Hair SOS: Best Hair Masks For Dry, Damaged And Bleached Tresses
Whatever trauma you’ve inflicted on your strands, you can always count on a hair mask to rectify the damage. Richer than your go-to conditioner, creamy hair masks nourish, repair and restore vibrancy to leave you with a salon-worthy swish.
Ahead, the best hair masks for dry hair, damaged hair, bleached hair - you name it, there’s a mask that’ll fix it.
How often should you use a hair mask?
Even if you think your hair is in a healthy condition, it’s a good idea to use a mask weekly to keep your strands hydrated. If your hair’s super coarse, curly or Rapunzel-long, you might want to apply up to twice weekly as your lengths crave even more moisture, especially in the winter and summer months.
How long should you wear a hair mask for?
Always read the instructions for this one. Depending on the formula, you might need to leave on anywhere from three minutes to 20 minutes or more. If your hair’s especially dry or brittle, leave it on for as long as possible before rinsing out - you can even sleep in it, so that you can eke out as much moisture as possible. TIP: Pop on a shower cap to trap in heat while your hair mask works its magic - you’ll get even more impressive results.
By Alice Hamilton
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Moroccanoil
Intense Hydrating Mask
Best for: Dry and thirsty hair
Promising a big dose of moisture, elasticity and shine in just seven minutes, Moroccanoil’s best-selling mask has a lot of fans for good reason. Brimming with the brand’s signature ingredient, Argan Oil, it’ll make your locks feel more silky and manageable after just one application. It doesn’t hurt that it smells pretty amazing too, and even comes in a handy travel size so you never have to be without this mane-saving treatment. TIP: For added shine and bounce, mix a teaspoon of Moroccanoil Treatment into the mask - dry ends will lap it up.
The hype: “I have very thick, very long, chemically-processed, textured hair - it’s dry and coarse, looks frizzy, with many flyaways. Fantastic results first try. Hair has been saved from my disaster of a decision to use harsh and very drying store-bought shampoo. I am genuinely impressed and haven't been this content with my hair in a while. Feels wonderfully hydrated and smoother than before.” - Miranda, customer review
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Philip Kingsley
Elasticizer
Best for: Restoring bounce
Working literal wonders on even the most frazzled strands, the iconic Elasticizer treatment has racked up countless awards and die-hard fans for good reason. Originally formulated in 1974 for Audrey Hepburn to remedy her over-styled locks without weighing her hair down, Elasticizer has since become the go-to for top hair stylists as well as A-listers like Kate Winslet and Gwenyth Paltrow. Packed with hydrating Castor Oil and Olive Oil, this nutrient-rich cream works to reduce breakage, while adding elasticity, bounce, shine and manageability. The world’s first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment, leave on for as long as you can before washing - ideally once a week - to keep your tresses in top condition.
The hype: “After using this product is the only time my hair resembles anything remotely like Kate Middleton’s. It’s super bouncy without that weighed down, heavy feeling that using multiple styling products would leave. And, given that one is sold every two minutes, I’m certainly not alone in my opinion of how great it is.” - Marie Claire
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FEKKAI
Super Strength Treatment
Best for: Weakened strands
If damaged strands are your main concern, FEKKAI’s milky hair balm will give your hair the sort of makeover Jonathan Van Ness would be proud of - and all in just four minutes. The magic ingredient? Camargue Rice Water, a grain that’s rich in amino acids and vitamins to help detangle, strengthen and boost shine. There’s even evidence to show that this ancient ingredient can encourage hair growth. For best results, apply to hair on a lazy Sunday, working through towel-dried tresses from root to tip and leaving it on all day before rinsing.
The hype: “I used the masque after a good scrub and it felt rather milky other than creamy, but that’s probably because its sulfate free. The scent is amazing and my hair has never been softer. It even has this great shine.” - Customer review
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Kérastase
Resistance Extentionste Hair Mask
Best for: Super long lengths
The Beyoncé blow-out you’re after? You’ll get it with Kérastase’s ultra-rich formula that locks in moisture, boosts shine and banishes split ends. Made especially for longer lengths, it’ll help keep bum-skimming strands in check thanks to a potent cocktail of Maleic Acid and Creatine R that both work to repair bonds within the hair structure. Split ends are zipped up and breakage significantly reduced, allowing hair to reach healthy new lengths. Use after the Resistance Extentioniste Shampoo, and leave on for five minutes before rinsing out.
The hype: “Best mask for long hair I've ever used in my whole life. Forever will settle in my bath cabinet. I have very exhausted hair, dyed too many times. And this is my remedy.” - Customer review
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Virtue
Restorative Treatment Mask
Best for: Speed
Lazy girls, rejoice. If you’re looking for a speedy restoration, this one has you covered. Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask gets to work in just three minutes, so rather than saving for your Self-Care Sundays, you can whip it out whenever - even on mornings when you’ve hit snooze five times. Made with the brand’s patented Alpha Keratin 60ku - a human keratin that binds directly to areas of damage and fills them in - you can expect strands to look thicker and shinier from first use.
The hype: “This product has changed my life! I have damaged hair with lots of split ends - but after using this once the difference was night and day. My hair was smooth, shiny and the frizz was almost completely gone.” - Customer review
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Pureology
Superfood Deep Treatment Mask
Best for: Vegan
If you’re not familiar with Pureology, the brand has been pioneering the ‘no-nasties’ movement since 2001 and the entire range is sulphate-free and vegan. But if you thought its do-gooder status meant compromising on performance, think again. Not just great with your weekend brunch, the Avocado in this rich treatment helps replenish straw-like strands, while Coconut Oil intensively moisturises and strengthens the surface of your hair. With added AntiFade Complex, it’ll help keep hold of your salon-fresh colour too.
The hype: “The first thing I noticed was the smell - the Coconut and hint of Pineapple reminds me of summer holidays.It absorbs quickly into the hair, and hydrates it without weighing it down. My dry ends have been transformed into soft locks again. I would definitely recommend it. The fact it contains 100% vegan ingredients is an added bonus.” - Samantha, customer review
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We Are Paradoxx
Game Changer
Best for: Clean ingredients
With its ‘clean’ ethos; we’re talking (deep breath) organic, 96% natural ingredients, vegan, cruelty-free, perfume-free, alcohol-free, gluten-free and housed in sustainable packaging, We Are Paradoxx is the conscious haircare brand you need to know. Starring Argan, Coconut, Avocado and Hazelnut Oils as well as Matcha Tea, it really does live up to its ‘game changer’ promise. It’ll deeply condition in just five minutes, but you’ll want to leave on overnight to get the most impressive results.
The hype: “An exciting eco option, We Are Paradoxx are organic, natural and use 90% less plastic. This thoroughly smoothing mask contains strengthening kelp seaweed and nourishing argan oil, coconut oil and avocado oil, getting to work on conditioning hair in as little as five minutes.” - Glamour
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Noughty
To The Rescue Intense Moisture Treatment
Best for: Price
Charging to the rescue of dry and damaged locks, meet Noughty’s 97% natural and impressively affordable hair mask. At just £8.99, you might think this won’t deliver the strand-saving goods, but this one is a consistent bestseller for good reason. Packed with thirst-quenching oils that strengthen and load hair with enviable shine, as well as amino acid-rich Black Oat extract, slather on for up to 20 minutes for smooth and glossy results. Bonus: Thanks to the addition of Almond Oil, your tresses will smell good enough to eat too.
The hype: “This mask smells amazing! I have used it a few times now alongside the rest of the To The Rescue range and I always get shiny and soft hair afterwards. My fine hair tends to get over moisturised easily, so once a month with this does the trick!” - Flora, customer review
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