Parenting

When's The Last Time You Treated Your Hair To A Mask?

by Jenn Sinrich
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Kerastase Drugstore Amazon Hair Mask

As if your hair wasn’t enough of a science project pre-kids, now you’re lucky if you can scrap together 2 minutes each day to run a hairbrush and maybe some dry shampoo through it. And, if you’re like the rest of us, you probably color your hair, blow dry it and even hot-iron it on a big day/night out. This means you’re guilty of over-processing, overdoing it with heat styling tools and applying hair-disrupting chemicals to your tresses.

The bad news: This seemingly inevitable behavior leads to lackluster, dry and/or brittle locks, according to New York City-based master hair colorist Stephanie Brown at IGK Salon. The good news: There are products out there formulated to help hydrate and smooth the cuticle of even near-dead hair. They’re called hair masks and they are literally a godsend, especially for new moms struggling with postpartum hair loss and those dreaded baby hairs sprouting out (and sticking up) from every corner of your ever-loving, exhausted forehead.

To score the best results from using hair masks, Brown recommends leaving them on for a minimum of five minutes underneath a shower cap or warm towel to keep the moisture in. “Doing this will help hydrate and strengthen hair, add shine and smooth out frizz,” she says. If you’re a mom, you probably don’t have five minutes a day to designate this hair masking ritual—and that’s perfectly OK. Just doing a mask once weekly, or even every two weeks, is gold.

The best ingredients to search for in a hair mask? Oils and butters, including coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba, shea butter, murumuru butter and linseed extract (which comes from flaxseed) are all great ingredients that help moisturize and protect color, according to Brown. In addition, trimming your hair every 8-12 weeks is also a must to ensure your hair stays healthy.

Not all hair masks are created equal, of course, so we’re sharing the ones that actually do the work to score you smoother, shinier, silkier and healthier hair overall.

Searching for more beauty must-haves that actually make you look and feel more human? We’ve got you covered with the style essentials you need to live your best (mom) life.

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Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 Repairing Treatment

Olaplex’s repairing treatment is used by professionals in many hair salons to help restore damaged or broken hair, but pick up a bottle and you can enjoy a treatment in your own home. Hair Perfector is not a conditioner, but a bond builder to strengthen your hair (however, Olaplex also makes a conditioner). After using it, you rinse it off and shampoo and conditioner as usual. You can use it 1-3 times a week depending on your needs to moisturize and repair your locks. The treatment is suitable for all hair types and is vegan, pH balanced, and paraben-, sulfate-, and phthalate-free. One happy reviewer said, “MAGIC!!!! I swear this stuff is made from Unicorns. I was doubtful, given that I have tried the gamut of hair conditioning treatments (yes, yes, I know this is NOT a conditioner, but a bonder) and all I have to say is WOWZA! After some really harsh processing (got my hair from dark dark brown to very very blonde so I could add funky colors (currently pink), my hair more closely resembled hay than it did actual hair and as the weeks went on, the breakage started getting worse. I tried this at my last feeble attempt to salvage my locks after a friend recommended it and I am BLOWN AWAY by the results! It really does work. I won’t lie and tell you my hair is back to it’s normal state, but it is SIGNIFICANTLY improved. It is smoother, softer, and even has some of the weight back! This was just after 1 application (I left it in for an hour as the website suggested for my level of damage). I can’t wait to see if it gets better with the next application. I am definitely sold.”

$28

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