When it comes to maintaining healthy hair, applying a hair mask every now and then can do wonders. No matter if you want to increase your hair’s shine or reduce the amount of breakage from your last color treatment, hair masks can be an easy way to instantly revamp your hair texture and reverse damage without breaking the bank. Many products often have a robust lineup of ingredients with a whole lineup of vitamins and nutrients to counteract any damage that has been done to your hair.
Even if you don’t chemically treat hair or style it often with hot tools, your hair can still get dry or brittle if it’s exposed to the sun, has been shampooed too often, or is constantly constricted and pulled by hair ties and clips. Luckily, reparative hair masks can build back your compromised strands and even prevent future breakage from occurring.
In a sea of hair masks, it can be difficult to wade through what’s actually worth your coin (and what actually works!). But not to worry, we’ve curated some of the top picks to satisfy just about every hair type below. Buh-bye, breakage!
8 best hair masks for breakage:
Briogeo, Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask — $39.00
Hair type: All types
This 15x award-winning hair mask really packs a punch when it comes to providing nourishment for your curls. Its formula is chock-full of nutrients tailor-made to strengthen your hair from its roots, and protect it from further damage. Among its top ingredients include micro-encapsulated argan oil, algae extract and biotin, all of which help fortify your cuticles and lock in moisture.
- Great for all hair types
- Scientifically proven to reduce breakage after two uses
- Multi-award-winning formula
- Has a strong floral scent that may be overpowering to some
Olaplex, No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask — $30.00
Hair type: Color-Treated
The Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask may just be the holy grail of masks when it comes to bringing life and body back to damaged hair. It’s made with brand’s signature bond technology that’s designed to boost shine, add moisture and reduce breakage by strengthening and repairing hair bonds, (aka, the proteins responsible for your hair’s shape, elasticity and overall texture).
- Highly concentrated, potent formula
- Patented active ingredient bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate repairs and bonds broken ends
- Great for all hair types
- While it repairs broken strands, it may leave hair feeling dry
Amika, The Kure Bond Repair Mask — $24.00
Hair type: Thick + coarse hair
This color-safe, ultra-hydrating hair mask from Amika targets the hydrogen bonds found in hair strands, which are prone to breakage. An eclectic formula featuring sea buckthorn, mango butter, and borage oil inject fatty acids and vitamins A and C to provide moisture and balance to thick strands.
- Ultra-hydrating formula
- Targets hydrogen bonds in damaged hair
- Great for coarse, thick hair
- Has a strong perfume-y smell
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SheaMoisture, Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Smoothie — $13.00
Hair type: Curly, kinky, and/or thinning hair
There may not be a magic cure to change the texture of thinning hair or reverse breakage instantly, but this SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil mask definitely comes pretty close. It’s a deep conditioning treatment that promotes hair growth by curbing breakage and shedding. It does this using ingredients like organic shea butter and Jamaican black castor oil. FYI, Jamaican black castor oil helps to increase blood flow to your scalp which allows for more nutrients to enter your hair follicles.
- Affordable price point
- Defines individual curls
- Hydrating + bonding formula smells amazing
- Formula may be too greasy for fine hair
Aveda, Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque — $124.00
Hair type: Ultra-damaged and/or color-treated hair
This bonding mask from Aveda uses the power of plant lipids and butters to repair and strengthen ultra-damaged, compromised hair. It’s safe for color-treated and chemically-processed hair and targets all three layers of the hair shaft to prevent future damage.
- Targets all three key layers of the hair shaft
- Prevents future breakage
- Uses plant lipids and butters to nourish and repair broken ends
Sachajuan, Hair Repair — $37.00
Hair type: Frizzy
For those who struggle with waking up with frizzy hair on a daily basis, this Sachajuan Hair Repair mask may just be what you need to snag for your beauty cabinet. Its main job is to help improve your hair’s elasticity and shine by way of the brand’s special Ocean Silk Technology formula. This includes a combination of algae-derived extracts and wheat proteins, which are great for helping reduce split ends, breakage, and taming frizz.
- Leaves ultra frizzy hair shiny and soft
- Promotes cell regeneration
- Ocean Silk Technology and wheat proteins increase manageability and repair broken strands
- Has a cologne-y smell that some may not like
Kiehl’s, Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak — $32.00
Hair type: Excessively dry
If you’re constantly dealing with dry hair despite your best efforts to keep it hydrated with moisturizing shampoos and fancy hair oils, consider adding this Kiehl’s Repairative Hair Pak to your shower routine. It’s uniquely formulated to help moisturize hair that has become dehydrated and damaged because of too much sun exposure, hot tool usage, and one too many chemical treatments. The avocado oil helps to seal in your hair’s moisture, while the olive fruit oil helps adds softness and extra hydration to your strands.
- Olive and avocado oils deeply nourish and hydrate hair
- Amino acids repair hair integrity
- Lemon oil adds shine back to dull hair
- May leave fine hair feeling greasy
Amika, Bust Your Brass Intense Repair Mask — $40.00
Hair type: Bleached bondes, silvers, and grays
This reparative hair mask from Amika gets rid of your brassy hues *without* having to visit to the salon. Its violet shade tones yellowing hair while its plant butter formula breathes moisture back into dry strands. Vegan proteins work hard to bond broken ends and prevent future damage, too.
- Eliminate yellow tones from bleached hair
- Moisturize dry, bleached hair
- Uses vegan proteins to bond broken hair
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