These hair masks will bring your hair back from the brink of breakage – no salon required
September’s seasonal change calls for a reset. Skincare routines are overhauled, clothes are bought and haircuts are booked. It’s the adult equivalent of a back-to-school revamp and as summer winds away, a hair mask will help swap UV- and chlorine-clobbered strands for glossy lengths.
Hair masks generally hydrate, nourish and repair a step further than conditioner can, though not all are made equal. Some are hairdresser-approved (you’ll find brands like K18 and Olaplex in most salons) while others are made specifically for at-home use and sold at friendlier prices (highstreet-favourite L’Oreal’s Glycolic Gloss Lamination Treatment gives a surprisingly good shine). Some target bleach-damaged ends or prolong colour, while others revive dry curls and some simply smell delicious.
Here, a guide to find your match.
Damage Defence
K18 is the buzziest name in the hair category today. The Molecular Repair Hair Mask uses a patented peptide that slots between the breakages in each strand. It’s ideal for the time-poor, as there’s no waiting around while it works – simply rub the creamy formula between your palms to activate, then apply it to freshly shampooed hair and go about your day. In a convenient squeezy tube, Pureology’s vegan Hydrate Superfood Deep Treatment Mask comes recommended by Sophia Hilton – known for her canary-yellow mane and now-closed Not Another Salon (formerly on London’s Brick Lane), famous for its inclusive policies and crazy colour transformations. So, you’ll be unsurprised to hear that this five-minute, in-shower mask transforms heavily bleached and brittle strands, using goji berry extract and olive oil to cocoon hair with moisture. Not to be outdone, Olaplex has just launched the Weightless Nourishing Mask, which mimics the body’s natural repair systems to rebuild the hair strand’s outer layer. The clinical results are impressive (think: more volume and hydration) but the real pièce de résistance is that it doesn’t weigh down thinner hair types, as many rich masks do.
Indulgent Fragrance
Arkive Headcare’s The Future Youth Treatment Mask was created by celebrity hairstylist and fragrance fanatic Adam Reed. While injecting dry strands with a nourishing blend of baobab oil, shea butter and coconut oil, the mask comes with an added olfactory experience courtesy of notes of jasmine, lily of the valley, musk and vanilla. Maria Nila’s Head & Hair Heal Masque meanwhile, can be slathered over the entire head (scalp included). The jasmine and linden blossom-infused formula is reminiscent of 90s Body Shop body butter and uses aloe vera to soothe strands as well as skin – a treat for dandruff sufferers. Nuxe’s new Intensive Repair Hair Mask also stars a rich and lasting scent: their beloved Huile Prodigieuse (an uncutous cocktail of Tsubaki, Argan, Macadamia, Borage, Camellia, Hazelnut, Sweet Almond oils). The mask works well on rough, damaged hair that knots up fast, effortlessly providing enough slip to detangle and soften. For the ultimate shine, pair with their Pre-Shampoo Nourishing Mask, an oil mask that smells just as transportive. It feels especially luxurious when paired with a scalp massage and worn overnight before washing out in the morning.
Hair SOS
When all is lost and hair is feeling stretchy, snapping and straw-like, employ Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer Intensive Treatment. Coat hair, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes, wash as usual, and emerge feeling anew. It smells slightly medicinal, which makes you feel like it’s really working, and it uses a hard-working blend of hydrolysed elastin, castor oil, olive oil and glycerine to really suck in moisture. It was originally formulated for Audrey Hepburn and it’s since garnered cult status.
High Shine
If dullness is your achilles’ heel, try L’Oreal Glycolic Gloss Lamination Treatment. Taking inspiration from in-salon treatments by lending a professional-looking, shiny finish, the formula seals the hair cuticles to reflect light on rough and porous strands – hair will feel super silky to the touch.
Eschew Heat
It’s hard to make hair feel soft and healthy without manipulating it with heat, only for it to go awry when met with rain or humidity. To combat this, Color Wow’s new Dreaming Advanced Repair and Resurfacing Treatment smooths puffiness without heat styling, and the results last for a few washes – even in the autumn rain. For curly hair, Bread Beauty Supply’s Hair Mask - Creamy Deep Conditioner acts as a hybrid conditioner, hair mask and treatment in one, feeding parched curls without weighing them down or ruining their pattern.
