No matter how gentle the effects of hair dyes or perms are, they all destroy the hair from the inside in one way or another. And each time the curls become duller, the hair breaks, and looks lifeless. To minimize the harmful effects of coloring and styling products, you need to regularly use masks. They differ from balms and conditioners in their higher concentration of nutrients, noticeable effect after the first use, and prolonged action. Modern masks can restore strength and shine to even the driest and most “over-burnt” curls.
We have compiled a list of the best hair masks based on expert assessments and reviews from real customers. Our recommendations will help you make a choice that suits your needs and desires. There are many competitors in the beauty industry, but we have selected the best manufacturers and recommend paying special attention to them:
Mid price category
- L'Oreal Professionnel
- Matrix
- Natura Siberica
- Revlon
- OLLIN Professional
- Hair Company
- Estel
- London Professional
- Lebel Cosmetics
The health and beauty of a woman’s curls often depend on what kind of hair mask she uses. After all, today on the beauty industry market there is a huge number of such products that can cope with any cosmetic problem. You just need to know how to choose them correctly and use them regularly. So that you can do this without any difficulties, let's figure out what functions a hair mask performs, how to choose it correctly, and what store or home remedies are best to use for different hair types.
What are hair masks for?
A mask is one of the elements of basic hair care. It performs several important tasks at once:
- Provides deep hydration and nutrition to hair along the entire length.
- restores the structure of curls, especially after specific processes such as dyeing or highlighting.
- neutralizes alkali residues formed on your strands after using shampoo.
- protects strands from the harmful effects of external factors: temperature changes, wind, moisture, UV radiation.
It is hair masks that provide long-lasting and intense results from your care or treatment. That’s why it’s so important to regularly use this particular element of care, especially if you need to solve any complex cosmetic problem, for example, dry hair, fragility, or lack of nutrition. To enhance the effect, they can be combined with shampoos for dry hair.
Squad selection rules
A high-quality mask for caring for curls should be chosen based on its composition. In this case, you need to take into account the following:
- The ingredients listed on the product label are arranged in descending order. For this reason, you should not choose those products where natural ingredients are located only in the last positions - their content in the composition of the product is usually very small.
- Masks with oils can be used for all hair types. They have virtually no contraindications. The main thing is that such a product does not contain a component to which you are allergic.
- If you see an antiseptic, algae extract or other softening components in the first positions in the composition of the product, then it is suitable for oily hair. These ingredients help combat increased sebum secretion and seborrhea.
- If the product contains a lot of silicones, then it is intended to add shine to the hair. Such products are suitable for those girls who want to achieve an instant effect from a mask, especially if their hair was initially dry, since this is the product that will provide smoothness and silkiness to their curls. However, such compositions should not be used regularly, since they do not solve other cosmetic problems.
- Products that contain large quantities of vitamins and proteins are suitable for weakened thin strands, for example, those that have suffered recent bleaching. They are also worth purchasing for girls with dry curls.
If you are sure that only part of the components included in the mask are indicated on the product label, it is better to refuse to purchase such a product. These are the foods that can be harmful to your health.
Recently, products containing exfoliating ingredients have also appeared on store shelves. These are peeling masks. It is advisable to separate them into a separate group. Such products based on clay, salt or other similar ingredients are suitable for people suffering from seborrhea, as they cleanse the scalp well and help restore it.
If you have wounds or scratches on your scalp, avoid using such formulations. They can cause severe itching and irritation for you. Wait for your skin to heal.
Store-bought products for different hair types
Currently, there are a huge number of high-quality ready-made masks on sale, designed to care for hair of various types. The best among them are:
- for all hair types (they are also universal) – compositions based on medicinal herbs, essential oils, bamboo, and apple. They provide general care, nutrition and hydration to the curls. The most popular products in these series are universal professional products from L'Oreal, Serical (dairy and fruit varieties), as well as Kerastas, Brelil based on apple or essential oils. Also, decent products of this type can be found in pharmacy cosmetics lines;
- for dry curls – mixtures based on keratin, wheat, oats, as well as various oils. These products are aimed at deeply moisturizing and restoring hair structure. The most famous and effective products in these series are Brelil with oats, Baxter with milk proteins, and special series products from L'Oreal. There are some good masks for caring for this type of hair in the Estelle line;
- for curly and unruly curls - compositions based on proteins, ceramide, coconut. Such products provide deep hydration to the hair and form a light protective film around the curls, allowing them to be protected from the negative effects of the environment. Here, specialized products from Brelil, as well as Baxter, are very effective. You can take a closer look at similar masks from the Estelle line or the Schwarzkopf professional series - they have also proven themselves very well;
- for fine hair – herbal or watermelon-based mixtures. Unlike products for dry hair, they should provide light hydration without weighing you down. The best products in this category are Brelil based on watermelon, as well as special masks from Kerastas or L'Oreal;
- for oily strands – products based on rice, oils, and sometimes carrots. These formulations provide proper care for oily hair, help cope with oily seborrhea and normalize sebum production. Successful products for this type of hair are special series from L'Oreal, Brelil, Estelle.
