Finding the right treatment for your hair when it's lost its shine and is starting to get dry and tangled can be difficult - not to mention expensive.
A hair mask can do a world of good, but if you’ve not tried any before it's understandable if you’re dubious about them.
The aim of a good hair mask is to leave your hair soft and silky once you've put the moisture back in. But with so many on the market - and plenty of budget buys alongside the pricier options - where do you even start?
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Some come salon recommended, some just smell really, really nice. The choice is endless, and it can be overwhelming.
This week, we decided to put several hair masks to the test, from bargain buys to high end brands that will cost you a little more.
Here’s what we thought:
Bleach London Reincarnation Mask
Whenever I notice my hair losing its shine or getting that bit too dry, there’s one product I go to.
The Bleach London Reincarnation Mask promises to “bring your hair back to life” - and it delivers.
According to the product description, the mask “repairs and hydrates dry, damaged, bleached or coloured hair while improving elasticity” and should be used “whenever hair feels parched”.
The mask comes in a bright silver tube and is quite thick, but easily spreadable so you don’t actually need to use a lot. I used just enough to cover the ends of my hair, as well as the crown of my head, where my hair gets very dry.
It is recommended that you leave the mask on for 10 - 20 minutes, so after following the instructions, I rinsed the product off and could almost instantly feel the difference in my hair.
Usually it takes quite a bit of effort to get a brush through my hair when its wet, since it so easily tangles, but after using Bleach London’s Reincarnation Mask the hairbrush was able to glide straight through the usual knots.
After drying my hair it remained silky and soft for days.
Price: £6.99
Where to buy: You can buy the Bleach London Reincarnation Mask at Superdrug
Rating: 5/5
Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask
I have always been wary of using hair masks as my hair can become quite greasy when products are applied.
However, I was given the Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask as a gift and put it to the test the day after I had curled my naturally straight hair.
My hair felt quite dry and damaged after the heat of the curling wand, but I was left pleasantly surprised after using the mask which comes in a white tube and is suitable for all hair types.
Apply a small amount of the product onto wet hair and massage from the scalp to the ends. Leave the mask on for five minutes and then rinse.
I dried my hair with a hairdryer and was surprised to see that it did not look greasy like I thought it would. Instead, my hair felt soft and smooth and had a nice shine to it. The mask definitely brought it back to life.
Since then, I have used the mask a few more times, but I didn’t see much of a difference in the condition of my hair unless I’d used my curling wand on it beforehand.
As it’s quite expensive, I think I’d try a different mask next time, but if you find your hair is naturally dry or dull, I think the Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask will work wonders.
Price: £15 (75ml) £27 (200ml)
Where to buy: You can buy the hair mask from Christophe Robin or Feel Unique
Rating: 4/5
Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Hair Masque
My hair is made up of roots that get greasy from a slight gust of wind, as well as ends that can get very dry so I'm always on the hunt for a decent hair mask to restore some balance to my locks.
I've seen Coco & Eve's multi-award winning Like A Virgin hair mask all over social media so was keen to give it a try and see if it lived up to the hype.
It's quite pricey, at £32.99, so I was expecting it to work some serious magic on my hair.
The hair mask comes in stylish millennial pink and green tub and comes with the brand's matching Tangle Tamer detangling hair brush. I do wonder how to repurchase the product without the brush - I don't want or need multiple copies of the same brush, so it seems odd and a little silly that there doesn't seem to be the option to purchase the mask on its own.
It's a five-in-one treatment designed to restore dry and damaged hair, improve texture and shine, hydrate and deeply condition, treat split ends and tame frizz - all in 10 minutes.
The cruelty-free and vegan formula smells heavenly and it definitely left my hair looking shinier and healthier, while also making it more manageable - though if your hair is like mine and gets greasy at the drop of a hat (see what I did there?) then I'd avoid applying it anywhere other than the mid lengths to ends of your hair.
The mask left the ends of my hair deeply conditioned and smooth, which was exactly what I had hoped for.
The results were impressive but I've used cheaper hair masks that work just as well on my hair. With this being a little more expensive, it's worth getting as a treat but if you're in need of constant hair treatments then there are others on the market that would achieve similar results for a fraction of the cost.
Price: Varies, usually from £32.99
Where to buy: You can buy Coco & Eve's Like a Virgin Hair Masque from the brand's website, as well as ASOS, Amazon and more
Rating: 4/5
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