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Choosing a mask when you have fine hair can be a bit of a conundrum given that the deep moisturization makes most options likely to weigh hair down. This overnight mask is an exception—it’s actually super lightweight and turned us from skeptics into believers. We could use it nightly and didn't even need to rinse it out in the morning. The mask contains hyaluronic acid and coconut water which help to nourish, intensely moisturize, and reduce damage as you get your beauty sleep.
What to Know About Hair Masks
Frizz can be caused by damage, the environment or both — and some types of hair are inherently more prone to it. Keep fuzz at bay by laying down and sealing hair's cuticle, or outer layer, with an emollient ingredient like castor oil, which "acts as a protectant and can help fortify strands," White says. Derived from the castor plant's seeds and "comprised mainly of the fatty acid ricinoleic acid, it coats and conditions to improve smoothness," explains GH Beauty Lab chemist Danusia Wnek. "If you have straight, fine, thin hair, consider only applying the mask from the mid-lengths to ends of your hair," says James. "This will still allow you to reap the benefits of the hair mask without weighing your hair down or causing any excessive oiliness at the root." When my hair looks brassy, I always reach for the Davines Heart of Glass mask, which makes it as shiny as it sounds.
Best for Age-Related Thinning: Act+Acre Cold Processed Stem Cell Scalp Serum
Like other Moroccan Oil products, the intense hydrating hair mask has a nice smell without being overbearing, so you won’t feel like you’re doing something weird to your hair. Certified cruelty-free with no GMOs, this hair mask is a great natural option for smoothing annoying frizz. This hair mask comes in a 16.9-fluid-ounce tub, so you won’t run out quickly, and reviews from those with color-treated hair mention that they love the changes they see in their hair after just a few uses. Best for dry hair, we wouldn’t suggest using this on oily hair, as it may be too heavy and weigh your hair down. Whether your hair needs some extra moisture after too many color appointments or your split ends have become a bit out of control, hair masks are a relatively quick fix. They might not be as Instagrammable as their face mask counterparts, but that doesn't make them any less necessary.
The 10 Best Hair Masks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
With a 4.7-star rating on Ulta across more than 4k online reviews, this nourishing hair mask comes with a "game-changing brush," according to Teich. It "gently detangles knots while working the mask thoroughly through even dense strands," she says. The 5-in-1 treatment helps strengthen hair, per the brand's claim, and lubricates hair to prevent further damage. Argan oil helps tame frizzy hair, restoring your locks to optimal health. However, the signature coconut and fig scent may not to be to everyone's liking. Our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab evaluate the best beauty products, including hair care products.
Enhance the texture of your hair with this mask, which boasts aloe and spirulina extract among its ingredients. You'll get softer, shinier, less frizzy hair—with a subtle fruity scent, too. Hair masks are targeted treatments that offer more hydration and repair than a deep conditioner. The soft and airy consistency of this hair mask alone makes it an absolute all-star. Unlike other contenders, it’s lightweight and blended right into our hair. In fact, on days we really wanted the mask to soak in, we saturated our strands with the product, then wrapped our hair up in a clip, letting it settle in all day.
While our ends remained smooth, the rest of our hair felt pretty heavy after a while and left a slick, greasy sensation that we had to remedy with dry shampoo. There are many different types of DIY hair masks you can make at home using natural ingredients like coconut oil, eggs, honey, or bananas. While he’s most known for his Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads, the beloved NYC dermatologist also makes an excellent LED mask. This one is FDA-cleared and explicitly targets the eyes to create even skin tone, reduced dark circles, and fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Best for Fine Hair
After all, even with the best defenses, habits like color-treating hair, heat-styling, and sleeping on certain pillowcases can eventually leave hair dry, dull, and prone to breakage. If you’re looking for a treatment that will nourish curls while helping with definition and somehow hydrate without weighing down the finest of strands, here’s your answer. Part of the magic comes down to the aloe in it, which Ludina says helps fight frizz and was made for curly hair. With a vitamin-rich formula, this mask may help prevent breakage and help grow hair longer and stronger.
It also takes out the risk of fuzzy frizz that blow-drying is infamous for — and protects from the heat, too (again, we love multitasking!). If the full-size bottle price tag seems steep, the travel size is available at around half the cost (I use this size, and it lasts me quite a long time!). The brand formulated this pick using a six-oil blend that’s said to be suitable for all hair types, densities and textures. While hair masks and deep conditioners are the same thing, they differ from a regular conditioner. "Deep conditioners/hair masks are usually thicker and contain more hair conditioning/lubricating agents than your traditional hair conditioner," explains Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek.
Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Hair Mask
After rinsing it out, our locks felt extra clean and noticeably more moisturized, which really enhanced the overall look and feel of our hair. Fortunately, there are plenty of deep-conditioning treatments to add to your hair-care routine that can offset these effects. Hair masks may also be referred to as deep conditioning treatments or intensive hair conditioners. Versatile red light addresses aging, acne, inflammation, and pigmentation.
To find the best hair masks, we researched top-performing brands and consulted with professional hairstylists. This lightweight, leave-in mask comes in a convenient spray form, so you can give your hair extra love even when you're on the go. It works well for all hair textures and is ideal for those with dry, damaged, and/or chemically treated hair.
Our hair felt springy, light, and nourished, with considerably less frizz and fewer fly-aways. Even the baby hairs that typically stick straight up after we blowdry and straighten our hair stayed in place. Here are some easy and effective home remedies to use turmeric for hair. Combining red and blue benefits, purple light stimulates collagen, reduces wrinkles, and clears acne. Ideal for acne, blue light kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, and suits oily and acne-prone skin. The color of the LED light you need depends on your skin concerns and goals.
Whatever the reason, a trusty hair mask goes a long way in bringing your hair back to life. Hair masks can offer some much-needed hydration, give your color some shine, and pretty much make you feel like you've just stepped out of the salon—without the hassle and bill. “Using a hair mask is like taking a multivitamin for your hair,” Ohlmeyer says. They restore all of hair’s nutrients that are compromised by color, heat, and environmental damage.
I’m also a big fan of Not Your Mother’s Purple Toning Mask, which doubles as a neutralizing and deep conditioning mask. I slather on a generous glob of this in-between salon appointments to keep my blonde looking fresh and my curls feeling juicy. Beth Shapouri has been writing about beauty products for 20 years, reporting on ingredients, trends, and formula innovations for publications like Allure.com, Cosmpolitan.com, Glamour.com, and MarieClaire.com. What’s more, her very long, thick, wavy Iranian hair was practically made for this story.
