14 of the Very Best Hair Masks

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Ingredients:Elastin, castor-seed oil, olive oil, and glycerin |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:5.07 oz.

All hair is different, so all needs are different, but generally, a mask should help with softness, moisture, detangling, and shine. Philip Kingsley’s does all of the above (and fast too: I noticed results on my second or third use). If I’d just picked this up off the shelf, I’d be encouraged by a stellar ingredients list that includes a combination of elastin, castor-seed and olive oils, and glycerin — but I actually found it through fellow Strategist hair-care writerDominique Pariso. “Because my hair is so fine, finding a mask that’s deeply nourishing but not greasy or heavy is always a challenge, but I’ve finally found one that works,” she says. “While I’m typically skeptical of products that promise immediate results, I can’t deny that I was shocked by how incredibly soft, shiny, and detangled my hair was after just one treatment. And unlike with other brands, my hair didn’t feel heavy or greasy at all afterward.”

ActressJessica Chastainuses the mask (not as directed, she points out) multiple times a week to keep her hair hydrated and shiny. “Being a redhead, I have very sensitive skin and hair and I need to constantly hydrate myself,” she says. “I’ll put it on the ends of my hair, twist my hair up into a topknot, and go to sleep like that with wet hair. I never rinse it out; I just keep it in my hair overnight. It’s a natural way of keeping frizz at bay as well.”

I’ve been using this pretty consistently for two months now, and my (color-treated) hair looks so glossy that my editor greeted me with “wow, shiny hair!” a couple of weeks ago. Severely damaged hair might need something stronger (perhaps abond builderbelow), but this is a multitasker, a fast worker, reasonably priced, and therefore my best overall.

Ingredients:Moringa Seed Oil |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:6.3 oz.

I’ve also featured the Verb Ghost range before in my coverage of the bestconditionersand hairoils. I’m featuring their hair mask here for many of the same reasons: It’s light, it’s at a nice mid-range price point, and it’s suitable for all kinds of hair. “This is our tried-and-true mask that works with nearly every hair texture, from straight to wavy to curly,” Stephanie Louis, founder ofStylebox Salonin Prospect Heights, tells me. As it is so light, those with finer hair types will notice an improvement much faster than those with curlier hair textures — but give it two to three months of regular use and you’ll really start to feel the benefits, advises Louis. While I’ve not tried it myself yet, Strategist writerDominique Parisohas used it extensively. “I was pleased to find that the mask was super-light and easy to wash out, and (after only a couple of uses) my hair was healthy-feeling and less dry,” she says. It’s a bonus to find that a mask works quickly — but the best results come with consistent use. That’s why I think those with curlier and coarser hair types would still get a lot from this option.

Ingredients:Banana, shea |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:13.7 oz.

First, let me point out that this is cheaper than both the options above for double the product. And it multitasks, too: It can be used as a hair mask, conditioner, or a leave-in. It’s most effective as a hair mask, though, in my opinion. My dry hair laps up the thick, creamy consistency, and it leaves my hair feeling softened and shiny even when I air-dry. It smells great, too, like a banana and coconut milkshake, thanks to its 98 percent natural-derived ingredients, the main ones being banana and shea. It’s also silicone-, sulfate-, and animal-product-free, so, although it’s an inexpensivedrugstorepick, it’s not packed full of any questionable ingredients.

Ingredients:Prickly pear seed oil |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:8.4 oz.

Although it’s had a little makeover, this is the same Christophe Robin mask that we’ve written about on The Strategist dozens of times. Dianna Cohen, founder of hair-care lineCrown Affair, says that it’s her “favorite hair mask of all time” as it’s “the most universal hydrating mask.” Cohen means universal in the sense that it’s suitable for all hair types (the only thing you’ll need to fine-tune is how much you use; fine hair only needs a pea-size amount, whereas thicker hair will need more). It’s definitely a pricier mask, but Cohen says that ingredients like vitamin E-rich prickly pear seed oil means the price tag is entirely justified. Vitamin E restores the protein and keratin of your hair, which in turn makes it shinier and silkier without clogging your scalp or causing buildup, explains Cohen (she notes that masks can often cause buildup if you use them too close to your scalp). She leaves the mask on for about 15 minutes and then rinses it out with cold water. If you want to truly luxuriate in your hair mask, Cohen told us the ingredients in the Christophe Robin mask take well to heat — apply it under a shower cap and then put ahot towelon top.

