Regardless of your hair type or salon history, a nourishing mask is the key to healthy, shiny hair. Everything from bleaching, colouring, heat styling, and even pulling too hard with your hairbrush can compromise the structure and integrity of your hair. So, levelling up your routine with a mask is a lifesaver. Here are our favourites for every concern by Trudi Brewer.
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Regardless of your hair type or salon history, a nourishing mask can go a. Everything from bleaching, colouring, heat styling, and even pulling too hard with your hairbrush can compromise the structure and integrity of your hair. So, levelling up your routine with a mask is life-changing. Here are our favourites for every concern.
What to look for in a hair mask?
Much like using a facial serum to elevate your skincare routine, a hair mask is designed to penetrate deep into the cuticle of your strands to help heal broken bonds and nourish dryness from the inside out – while boosting shine simultaneously. So, how do you find the perfect mask to suit your hair type? Here’s a quick science lesson: if you have fine strands, look for a mask with lightweight oils like jojoba and coconut that will nourish your hair without weighing it down. If you have thick or coarse hair, hair masks containing shea butter, argan and avocado oil will provide intense moisture to soften low-porosity strands. If your hair appears dull and the ends snap off easily, you'll likely need a mask packed with moisturising ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and coconut oil. A protein mask is ideal if your hair is bleached and lacks elasticity.
How can hair benefit from a mask?
Hair is made up of keratin, a type of protein, and when it's exposed to stressors like heat, chemical colours or bleaching, its structure is compromised, causing the hair cuticle to lift (hello frizz) and the bonds to snap. Replenishing that protein helps to rebuild these structures, improving the strength and appearance of your hair.
How often should I use a hair mask?
There are few rules when it comes to hair masks. To reap the benefits, apply on damp hair and leave on for up to 20 minutes - and some can stay on overnight. Weekly is the ideal routine with a hair mask; however, when it comes to protein masks, it's possible to have too much of a good thing. Because hair is made up of protein already, overloading it can have the reverse effect and cause the hair to weaken and break. A safe bet is to use a protein treatment monthly alongside your standard hair conditioner. Here are our favourite hair masks that pack a potent punch.
Frizz- fighting
UMBERTO GIANNINI CURL JELLY MASK, $30.
The latest mask to cross our desks was made for anyone with curly hair, which is seldom dry and frizzy - speaking from experience. The formula is made from organic coconut oil and Shea butter, the best combination for fighting frizz and defining your curls. It’s super nourishing; expect the silkiest locks after the first application. Oh, and did I mention the gorgeous scent? It’s a blend of lavender and patchouli infused with warm cardamon and milky vanilla - heavenly.
Bond-Building
Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector, $61.
Developed by chemists, Olaplex uses a patented bond-building technology to help rebuild damaged, fried-looking hair. Salon-created blondes, this one is for you. It penetrates inside each strand, and while that may sound intense, it doesn’t have excessive protein. Still, it's stacked with a molecule called bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleateso. Free from silicones and oils, it dramatically improves the strength of the hair. It is expensive, but so is blonding your hair. Stylists refer to this mask as a powerhouse hair healer - enough said.
Hair-reviving
Oribe Signature Moisture Masque, $103.
Known as the Rolls Royce of hair masks, it has the price tag to match. Created for hair that has lost the will to live. To combat that damage from heat and colour, a blend of macadamia nut seed oil, ginger root extract, mango butter, sunflower seed oil, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Together these ingredients strengthen and hydrate while boosting volume and shine. But the lasting impression is the scent - the Oribe signature perfume, a blend of watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower - #love.
Banish brassiness
Schwarzkopf Professional Blondme Neutralizing Mask - Cool, $46.
Considered this a blonde-neutralising hair treatment. Do you know that brassy yellow cast blondes tend to get as their colour ages? Well, this is your hair’s secret weapon in the war against brassiness. As well as visibly cooling and brightening blonde locks, the ‘3D Bond Creation Technology’ works deep inside the hair to restore and rebuild damage - it’s gentle and genius at the same time. With summer coming, you need this mask if you’re a blonde.
dry, brittle hair
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask, from $40.
To say I am a little bit obsessed with this brand is an understatement, not just for its comforting honey-infused aroma. It’s brilliant for fine hair that needs nourishment because it’s made with honey, a natural humectant, which is a moisture magnet. Enriched with sustainably sourced Mirsalehi honey, it minimises frizz, flyaways, and breakage while adding shine and manageability without weighing down your locks. It’s divine.
Colour-treated hair
Davines NOUNOU Hair Mask, $52.
Any permanent colour process on the hair can make it dry and brittle. This hair mask caters to processed hair types, enabling it to repair damage, add moisture, and give the hair a body boost. How? A blend of natural plant extracts, including tomato extract, jojoba, and olive oils - and the scent? It will transport you to Italy, where it’s made. It smells like sun-ripened citrus.
Here are the tips and products to try now.