If you don't know what type of curls you have, you can use products from the universal series for a while. They will provide your curls with normal care and protection. Then it is advisable to consult with a specialist on the selection of a product specifically for your type of strands, which will allow you to quickly and effectively solve a particular cosmetic problem.
Homemade mixtures
If for one reason or another you cannot afford to use ready-made hair masks, you can use various homemade mixtures to care for your curls. The most effective of them will be:
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- for all types of curls - aloe-based composition. To prepare this, you will need to take a teaspoon each of lemon and aloe juice, one egg yolk, and a chopped clove of garlic. The components will need to be mixed well, and then rubbed into the roots of the hair and left for half an hour. You need to wash off the mask with warm water, after which it is recommended to rinse your curls with chamomile infusion;
- products for damaged hair – avocado-based mask. To prepare this you will need to take half an avocado, half a glass of coconut milk, and half a spoon of olive oil. You will need to beat all the ingredients in a blender, apply to your hair and leave for a quarter of an hour;
- for oily hair – a mixture based on honey. You will need to take two egg yolks, as well as two tablespoons of honey, mix everything into a homogeneous paste and apply to the hair roots. It is best to leave the presented mixture overnight - during this time its active components will be able to better act on the hair roots, provide better nutrition to the curls and reduce the production of sebum;
- for thin hair – a product based on yolk. You will need to take one yolk, as well as a tablespoon of castor oil, mix these components and apply to your hair. After three hours, they will need to be washed off thoroughly by rinsing your hair with chamomile decoction or vinegar. This product can also be used for damaged curly hair.
The presented compositions are best prepared immediately before use. Only in this case will they retain their original beneficial properties and provide your hair with complete restoration and nutrition. Otherwise, the effect of their use will be weak.
Video
For more recipes for homemade hair masks, watch the video
Conclusion
As you can see, masks are a very important element of basic hair care, which, when selected correctly, allows you to solve various cosmetic problems. You can choose it both among finished products and among folk recipes - both have their advantages. The most important thing is to use this product correctly and regularly, only then will it allow you to get beautiful and healthy hair without much effort.
Beautiful, healthy hair, like a precious decoration, complements a woman’s image and makes it even more beautiful. True, not all girls can boast of luxurious curls gifted by nature, but a competent approach and properly selected caring procedures work wonders - and just recently, inconspicuous-looking hair literally becomes thicker before our eyes and shimmers like Chinese silk! And the first assistant in the difficult task of caring for them is masks.
How to choose a good hair mask: expert opinion
Louis Faria, a graduate of the Parisian hairdressing school, stylist and manager at one of the Jean Louis David salons, knows everything about hair and believes that the main thing is to approach the choice of a mask individually. So, a good mask for colored and bleached hair should be nourishing and prevent color fading. For curly and dry hair, you need to choose keratin-based moisturizing masks, and for oily hair, Louis recommends masks with green clay.
However, it is important not only to buy the right mask, but also to use it skillfully. For example, if the hair is thin, leave the mixture for only a few minutes, otherwise the mask will weigh the hair down and it will be difficult to give volume. If your hair tends to be oily at the roots, this area should be avoided when applying a mask. And in any case, special attention should be paid to the ends, because this is usually the most dry part of the hair.
Advice from Louis Faria: To enhance the effectiveness of the mask, you need to wrap your head in a heated towel for the duration of its effect - then the active components of the mixture will more easily penetrate inside the hair and bring maximum benefit.
And our rating, compiled taking into account the opinions of professionals and reviews of ordinary users, will help you decide on the best hair mask that can solve a specific hair problem. We have selected the best of the most popular masks widely available on sale.