Has it been weeks and months since your hair looked shiny, healthy, and bouncy? Then it's clear that your lifeless locks need some proper love and attention. News flash! Your amazing new shampoo and artisanal conditioners aren’t enough. It's time that you add a good hair treatment mask to your hair care routine and on your beauty shelf. Hair masks are undoubtedly little jars of goodness that will bring your dull hair back to its former glory. Therefore, in this buying guide, we will help you unlock the mystery of finding the best hair treatment mask for you.
What Is The Difference Between Hair Mask & Hair Conditioner?
You might wonder what’s so different between a hair mask & conditioner, as both of them make your hair soft and smooth. But that’s a misconception! Hair conditioners act as an external occlusive layer of product that will seal the cuticle for a shiny appearance. However, hair treatment masks include humectants, emollients, oils, and natural extracts to penetrate within your hair shafts.
Consider conditioners as a temporary solution, whereas, hair masks are proper long-term treatments. The best hair treatment masks when used regularly will bring back long-lasting shine and life to your locks.
Understanding Your Hair Type To Pick Out Effective Hair Masks
Until and unless you know your hair type you cannot pick out a hair treatment mask that’s right for you. The term ‘hair types’ is an extremely loose concept concerning hair masks because it entails your hair texture, appearance, and condition. for
The Curly Hair Type
There are many variations to curly hair with coarse or fine textures. However, this type of hair requires deep moisture penetration to ensure proper absorption of active ingredients. For coarse and curly hair that looks dull and tangled, you should look for oil-rich hair treatment formulas.
The Fine Hair Type
If you have low-density hair and fine texture, putting on emulsifying hair masks will make your tresses look oily, weighed down, and awkwardly greasy. For fine hair, look up masks that promise hydration and include lighter oils such as jojoba oil.
The Dry Hair Type
Dry hair is mostly damaged or they inherently lack the proper moisture and hydration. You need to excessively nourish your rough ends and flaky scalp with hair masks that repair the hair cuticles and help rebuild the protein bonds. Continuous usage of nourishing hair will give you smooth and manageable hair strands.
The Color-Damaged Hair
Color-damaged hair is not essentially a hair type. But, with overwhelming color trends and the use of excessive chemicals, your hair can lose the luster and shine it once had. For such a hair situation there are many hair masks that not only deep condition your locks but also provide color-toning without any damage. So, if you have blonde or bleached hair, applying tinted hair masks will add a new lease to your colored locks with a healthy appearance.
Why Should You Opt For Hair Treatment Masks
Your hair needs proper nourishment and hydration to look healthy, supple, and shiny. If you are going through hair-related issues, such as hair fall, thinning, and damaged hair, treating your locks with proper masks can minimize the prevailing issues.
It’s a huge misconception that conditioners are enough for providing moisture. It's the use of hair masks and oiling that adds nourishment to your scalp, resulting in hair growth and luscious locks. The natural ingredients and active substances penetrate through the deep cuticles and hair shaft to reduce consistent damage and breakage. That is why hair masks should become a part of your weekly hair regimen to strengthen your locks. It also restores the damage caused by the physical assault of heat, chemical products, and other stressors.
How Should You Choose The Best Hair Treatment Mask?
We know too many options make it difficult for the consumers to pick the best from mediocre. But we have broken down the process for you to pick the best hair treatment mask that will yield results. Look for the following factor in your hair care mask.
Focus on Hair Hydration
The most essential attribute of a hair mask is to provide deep-penetrating hydration to your hair. So, before you look up intensive hair treatments loaded with stripping chemicals, get an at-home, salon-quality hydrating formula that will add the perfect moisture boost to your beautiful locks.
Get The Right Formula
There are many different kinds of formulas available nowadays. And all of them have their unique mechanism and usage method.
If you want deep hydration and nourishment, opt for thick cream consistency hair masks. They’re applied after shampoo and are kept for about 10-15 minutes. Whereas, if you’re looking for a hair growth solution from your hair mask, exfoliating hair treatments will help accelerate the blood circulation and oxygenation in your scalp. Those who want to get the best absorption results from their hair packs should go for sauna-effect products that release a heating sensation to maximize ingredient penetration. Other formulas include powder hair masks that can be activated with water or emollients.
Read The Label
This is an essential step to choosing the best hair treatment mask for your dull and damaged tresses. Not all labels are gimmicky. Manufacturers include keywords like ‘for damaged hair’ or ‘best for strengthening, weak hairs’ on their products. So, if you know what your hair needs, then label descriptions will easily cut down the selection process time.
Ingredients That Matter
Hair treatment masks are an added dose of nourishment for your hair, and that’s why they should contain highly effective ingredients. Look for masks with scalp nourishing oils like shea butter, argan oil, and essential fatty acids. Additionally, ingredients like hyaluronic acids and antioxidants improve hair appearance, manageability, and texture.
Plant, fruits, and grain extracts have become quite the rave in recent trends. Many hair masks use natural extracts as hero ingredients to deliver nourishment and improve hair elasticity. For instance, rice and avocado extract promises hair growth and shiny locks.
Ingredients That You Should Avoid
The purpose of hair treatments is to provide an added layer of protection. Therefore, you should pay specific attention to the ingredients in the products. Avoid hair masks with excessive sulfates, parabens, alcohol, and artificial fragrances, because they strip the natural moisture from your hair. Since hair masks are meant to enhance your hair health, these stripping ingredients will counteract the effectiveness of good components such as emollients, natural oils, and proteins.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hair Masks
How often should I use hair treatment masks?
For optimum and long-lasting results, use hair at least twice or a maximum of three times a week.
How to use hair treatment masks?
For most hair masks the usage method is pretty straightforward. Properly brush out the tangles in your hair and apply the product on a damp head from roots to ends. Comb through the scalp to maximize the product penetration and leave it in for 15-30 minutes according to instructions given on the product. The final step is to rinse off the mask thoroughly.
Is there a negative effect of using a hair mask?
While there are no apparent side effects of using hair masks, everything needs moderation. If you tend to overuse hair masks you might experience greasy scalp resulting in dull and lifeless hair strands.