Best hair masks to treat dry and damaged hair

Regular masking may already play a part in your skincare routine – whether you reserve it for self-care Sundays or while you’re 31,000 feet high making the most of plane downtime. But, do you treat your hair to the same TLC?

Hair masks are a simple add-on to your regime that will refresh your locks between salon appointments and counteract damage caused by chemical, thermal and environmental reasons. They are typically packed with proteins, vitamins and nutrients including oils like coconut and avocado that have nourishing benefits to your strands without weighing them down – a godsend for over-processed hair.

Who should use a hair mask?

Senior Creative Director, Michael Lendon stresses “Everyone can use and will benefit from a hair mask – it’s all about choosing the right one for your hair and scalp type. There is a trend at the moment of people ‘multi-masking’ where you choose a different mask for different areas of the hair. Although this may seem a bit extreme, it actually makes sense – particularly as people tend to have different conditions of hair on one head. Think balayage colours where the ends of the hair may be more damaged from colouring and heat styling (the hair is older at the ends so it has had more stress).”

How often should you use a hair mask?

He continues, “Frequency of use can depend on the severity of the issue you are trying to fix, but as a general guide I would say about every three to four shampoos. I would skip your normal conditioner and use a treatment mask the time.”

What are the benefits of a hair mask?

Lendon reveals that “Hair masks are designed to treat or improve certain hair ‘issues’. They penetrate deeper into the hair and are usually more intense than a normal daily conditioner. Using a combination of powerful ingredients to help repair damage, add moisture and hydration, create smoothness, add shine, improve scalp health and even add volume.”

The benefits are seemingly endless; they can transform lacklustre locks by hydrating, and smoothing, which in turn calms frizz and flyaways. The restorative formulas will also help create an enviable mirror-level of shine, replenishing the tresses, defining curls and reducing damage and breakage.

While conditioners may have a similar effect, masks will stay on the hair for longer, giving the product a chance to penetrate deeper into the shaft – and you can even lather up overnight and wake with your strands having a new lease of life.

How do you choose which mask is right for your hair type?

“Choosing the right mask for your hair and scalp is key to ensuring the maximum benefits,” Lendon explains. “In general, hair that is damaged from colouring or chemical processes will require protein-based treatment masks. ‘Bond Building’ technology really was a game changer for our industry as we are now able to repair damaged hair by re-building protein bonds that can become damaged when hair is chemically treated or from excessive heat styling and environmental aggressors such as UV light and friction.

“If your hair is not coloured, and lacks moisture and hydration (it will look dull, lifeless, and may feel rough or generally straw-like), choose a moisture-based treatment.”

When should you use a hair mask?

Many of these products will need to be followed by a hair wash (with hair oil or leave-in conditioner to maximise the benefits), while for others, you need to apply on freshly shampooed strands. It is worth paying attention to the latter as it does require waiting around in the shower or separating the process in two while you get on with some vacuuming or Netflix bingeing.

How did we test the hair masks?

We tested the below products over a series of months to see the short and long-term benefits that they provided. Some are designed to repair damage, others have a focus on hydration and there are designated formulas to boost colour or promote a thicker, fuller head of hair.

Shop the best hair masks below

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Intensive Treatment

Best for: A product that lives up to the reputation

This is one of the most cult haircare products on the market and for a very good reason – it works. Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer boasts endless awards, accolades and word-of-mouth recommendations for its ability to transform tired locks and leave them deeply conditioned. So popular is the product that one is sold every minute.

This is the brand’s Intensive Treatment that works harder to restore tresses to a more manageable and elastic level and with a healthier-looking sheen. You should notice the effects in just one use but it only gets better with continual application. The ingredients keep working even after it has been washed out, protecting against UV and prolonging the life of your colour. Split ends appear less obvious, hair is hydrated and it feels silky soft. Cue the compliments.

Before shampooing, apply into hair for 20 minutes – or over 60 or overnight under a shower cap if you’ve got the time – before continuing on with the rest of your routine. It may require a double shampoo to make sure all the product is removed.

Buy now £29.21, lookfantastic

Color WOW and Chris Appleton Money Masque

Best for: J.Lo shine

This mask was formulated as part of a collaboration between celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton (the hair wizard behind J.Lo’s hair at the Superbowl and the majority of Kim Kardashian’s viral looks) and Color Wow.