Ingredients:Shea butter, Moroccan clay |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:12 oz.

This is the cheapest mask on this list (less than $10), but it’s packed with my favorite heavy-duty hydrating ingredient: shea butter. It also contains Moroccan clay, which helps to clean the hair of impurities and build-up. Myleik Teele, who has tested thousands of products as the founder ofCURLBOX, a subscription service for curly hair products, says it “can go toe-to-toe” with any other high-priced mask when it comes to performance because of how moisturizing it is. Teele recommends it for curly hair types, but it has a solid moisturizing profile of ingredients, meaning it’s suitable for anyone with extremely dry hair. It’s also heat activated, so if you have access to a hooded dryer at home, now would be the time to use it — but if you don’t, the shower-cap-plus-hot-towel method will work too.

Ingredients:K18Peptide |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:1.7 oz.

K18 is abond-buildingproduct. It was once available only in salons, but since launching to consumers, it has become massively popular. So much so that it’s an item that Strategist writers Pariso,Tembe Denton-Hurst, and Strategist beauty columnistRio Viera-Newtonswear by. “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,” explains Rio, who says that after using it every other week, she noticed “a big difference in the texture, softness, and general health” of her bleached hair. When I tested it last year, I was genuinely impressed by the improvement in the health of my dry, frazzled, color-treated hair. It’s definitely one to consider if your hair is in an extremely damaged state, or if you’ve tried plenty of other products and it isn’t working. There are a few rules you have to follow to get the full effects, though: This is a leave-in treatment, and the brand advises using it in place of conditioner, meaning hair on the drier side might not feel and look its best on application days. Apparently if you leave it in for the four-minute activation time, then wash it out, you can use your conditioner as normal — I didn’t try that, though, as I was sticking to the instructions on the bottle, which say not to rinse after those four minutes.

Ingredients:Olaplex, bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:3.3 oz.

Like K18, Olaplex is a bond builder, but unlike the K18 mask, Olaplex No. 3 is a pre-wash treatment. You leave it on your hair for a minimum of ten minutes, then wash as usual. This worked wonders for me during lockdown after I decided to give myself a DIYFuture Nostalgiableach job: I saw an improvement in softness on day one, and a massive reduction in dryness and breakage by the end of the bottle.

“If my clients have a color service with me, I’m sending them home with Olaplex No. 3,” Ash Fritzler, master stylist at the Bird House salon says. Fritzler, like me, says she’s seen the transformation this formula can bring to her clients with just one use a week. My hair is fine and dry, but founder of Salon deZEN Maria Elizabeth tells me it works just as well on a variety ofhair types — she calls it a versatile product she recommends to anyone with hair that feels compromised (and “even pollution exposure can compromise hair integrity,” Fritzler adds). Jessica O’Keeffe, a stylist at Hawthorne Studio adds that it works on “natural textures that tend to feel coarse or dry, and even perfectly healthy hair that is seeing a seasonal change in hair health.

Ingredients:Argan oil, shea butter, biomimetic ceramide decreases hair damage to stop ends from |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:4 oz.

If you havefine hairthat’s also dry, you face an issue: Many of the same ingredients that will quench the dryness can leave your hair looking and feeling weighed down. That was an issue Strategist senior editorAilbhe Malonewas running into: “I have dry, fine hair — and not a lot of it — so while my hair likes the moisture a mask gives, it often looks limp afterwards.” She was happy to find, then, that this mask from Rita Ora’s hair care range is among the best she’s ever used. “Unlike the Christophe Robin or Bleach London masks I’ve used, it’s nourishing and makes my hair shiny, but not coated,” she says. “You don’t even need to leave it in for that long — I’ve had great results with just three minutes in the shower.” The ingredients list also get a big thumbs up from me: Argan oil and shea butter will hydrate both your hair and scalp, while the ceramide strengthens ends prone-to-breakage.

