetically acceptable aqueous carrier and the heat protectant to form an aqueous thermal protectant formulation; wherein the aqueous thermal protectant formulation contains 0.1 to 5 wt%, based on weight of the aqueous thermal protectant formulation, of the heat protectant; providing a hair; applying the aqueous thermal protectant formulation to the hair; providing a heat generating hair care appliance; and exposing the hair to heat at a temperature of 50 to 300 °C using the heat generating hair care appliance for 1 to 30 minutes. providing a cosmetically acceptable aqueous carrier; selecting a heat protectant, wherein the heat protectant is selected based on its ability to impart thermal protection to hair from exposure to heat, wherein the heat protectant is selected to be a modified carbohydrate polymer, comprising a cellulose ether base material functionalized with (i) trialkyl ammonium moieties of formula wherein each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of a C 1-7 alkyl group and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer has a Kjeldahl nitrogen content, TKN, corrected for ash and volatiles, of 0.75 to 2.5 wt%; and (ii) hydrophobic substituents each having 16 carbon atoms; wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises 0.005 to 1.5 wt%, based on weight of the cellulose ether base material, of the hydrophobic substituents; wherein the hydrophobic substituents are randomly distributed across the backbone of the cellulose ether base material; wherein the cellulose ether base material has a weight average molecular weight, Mw, of > 1,000,000 Daltons; and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises < 0.001 wt%, based on weight of modified carbohydrate polymer, of crosslinking units; (i) trialkyl ammonium moieties of formula wherein each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of a C 1-7 alkyl group and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer has a Kjeldahl nitrogen content, TKN, corrected for ash and volatiles, of 0.75 to 2.5 wt%; and (ii) hydrophobic substituents each having 16 carbon atoms; wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises 0.005 to 1.5 wt%, based on weight of the cellulose ether base material, of the hydrophobic substituents; wherein the hydrophobic substituents are randomly distributed across the backbone of the cellulose ether base material; wherein the cellulose ether base material has a weight average molecular weight, Mw, of > 1,000,000 Daltons; and wherein the modified carbohydrate polymer comprises < 0.001 wt%, based on weight of modified carbohydrate polymer, of crosslinking units; providing the selected heat protectant; combining the cosmetically acceptable aqueous carrier and the heat protectant to form an aqueous thermal protectant formulation; wherein the aqueous thermal protectant formulation contains 0.1 to 5 wt%, based on weight of the aqueous thermal protectant formulation, of the heat protectant; providing a hair; applying the aqueous thermal protectant formulation to the hair; providing a heat generating hair care appliance; and exposing the hair to heat at a temperature of 50 to 300 °C using the heat generating hair care appliance for 1 to 30 minutes.