“Hair masks are key to healthy hair, no matter the texture.”
Unhappy hair can be fixed with hair masks. According to Ash Therese, master stylist at the Bird House salon, hair masks are more of a body butter than conditioner, which is similar to your light body lotions. There is a hair mask for every hair type and condition, including dry and splitting, curly and frizzy, color-treated and dull.
Regarding hair texture and hair complaints, it’s more crucial to consider what your hair truly requires when choosing a mask than what type of hair you have. “For me, picking a mask isn’t so much about whether hair is thick or thin,” says Shirley Hagel, an advanced creative stylist at Parlour Hair Salon. Rather, she will assess if the hair is dehydrated, damaged, or nutrient-deficient. Several of the eighteen hair experts I spoke with for this article agreed with this recommendation, which I also followed while choosing the masks to try out myself.
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 Repairing Treatment
I really believe that Olaplex is a safe choice. To paraphrase a former hairdresser of mine, apply Olaplex whenever in doubt. I’ve written a lot about its bond-building product range. Their hair mask contains the same restorative treatment as their shampoo, which is my number one choice for color-treated hair. I was originally introduced to the series with No. 3, the hair mask, as I had just graduated from college and could only afford one bottle. It was the correct choice for my color-treated, bleach-damaged hair, which improved with just a few applications of the hair mask (sometimes marinating it overnight, sometimes for ten minutes in the shower).
Ash Fritzler, master stylist of the Bird House salon, states, “I send my clients home with Olaplex No. 3 if they have a colour service with me.” Like me, Fritzler claims to have witnessed the change this solution can make in her customers with just one weekly application.
Verb Ghost Hair Mask
In my last study of the top conditioners and hair oils, I also highlighted the Verb Ghost line. For much of the same reasons, I’m highlighting their hair mask here: it’s lightweight, affordable, and works well on all hair types. Stylebox Salon CEO Stephanie Louis tells me, “This is our tried-and-true mask that works with nearly every hair texture, from straight to wavy to curly.” Because it is so light, people with finer hair will see results much more quickly than people with curlier hair textures. However, Louis suggests that after two to three months of consistent use, you’ll truly start to feel the benefits.
Although I haven’t used it myself—a bottle is on its way to me—Strategist author Dominique Pariso has made significant use of it. “After just a few uses, my hair felt healthier and less dry, and I was happy to find that the mask was incredibly light and easy to wash out,” she says. Finding a mask that works quickly is a benefit, but regular use yields the best results. For this reason, I believe people with coarser and curlier hair would still benefit much from this choice.
Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask With Rare Prickly-Pear-Seed Oil
This is the same Christophe Robin mask that we have discussed dozens of times on The Strategist, despite a slight alteration. According to Dianna Cohen, the creator of the hair care brand Crown Affair, it’s “the most universal hydrating mask” and her “favourite hair mask of all time.” Cohen uses the term “universal” to suggest that it works for all hair types; the only adjustment you’ll need to make is the amount you use—thick hair requires more, while fine hair just need a pea-sized amount. Although the mask is undoubtedly more expensive, Cohen claims that the cost is well justified due to substances like prickly pear seed oil, which is high in vitamin E.
According to Cohen, vitamin E helps your hair regain its protein and keratin, which makes it silkier and shinier without clogging your scalp or creating buildup. She also points out that masks frequently produce buildup if they are applied too close to the scalp. After wearing the mask for roughly fifteen minutes, she rinses it off with cold water. Cohen informed us that the Christophe Robin mask’s contents respond strongly to heat, so if you want to really indulge in your hair mask, apply it under a shower cap and then cover it with a hot towel.
African Pride Moisture Miracle Moroccan Clay & Shea Butter Heat Activated Masque
Despite being the least expensive mask on this list (less than $10), it contains shea butter, which is my favourite powerful moisturising ingredient. Additionally, it contains Moroccan clay, which aids in clearing the hair of debris and accumulation. As the creator of CURLBOX, a subscription service for curly hair products, Myleik Teele has evaluated thousands of products and claims that because it is so moisturising, it “can go toe-to-toe” with any other expensive mask in terms of performance. Although Teele suggests it for curly hair types, anyone with excessively dry hair can use it because of its strong moisturising component profile. Additionally, it is heat activated, so if you have a hooded dryer at home, now is the perfect moment to utilise it. However, the shower-cap-plus-hot-towel option will also work if you don’t.