Ingredients:Almond and buriti oil| Sulfate-free:Yes| Size:8 oz.

If you’re looking to nurture your color-treated hair but also add some intensity (and longevity) to the color, I suggest Christophe Robin. Rio says it will “give your hair a color boost that’s as close tosalon coloras you can humanly get from home.” As well as depositing color — it has shades for coppery reds and chestnut brunettes — it also contains plenty of quenching ingredients for your color-treated hair. “Magical color-fixing properties aside, it’s one of the most wonderfully hydrating hair masks I’ve ever used,” she says.

Ingredients:Australian kakadu plum and starflower oil| Sulfate-free:Yes| Size:12 oz.

Since its launch two years ago, Bread has instantly become a favorite of “lazy naturals,” people with curly hair who want a simplified, low-maintenance approach to hair care, saysDenton-Hurst. The hair mask — also a favorite of our friends over atthe Cut— is chock-full of Australian kakadu plum and starflower oil, both of which add shine and moisture to curls. (Also, if you’ve jumped straight to the curly-hair section, let me direct you above to theAfrican Pride Moisture Miraclewhich is a great option for curly-to-coarse hair types.)

Ingredients:Avocado and coconut oils |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:6 oz.

As I mentioned before, it can be tricky to find hydrating ingredients that aren’t too heavy. But this hair mask has them; it contains avocado oil and coconut oil, both hydrating, both much lighter than ingredients like shea butter. “Faster than you can say ‘Rumpelstiltskin,’ this heavenly-scentedhair maskspins strawlike hair into gold,” says Strategist contributorCheryl Kramer Kaye. “I reach for it nearly every time I’m in the shower, and it hasn’t weighed my fairly fine curls down yet.”

Ingredients:Euterpe oleracea fruit extract, Myrciaria dubia fruit extract |Sulfate-free:Yes |Size:8 oz.

Mirjam Bayoumi, whosenamesake Upper East Side salonis known for its hair-coloring services, says that her own thick and wavy hair has damaged ends. To combat some of the damage, she uses Brazilian Blowout’s mask, which she recommends to anyone with coarse hair because it has a moisturizing formula that helps with detangling. Its ingredient list contains extracts known for being vitamin rich and possessing antioxidant properties. This is how it’s able to condition coarse hair types down to the cuticle with a boost of hydration and nourishment that will keep frizziness at bay. As far as the application goes, just as Cohen suggested with the Christophe Robin mask, Bayoumi says the Brazilian Blowout does well with heat.

Ingredients:Vegetable protein, kale, and algae| Sulfate-free:Yes| Size:7.5 oz.

I find myself recommending Color Wow increasingly, but it’s because its stuff works. Stylist and salon ownerChristine Bellemareagrees; she uses its Money Masque on both her and her daughter’s hair. “My hair is pretty frizzy and curly naturally. And this mask always makes it look nice; it really does deliver. It’s lightweight, it doesn’t weigh you down, and really does give you a crazy amount of shine,” she says.

Ingredients:Mango, macadamia, murumuru butters, caffeine, biotin| Sulfate-free:Yes| Size:6.8 oz.

Now that I’m in my mid-40s, I see (and feel) firsthand that hair changes with age and hormonal fluctuations. It’s thinner and more fragile, and my incoming grays have a coarser texture. This mask was formulated for aging hair and contains a mix of plant-based butters that hydrate and soften dry hair and improve elasticity, while biotin and panthenol strengthen and boost moisture retention. It also includes caffeine to stimulate blood flow at the root for healthy growth. Whenever I use it, my hair feels softer and smells incredible.