However, it’s important to note that using too much of it won’t work any magic shortcuts. It can make your hair feel worse. What to Look for When Buying a Hair Mask for Keratin Treated Hair Sulfate-free and Sodium Chloride Free Conditioner is generally applied on just the ends to seal the hair and lightly moisturize the ends and reduce frizz and can be used every time you wash,” Ohlmeyer explains. “Hair masks are a higher concentration of moisture or protein and reparative qualities that should be used once a week. They are formulated to be more hydrating, more nourishing, and more restorative than conditioner.” What We Don’t Love: The results aren’t exactly long-term, so you have to use this treatment regularly to see continued improvement. If we could change anything, it would be to get rid of the propylene glycol (a type of alcohol) in the formula since it can be drying for some people. What We Don’t Love: Although this hair mask delivers impressive results after just one use, it won’t totally fix your split ends.

Li JH, Wang ZH, Zhu XJ, Deng ZH, Cai CX, Qiu LQ, Chen W, Lin YJ. Health effects from swimming training in chlorinated pools and the corresponding metabolic stress pathways. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 5;10(3):e0119241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119241. PMID: 25742134; PMCID: PMC4351252. First and foremost, consider the formula. “You’re going to find many masks at the drugstore, but you can’t guarantee any of the ingredients are healthy and beneficial for your hair, so I suggest going with a product your stylist recommends,” says Sassy Medchill, owner of Goldie & Co. Salon in Frisco, Texas. “Go with masks with ceramides over keratin — it will not only replenish moisture, but it will keep moisture in the hair.” Unless your hair is very thin or fine, you can use a deep conditioning mask two or three times per week. You typically wouldn't use one every day since doing so could weigh down your hair and contribute to buildup over time. If your hair is fine, try using a mask once a week and concentrate it on your ends to avoid weighing down your hair. The fatigue and stress can leave your hair stressed out, in a traumatic state that may eventually lead to breakage because of tiny fractures that may occur when it’s chemically manipulated.

Strengthens hair: Whether you opt for an in-salon or at-home keratin hair treatment, you can expect to notice a difference in your hair. “At-home keratin products help to strengthen hair that has been compromised by chemical and mechanical damage,” Friese says. In fact, research showed that keratin helped strengthen strands by 40%. When it comes to dry hair, lots of factors are to blame, from heat styling and bleaching to overwashing and too much time spent swimming in salt water or chlorine. It’s a condition that also comes with a bunch of not-so-fun side effects: Frizz, flyaways, color fade, breakage, and more—all things we’d much rather avoid where possible.While shampoo and conditionercan help, a hard-working hair mask that's rich in nourishing ingredients is one of the best ways to mitigate said dryness. Punyani S, Tosti A, Hordinsky M, Yeomans D, Schwartz J. The Impact of Shampoo Wash Frequency on Scalp and Hair Conditions. Skin Appendage Disord. 2021 Apr;7(3):183-193. doi: 10.1159/000512786. Epub 2021 Feb 15. PMID: 34055906; PMCID: PMC8138261. Our shelves are brimming with many new and classic formulas to try, but rest assured there is a hair mask perfectly suited to you. What's the benefit of using a hair mask? Renew keratin:Imagine a keratin hair mask as a booster for your treatment. Every time you use it, it tops up the keratin coating gradually lost when washing the hair. I always use a keratin mask to prolong the length of my treatments. It always helps me go beyond the 3 months until my next salon top up.

There’s no need to go overboard with your mask, as a little product goes a long way. Start by smoothing a coin sized amount through your mid lengths and ends, adding a little more if this does not stretch to cover all your hair.How often can you use it: At-home keratin-infused products can be used daily. In-salon chemical keratin hair treatments, however, should be scheduled only once every few months. Adds shine: As keratin helps smooth hair cuticles and fill in damaged areas in the hair shaft, it adds lots of shine to your hair. The results may be more dramatic with in-salon treatments, however at-home products also can create shiny and healthy-looking hair. We’re all familiar with the havoc color can wreak on hair, but with the Davines NOUNOU Hair Mask, you can reduce the level of damage it can inflict onto hair. From the moment we put this mask on, it felt soothing and was creamy as can be without any clumps. It had a similar consistency to a really nourishing deep conditioner.

Apply mask: Evenly distribute the hair mask, focusing on the mid-length and end areas, recommends Soshyn, adding that you'll want to avoid applying the mask directly to your scalp if you have oily hair. As you can imagine, dry and damaged hair needs moisture to fill the gaps in the hair structure causing this rough surface and texture. What you need is a deeply moisturising mask such as our Intense Rescue Shots. With a rich formula it gives your hair an intensely nourishing treatment that gets to work in 60 seconds. The plus about this product is that it comes in a handy format that you can carry with you while traveling or when going to the gym.Don’t use with: “If you have a salon keratin treatment in your hair, you need to stay away from sodium chloride, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfates,” says BosleyMD-certified trichologist Gretchen Friese, noting that doing so will help maintain the integrity of the treatment. If you’re using gentler, at-home keratin-infused products, however, no ingredients are off-limits. Although this mask has a watery gel consistency — a noticeable departure from traditional creamy masks — that’s also what allows it to be hydrating without being oily. It felt soft and lightweight as soon as we scooped the mask into our hands and didn’t feel too heavy when we massaged it through our hair. Olaplex is a giant in the hair mask space — and for very good reason. We tested their No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask for two weeks and it earned our top marks for its ability to transform our dry, brittle strands into softer feeling and healthier looking hair with just two uses. The first step in your masking routine is to make sure your hair is completely clean and ready to soak up the key ingredients of your mask. If your hair is in bad condition or feeling especially dry, use conditioner as usual before your mask. If not, don’t worry about it as you’ll be replenishing moisture with your mask. To ensure you’re really nailing this step, read our guides on how to choose a shampoo for your hair type and how to shampoo your hair properly.