Pretty much anything and everything we do to or expose our hair to can do damage. Daily washing, heat styling, brushing, and even going outside in the sun or cold can take a major toll on your strands. Using a conditioner after every wash is important, but if you feel like your hair is dry, brittle, dull, or generally lackluster, it’s probably time to call in some more serious reinforcements—namely, a hair mask. Masks can do everything from add moisture and shine to smooth frizz and undo damage, says stylist Krysta N. Rojas, owner of Base Salon in Chicago. “Figure out your most pressing concern you have with your hair,” suggests Rojas. After that, selecting the hair mask to treat that concern is easy. Rojas recommends using a mask instead of your standard conditioner at least once per week. While most are meant to be left on for several minutes, Rojas says not to stress about that. “Even if you don’t let it sit for the full amount of time recommended, you’re still getting more benefits than you would from your conditioner,” she explains. We handpicked 29 of the most popular options and tested them out at home to take the guesswork out of selecting the right hair mask for you. After using the hair masks for two weeks, we judged each one based on consistency, whether or not the masks delivered on their promises, and the overall look of our hair after use. Then, with guidance from professional hairstylists, we picked the highest-scoring masks for this list. Our Top Picks Best Splurge: Best for Damaged Hair : Best for Dry Hair: Best for Curly Hair: Best for Treated Hair: Best for Fine Hair: Amika The Kure Dream Routine Overnight Hydrating Hair Mask at Amazon ($32) Best for Thick Hair: Best Plant-Derived: Best Strengthening : In This Article Our Picks What To Look For FAQ Why Trust Byrdie What We Like Lightweight consistency Restores, repairs, and replenishes Leads to smoother hair What We Don't Like Waxy residue Hair Type: All | Key Ingredients: Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Silk Sericin | Size: 7 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes "Soft" and "airy" are two words we've used to describe this mega-moisturizing mask from Drunk Elephant. It’s lighter than most conditioners and melts into the hair so well that we’ve applied it before work (in a tight bun) and spent a full eight hours in the office without anyone realizing we had anything on. The mask is so effective that it feels like it’s reversing years of heat damage and skipped haircut appointments. Seriously, we noticed once-dead, straw-like ends come alive again and feel silky smooth. The results are similar to a professional-level deep conditioning treatment: Never greasy, never weighed down, only bouncy, voluminous hair that’s easy to style. We think it's great for those looking to treat their hair in between heat styling, either as an all-day mask or a 30-minute pre-shower pick-me-up. While we haven’t noticed any, some reviewers say it leaves behind a waxy residue if you don’t wash it out completely. What We Like Lovely woodsy scent Japanese-sourced rice extract Protects and hydrates What We Don't Like Hair can feel greasy after use While this pick is pricey, it’s a great option if you want to invest in a mask that can really do it all. During testing, it scored perfect marks for how well it treats dryness, frizz, split ends, and damage all in one fell swoop. We credit the Japanese-sourced rice extract in the formula; it helps hydrate and protect the hair. The mask also smells amazing—the fragrance is a mix of fruity notes with subtle floral elements, sandalwood, and musk. It’s so creamy, which feels nice upon application, but you’ll want to make sure you rinse it out as best you can to avoid a greasy residue. What We Like Restores damaged hair bonds A little goes a long way Creamy yet spreadable What We Don't Like Curly hair types might require extra hydration Hair Type: All, Damaged | Key Ingredients:Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate | Size: 3.3 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes Like most other products from Olaplex, the No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask has reached cult-like status—for good reason. It touts a proprietary technology that repairs the disulfide bonds that are broken when hair is colored or chemically treated, helping it stay stronger and healthier for longer. It’s super creamy but it’s easy to spread throughout the hair, regardless of length and texture. The bottle itself is relatively small, but a little bit of product goes a long way. Results do take time—you won’t notice anything much after one use—but the more you use the mask, the faster your hair will spring back to life. The intensive treatment also works wonders on split ends and tangles, reducing the amount of knots and shedding. Those with curlier hair might want to follow up with a hydrating leave-in conditioner after using the mask. Though curls are still receiving the intended bond repair and strengthening treatment, they might require a little extra moisture to avoid feeling coarse and dry. What We Like Moisturizes and nourishes with prickly pear see oil Softens brittle ends Easily blendable What We Don't Like Not a quick fix Hair Type: All, Damaged | Keyey Ingredients:Prickly pear seed oil, inula extract | Size: 8.33 