Typebea Hydragloss Treatment
You have a problem if you have dry, fine hair because many of the same products that would relieve the dryness will make your hair feel and appear heavy. Ailbhe Malone, a senior editor at Strategist, was having trouble with that: “My hair likes the moisture a mask gives, but it often looks limp afterwards — and I have dry, fine hair — and not a lot of it.” As a result, she was pleased to discover that this Rita Ora hair care mask is one of the best she has ever used.
“It’s nourishing and makes my hair shiny, but not coated, unlike the Christophe Robin or Bleach London masks I’ve used,” she says. “I’ve had fantastic results with just three minutes in the shower, so you don’t even need to leave it in for that long.” I also give the ingredients list a huge thumbs up: Shea butter and argan oil will nourish your scalp and hair, while ceramide will fortify breakable ends.
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
K18 is a bond-building substance, just like Olaplex. Previously exclusive to salons, it has gained enormous popularity since going on sale to consumers. So much so that Rio Viera-Newton, the Strategist beauty columnist, Pariso, and Tembe Denton-Hurst, the Strategist authors, all swear by it. Rio says that after using K18 every other week, she noticed “a big difference in the texture, softness, and general health” of her bleached hair. “Basically, K18 works by delivering a patented amino-acid chain to the inner structure of your hair, replacing missing amino acids and regenerating the bond to repair your hair,” she says. I’m testing this mask right now, and I’m excited to see how it works with my Olaplex.
Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask
If you’re trying to nurture your color-treated hair but also add some intensity (and longevity) to the color, I suggest Christophe Robin. As near to salon colour as is humanly possible to achieve at home, Rio claims it will “give your hair a colour boost.” It contains many cooling components for your color-treated hair in addition to depositing colour (it comes in coppery red and chestnut brunette colours). “Aside from its amazing color-fixing abilities, it’s one of the most incredibly hydrating hair masks I’ve ever used,” she claims.
Bread Beauty Supply Hair Mask Creamy Deep Conditioner
According to Denton-Hurst, since its debut two years ago, Bread has quickly gained popularity among “lazy naturals,” or people with curly hair who choose a low-maintenance, easy-to-follow hair care regimen. The hair mask, which is also a favourite of our colleagues at the Cut, is packed with Australian kakadu plum and starflower oil, which give curls a glossy, hydrated finish. (In addition, if you’ve already jumped to the part on curly hair, allow me to point you to the African Pride Moisture Miracle, which is a fantastic choice for hair types that range from curly to coarse.)
Hours in Minutes Silkening Mask
As I previously stated, finding hydrated elements that aren’t overly heavy might be challenging. However, this hair mask has them; it contains coconut oil and avocado oil, which are both moisturising and far lighter than shea butter. Cheryl Kramer Kaye, a contributor to Strategist, claims that this divinely fragrant hair mask turns straw-like hair into gold faster than you can say “Rumpelstiltskin.” “I grab it almost every time I take a shower, and it hasn’t yet made my relatively fine curls feel heavy.”
Brazilian Blowout Acai Deep Conditioning Masque
Her own thick, wavy hair has damaged ends, according to Mirjam Bayoumi, whose namesake salon in the Upper East Side is well-known for its hair-coloring procedures. She recommends Brazilian Blowout’s mask to anyone with coarse hair because it has a moisturising mix that aids in detangling and helps fight some of the damage. Extracts with antioxidant and vitamin-rich qualities are included in its ingredient list. This is how it can provide a burst of hydration and nourishment to coarse hair types, conditioning them all the way down to the cuticle and preventing frizz. According to Bayoumi, the Brazilian Blowout works well with heat, as Cohen recommended with the Christophe Robin mask.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
“It’s always difficult to find a mask that’s deeply nourishing without being greasy or heavy because my hair is so fine, but I think I’ve finally found one that works after years of searching,” Pariso adds. The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, her flagship product, is made with a blend of glycerin, castor seed and olive oils, and elastin. I can’t help but be amazed by how smooth, lustrous, and detangled my hair was after only one treatment, even though I’m usually dubious of products that promise instant effects. In contrast to other brands, my hair didn’t feel greasy or heavy at all after using this one.
To maintain her hair nourished and glossy, actress Jessica Chastain applies the mask several times a week—not as instructed, she notes. “As a redhead, my skin and hair are extremely sensitive, so I need to stay hydrated all the time,” she explains. “I’ll apply it to the ends of my hair, tie it up in a topknot, and sleep with my hair still wet.” I leave it in my hair overnight and never rinse it off. Additionally, it’s a natural method of preventing frizz.