Appleton stresses that “I won’t even attempt to create a look before I completely nail that rich-looking glossiness first. It instantly dials up the glam factor. That’s why I’m constantly urging my clients to keep up with their conditioning treatments and Money Masque is what I call one-step prep.”

All hair types can maximise the shine-giving results of this product which has Blue Sea Kale for strengthening and Mediterranean Sea Kelp and Algae in synergy to condition in order to achieve that mirrored shine look. There’s also a Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein Complex for hydration, while the formula is all vegan.

Use just one finger to scoop out the desired amount of product and apply to shampooed hair for three to five minutes. If you’re after an even deeper treatment, step out of the shower, cover hair in a shower cap and unwind in front of the TV for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing.

Buy now £39.50, lookfantastic

JVN Complete Instant Recovery Serum

Best for: Jonathan Van Ness-level luscious locks

JVN was founded by Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness and has, in a very short time, become the number one bestseller on Space NK – the exclusive retailer to stock the label. Across all categories, the Complete Instant Recovery Serum reigns supreme, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find it in stock. If you’re lucky enough to bag one of the products, you’ll be able to maximise its restorative effects.

The product is formulated with powerhouse ingredients that you may recognise from your skincare regime, including hemisqualane for strengthening and counteracting damage, niacinamide for repair and lemon protein to shield against heat styling (up to 232^oC) and offer shine. It is free from any silicones or sulphates and is vegan, while also being safe for coloured hair.

This is a no-rinse product and should be applied to damp hair. It can be used daily.

Buy now £25.00, Space NK

Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask

Best for: Bond-building technology

All of the ever-growing Olaplex range puts the brand’s proprietary complex at its heart as it has the scientifically proven ability to repair the hair cuticle. This is step eight in the routine and is designed to follow the shampoo.

The light texture is quickly absorbing and should be applied onto the mid and ends (not the roots) for 10 minutes before washing out. The bond-repairing product boosts shine, moisture and body, while also smoothing in spades. No matter your concerns – be it thermal damage, frizz, or the desire to define curls – this product has visible results.

Perhaps the only downside is that it needs to be kept on for 10 minutes – a fair amount of time to be waiting in the shower, so perhaps best saved for a bath.

Buy now £28.00, Space NK

Living Proof Restore Repair Mask

Best for: A sleeker finish for frazzled strands

When your hair feels dry, dull and unmanageable, call on Living Proof and its collection of hair masks, each of which is designed to tackle a different concern. The Restore Repair was created with damaged and dry hair in mind, transforming frazzled locks into a sleeker, more manageable condition.

It provides a deep conditioning effect that also shields against future damage that may be caused by the styling process. The formula stands out from the crowd as with continual usage, you will notice that you can leave more time in between hair wash days and still have the shiny strands that you’d hope for. This mask can be used on all hair types, including blonde, bleached and grey as well as coloured and chemically treated.

Apply to shampooed hair and leave on for five minutes and rinse or in the place of your conditioner once or a couple of times a week.

Buy now £33.00, Amazon

Kérastase Resistance Masque Extentioniste

Best for: Restorative, pampering treatment

With the addictive scent of this mask from Kérastase, you will want to lather it on – and you can do so with no qualms as it is a seemingly never-ending product. This mask offers a luxurious experience, from the fragrance to the formula. It has been created with Creatine R and Maleic Acid that repairs at bond level, fortifying against breakage past, present and future to leave it shiny and with a new lease of life.

The Resistance Masque Extentioniste should be left on for five minutes after shampooing and then rinsed.

Buy now £42.30, lookfantastic

Aveda Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque Rich

Best for: Plant-based deep conditioning

Aveda’s Botanical Repair range is designed to go deeper into the three layers of hair (cuticle, cortex, and medulla) in order to restore from the inside out. The scientifically-backed formulations contain molecules that can penetrate into the cortex and multiply to leave each individual strand looking and feeling thicker and healthier – but using 94 per cent naturally-derived ingredients.

This is the thicker of the two masks (there is also ‘Light’ for finer hair types with a weightless gel-creme formula) and so it is designed for thicker and coarser locks. It is brimming with plant power to bring shine to your strands. The buttery texture is achieved through the inclusion of, well, butter, emollients and plant lipids that lock in the moisture. The lovely scent follows in the suit of the brand’s trademarked aroma with Rose, Marjoram and Ylang-Ylang. Beautifully fragranced and leaves hair smooth, soft and strong. Plus, a little goes a long way so it has lasting power too.