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes This intensive mask from Christophe Robin boasts a creamy formula with prickly pear oil, an ingredient known to add shine, volume, and life to dull, brittle strands. It also includesceramideswhich help smooth the hair shaft.It’s really blendable (no elbow grease is required to distribute it throughout an entire head of hair) and smells divine without being overpowering. The mask doesn’t have to be left in for a long time (a few minutes will do), so it’s a great choice if you're short on time or patience. After consistent use, it softened, nourished, and breathed life back into brittle hair. Let us be clear, though: It’s by no means a miracle split-ends treatment. You can tell a difference in the health of your hair when you stick to it, but nothing replaces a visit to your local hair salon for a much-needed trim. What We Like Treats and defines curls Gel-like texture doesn't weigh hair down Pleasant scent What We Don't Like Can be drying Hair Type: Curly | Key Ingredients: Rice Water Ferment & Moringa Seed Extract | Size: 15 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes Curly hair comes with its own unique set of needs, and it’s imperative to choose a hair mask that's specifically made for your texture. Along with strengthening and softening (thank you, rice protein), this mask from Tracee Ellis Ross’s brand Pattern offers tons of benefits, namely elongating and defining curls, kinks, and coils. We love its watery, gel-like consistency that adds softness without weighing hair down. It’s a great detangler, too. And the subtle floral fragrance is just the icing on the cake. After applying the mask, you can expect hair to feel soft, light, and nourished; you might even notice a decrease in frizz and flyaways, too. What We Like Adds softness and silkiness Helps mend color- and chemically-treated hair damage Doubles as a regular conditioner What We Don't Like May cause build-up Hair Type: All treated hair | Key Ingredients: Fiaschetto tomato extract, jojoba oil, olive oil | Size: 1.5oz. | Cruelty Free: No Color and chemicals can really do a number on your hair. But, the healthier your hair is, the longer your color (or style) will last, and the better it will look. So, it's a good idea to use a mask regularly if you’re coloring or chemically treating your hair. This one from Davines is ideal, helping to repair bleached, permed, or relaxed hair. We love how it restores hydration and volume with the help of antioxidant-rich Fiaschetto tomato extract from Italy and vitamin E while invigorating the scalp and keeping it free from irritation. The result is silky smooth hair. Our only bone to pick with this one is that it contains dimethicone, which is a non-soluble form of silicone that can lead to build-up, however, we didn't experience any during testing. What We Like Super hydrating yet light Color- and karatin-safe Don't need to rinse out What We Don't Like Pump distributes minimal product Hair Type: All, Fine | Key Ingredients:Hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, coconut water, blue and green algae, sea buckthorn | Size:3.3 oz.| Cruelty-Free:Yes Choosing a mask when you have fine hair can be a bit of a conundrum given that the deep moisturization makes most options likely to weigh hair down. This overnight mask is an exception—it’s actually super lightweight and turned us from skeptics into believers. We could use it nightly and didn't even need to rinse it out in the morning. The mask contains hyaluronic acid and coconut water which help to nourish, intensely moisturize, and reduce damage as you get your beauty sleep. You can apply it all over your hair just before bed. We loved that it never left a greasy film on our tresses or pillowcases. What We Like Highly moisturizing Great for thick, dry, or curly hair Smoothes frizz and flyaways What We Don't Like Tropical scent may be overpowering for some Hair Type: Dry, Curly, Thick | Key Ingredients: Coconut cream, mango butter, banana | Size: 8 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes Unlike fine hair, thick hair can hold a ton of product without being weighed down. This mask from Fable & Mane doesn’t skimp on hydration—in fact, it’s so rich and creamy that it reminds us of body lotion except for your hair. It has a smoothing effect that eliminates frizz, flyaways, and other pesky signs of dehydration or breakage leaving hair silky and super-soft. Whether your hair type is curly, straight, or somewhere in between, you’ll appreciate how the coconut cream and mango butter-infused formula deeply nourishes dull, dry hair and brings it back to life. We personally didn’t mind it, but some say the fruity fragrance can be a bit overpowering. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, you may want to skip this one. What We Like Immediate results Plant-derived ingredients Creamy consistency What We Don't Like You have to keep up with it to see results long-term Hair Type: All | Key Ingredients: Moringa leaf extract, coconut oil, false daisy extract | Size: 10 oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes We love this hair mask from dae because it foregoes any type of ingredient that leads to buildup on the scalp from sebum or products. Instead, it leans on ingredients like moringa leaf extract, coconut oil, and jojoba seed oil, each of which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. We’re obsessed with the smell—it’s kind of like a fruity rainforest—and didn't bother even super-sensitive noses. After one use, we noticed immediate results in the form of soft, easy-to-manage hair. However, we also noticed that it doesn’t offer many long-term effects. To see continued progress, you’ll need to use the mask weekly. What We Like Works on most hair types Strengthens with vitamin B and fatty acids Boosts Shine What We Don't Like Thinner consistency Hair Type:Dry, damaged, thick |Active Ingredients:Rosehip oil, algae, vitamin B|Size:8 ounces |Cruelty-Free:Yes Damage from hair treatments, pollution, and styling will keep coming back if you don't take steps to mitigate it. We love this mask by Brigeo as a weekly strengthener to keep your hair fortified against all these factors. When we tested it, we noticed it worked like a time machine, reversing the signs of damage like split ends, breakage, and dullness. The formula contains vitamin B and fatty acids like algae which help boost shine and smoothness. We found it worked well on most hair types, even super thick and coily. We love to use it with the Don't Despair, Repair cleansing system—anall-star from our fave shampoos and conditioners for dry hair. What We Like Works in just three minutes Sustainable packaging Boosts shine What We Don't Like Nothing Hair Type:Color-treated |Key Ingredients:Amodimethicone, candelilla wax |Size:3.4 ounces |Cruelty-Free:No If you color your hair on the regular, it's necessary to deep condition it from time to time to keep that color looking vibrant. However, if you're short on time, or want to multitask in the shower, this treatment from Biolage is the way to go. Not only does it boost shine and infuse dry, brittle strands with moisture but it also leaves your hair stronger (we legitimately noticed this during testing). We put the treatment on every few days for just three to five minutes, and after hopping out of the shower, our hair felt much healthier. And it never left it feeling greasy or filmy. Plus, who doesn't love a sustainable pouch that you can throw in your carry-on? FAQ What does a hair mask do for hair? A good hair mask helps strengthen hair, improve its elasticity, reduce hair breakage, and stimulate growth. Using a hair mask once or twice a week can smooth frizz, make hair more manageable, enhance shine, and add moisture to dry ends. Can you use a hair mask with regular conditioner? If you’re someone with very damaged hair, you can totally use both, in fact, it’s often advised by stylists. Simply start with a traditional conditioner and follow up with a hair mask for extra hydration. How long should you leave a hair mask in your hair? It really depends on what hair mask you’re using, so be sure to read the instructions carefully. However, there’s (generally) no harm in keeping a hair mask on longer than recommended. What is the difference between a hair mask and a hair conditioner? Conditioners serve the hair by providing it with hydration, shine, and smoothness after shampooing during wash days whereas hair masks nourish the hair and scalp and are often followed up with shampoo and conditioner. Caitlyn Martyn is a staff commerce writer at Byrdie, where she covers all things beauty. An avid product tester, Caitlyn likes to try the latest and greatest in makeup, skincare, and hair care to let readers know what’s worth it and what’s not. Byrdie contributor Melanie Rud has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, writing for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there. Her hair is fine, dry, and highlighted…meaning you better believe she uses a hair mask (including many of these) at least once a week. Ally Hirschlag is a senior beauty commerce editor at Byrdie who regularly covers hair care products. She has 2c/3a-type curly hair and thus has experimented with lots of conditioning products including several that appear on this list. We interviewed Krysta N. Rojas, a stylist, colorist, and the owner of Base Salon in Chicago. She specializes in both curly hair and balayage.Best Overall
Drunk Elephant Silkamino Moisturizing Masker
Best Splurge
Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Hair Mask
Hair Type: Damaged, Dry | Key Ingredients: Japanese rice extract | Size: 6 oz. | Cruelty Free: NoBest for Dry Hair
Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask
Best for Treated Hair
Davines Nounou Hair Mask
Best for Fine Hair
Amika The Kure Dream Routine Overnight Hydrating Hair Mask
Best for Thick Hair
Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Mask
Best Strengthening
Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Mask
Best for Boosting Color
Matrix Biolage ColorLast Treatment Pack
What to Look for in a Hair Mask
Why Trust Byrdie
Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Kaushik V, Chogale R, Mhaskar S. Alternative protocol for hair damage assessment and comparison of hair care treatments.Int J Trichology. 2020;12(1):7-15. doi:10.4103/ijt.ijt_3_20
Basit A, Asghar F, Sadaf S, Akhtar MW. Health improvement of human hair and their reshaping using recombinant keratin K31. Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2018 Oct 24;20:e00288. doi: 10.1016/j.btre.2018.e00288. PMID: 30416979; PMCID: PMC6218806.