This is an easier application than some of the other products on the list as only needs to stay on freshly shampooed hair for two to five minutes before rinsing. This gives you time to shave and body wash without much shower-based waiting around time.

Buy now £45.00, lookfantastic

Pureology Hydrate Superfood Deep Treatment Mask

Best for: A vegan formula that packs a punch

Hydrating your locks is the quickest and easiest way to tackle the majority of typical haircare concerns and this formula from Pureology acts as an immediate moisture hit for strands that have been through chemical processes, styling, brushing, and exposure to external aggressors.

It combines the nourishing cocktail of goji berry extract and olive oil that are rich in nutrients and conditioning properties to revitalise brittle ends.

For easy application, coat the entirety of your head and hair in the creamy texture, wait five minutes and rinse.

Buy now £24.35, Amazon

Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin conditioning mask

Best for: Jasmine-scented conditioning

French label Leonor Greyl is here to help you achieve that effortless Parisian style – minimal care for maximum results. It offers a nourishing treatment for the tresses with regenerative ingredients that will come particularly welcome for hair that is dry, dehydrated and dull.

Smooth over your hair – be it thick or thin, straight or curly – and let the combination of amino acids, proteins and botanical oils work their magic. A glossy, resilient mane is far more achievable than it seems – simply apply on dry hair, leave for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse followed by shampooing. You can also switch it out for your traditional conditioner.

The fragrance has a sweet musky aroma that is very subtle but you’ll catch wafts throughout the day.

Buy now £40.19, Amazon

Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask with Aloe Vera

Best for: Ultra-hydrating shine-boosting

Parched, brittle strands will have met their match in the form of the Hydrating Melting Mask from expert hair label Christophe Robin. For a lustrous, healthy shine, you need only apply this express formula for a treat to your tresses.

This requires just a few minutes to get to work providing effective conditioning without weighing the hair down. It is made up of 98 per cent natural-origin ingredients with soothing, calming and hydrating aloe vera at the heart and combined with fatty acid oils for glorious plumping and shine-boosting. The fragrance is lovely too with a citrus-wood mixture.

Buy now £28.00, lookfantastic

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Urban Moisture Masque

Best for: Anti-pollution protection

For city dwellers, our daily commutes may be wreaking havoc on the condition of our hair. From pollution to other external aggressors, it can cause our strands to become fragile and stressed. But that’s where the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Urban Moisture Masque comes in.

This is an intensive treatment that is enriched with moringa and red algae extract with restorative, revitalising and refreshing effects. Apply for five to 10 minutes on damp hair and it also improves manageability and smoothes out locks for detangling. Hair feels soft, shiny and full of moisture. A little goes a long way.

Buy now £61.00, lookfantastic

Davines Heart of Glass Intense Treatment

Best for: Colour protection

Davines is one of those insider haircare labels that is loved by professional stylists but may be lesser known to your everyday consumer. The Italian label has been creating products since 1983 with organic, sustainable and eco-conscious practices from start to finish.

This treatment is part of the collection for blonde tones and as such offers a boost of vibrancy for natural hues or to tie you over between dye sessions. It also fortifies the strands to counteract breakage and has a brightening effect.

Buy now £23.25, Cult Beauty

Bumble and bumble Thickening Plumping Mask

Best for: Fine hair

For those of us with hair on the thinner end of the scale, it can be a challenge to find a product that provides volume, thickening and the appearance of density without weighing down our fragile strands. Until now.

The Thickening Plumping Mask from Bumble and bumble does exactly that with a lightweight texture that still results in a fuller-looking head of hair and strengthens against breakages. It should coat your recently shampooed tresses from root to tip, be massaged into the scalp and left for two to five minutes.

Buy now £35.00, lookfantastic

Cécred Reconstructing Treatment Mask

After shampooing but before conditioning, this mask harnesses the power of a patent-pending Bioactive Keratin Ferment to counteract breakage and seal the cuticles. There are no nasties, simply antioxidant-rich and nourishing ingredients.

Buy now £34.00, Cécred

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