Jayni Patel, Author at mamabella

Best hair mask: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types

Jayni Patel — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:14:20 +0000

If your locks are in desperate need of some TLC, then hair masks are the best option. Whether your strands are lusting for vitamins, hydration, or a colour boost, we’ve got a selection of the best hair masks to suit you and your hair type.

We also explain the difference between a conditioner and a hair mask, and how often you should be using a hair mask.

What is a hair mask?

A hair mask is a more intense and more targeted extension of your conditioner. It takes all the benefits of an everyday conditioner and condenses the impact into a weekly treatment. This means that the best hair mask will help smooth the cuticle, seal the shaft, lock in moisture, and repair damage.

They’re great levellers and aren’t just for people with dry hair. All hair types can benefit from an injection of hydration and health-boosting ingredients.

FURTHER READING: What type of hair do I have? Find out with our hair types guide

How to use hair mask

A hair mask should be applied after your shampoo but before a conditioner. The best shampoo will cleanse the hair and cause individual strands to swell. This allows ingredients to more easily penetrate the shaft. Applying a hair mask straight after shampooing means you can inject the concentrated ingredients straight to the source of the damage, or where the hydration is needed most.

Depending on the mask, you can leave it on for a few minutes or overnight. Hair conditioners and masks only work when the hair is wet, due to the fact they can get deeper into the shaft. Once the hair has dried, the cuticle is sealed after which point, it doesn’t matter how much longer you leave the mask in your hair.

We sleep in hair masks but loosely wrap them in a silk scrunchie and wear a silk turban. This means the hair stays damp all night, allowing the mask to work for hours. You can read more about this in our best overnight treatments guide.

Most masks are so intense, they should be reserved for once a week. If you have damaged hair, you can use some hair masks – such as the Olaplex No.3 – up to three times a week while you’re working on repairing the hair.

FURTHER READING: K18 vs Olaplex: Is Olaplex No. 3 or the K18 hair mask better for repairing your hair?

Best hair mask

Editor’s Pick: Give Me Hair Mask – £15
Bargain Buy: The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask – £12
Luxury Buy: Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask – £50
Best repairing hair mask: Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3 – £32
Best hydrating hair mask: Moroccanoil Hydrating Mask Light – £31.25
Best hair for curly and frizzy hair: Cocunat Boombastic – £44.95
Best natural hair: Lush H’Suan Wen Hua – £15
Best hair mask for dry, thick hair: L’Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Masque – £19.50

1. Editor’s Pick: Give Me Hair Mask

£15 | Buy now

Give Me Cosmetics

Why we love it: The Give Me Hair Mask has become a cult classic, yet we only discovered it in recent months.

It’s garnered such support because it works as well as more expensive hair masks, including those which exceed more than £50 each.

It blends argan oil and coconut oil to leave your hair smooth, shiny, and silky. This combination of ingredients also helps deeply condition each strand, making this the best hair mask for dry and damaged hair in particular.

Over time, the Give Me Hair Mask will also repair the hair. It makes it look and feel more elastic, which gives it more movement when it’s dry. It also makes it easier to style. All for a relatively low £15!

Buy now from Amazon

2. Bargain Buy: Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask

£12 | Buy now

Body Shop

Why we love it: Our Bargain Buy is a Body Shop classic.

The Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask will instantly ramp up the gloss leaving your hair looking and feeling less frizzy while smelling absolutely amazing.

It contains potassium from the use of banana puree. The addition of shea butter and brazil nut oil then add even more softness and hydration.

Priced at £12, this vegan-friendly mask is particularly great for anyone with dry or brittle hair.

Buy now from Body Shop

3. Luxury Buy: Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Prickly Pear Oil

£50 | Buy now

Christophe Robin

Why we love it: Prickly Pear Oil is an active ingredient that’s renowned for making hair feel stronger and when used in the Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask, it helps to restore damaged, colour- and chemically-treated hair to its former glory.

In particular, this mask works to improve the appearance of split ends while adding a glossy look to the mid-lengths and roots.

In this way, it also significantly reduces frizz. We love the fact you can notice the difference after the first use, and it only takes a few minutes to work its magic.

Just like the Christophe Robin Salt Scrub, you only need a tiny amount of this mask each time you use it so this pot will last you a while.

Long enough to completely transform your tresses!

FURTHER READING: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types

Buy now from Christophe Robin

4. Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3

£32 | Buy now

Olaplex

Why we love it: The Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3 is ideal for those with dyed or bleached hair. This is because it protects strands during the bleaching process, and so it strengthens and conditions the hair where it’s damaged.

We’re big fans of Olaplex hair products generally because they do exactly as they promise.

The Olaplex No. 5 conditioner was judged to be an Editor’s Pick in our best conditioner article and we’re huge fans of the No.7 Bonding Oil. You can read more about the Olaplex range in our ultimate Olaplex guide.

Priced at £32, this hair mask is far from cheap but it really is a hair saviour and because it’s got a thick consistency, a little goes a really long way so even with a weekly mask, you’ll get around six months use!

If you want to ramp up its impact, apply it with Olaplex No.0. Wash your hair and then apply the No.8 mask.

Buy now from Amazon UK | Buy now from Amazon US

5. Morrocanoil Hydrating Mask Light

£31.25| Buy now from Lookfantastic

Moroccanoil

Why we love it: Sent from the haircare gods, the Hydrating Mask Light by Moroccanoil conditions and hydrates fine hair. Technically the Olaplex No.3 Protector mask should be our Luxury Buy, given its price, but this hair mask is almost as good.

Containing the brand’s iconic, and well-loved Argan oil formula, this is the best hair mask for any of you who want to restore damaged and dry hair, and give flat hair more volume. Priced at £31.25 this mask will leave your locks feeling lustrous.

Buy now from Lookfantastic | Buy now from Amazon US

6. Cocunat Boombastic

£44.95 | Buy now

Cocunat

Why we love it: One hair mask we’ve been using a lot recently, and one that has left our hair looking super smooth, is the Boombastic mask from Cocunat.

If you’ve not heard of Cocunat, it makes and sells sustainable and 100% toxic-free skincare and haircare.

It’s particularly popular among people with curly hair because it defines and smooths like a dream. That doesn’t mean it only suits curly hair – our hair is wavy at best and it really does seem to nourish and repair from within.

This is thanks to its formula being rich in lauric, linoleic acid and carotenoid.

This combination penetrates the hair shaft, prevents protein loss and strengthens the hair fibre. It also contains water-repellents that block moisture from the cuticle and reduce frizz.

It’s not cheap, but a little goes a long way and you get a free anti-frizz turban to either help dry your hair after you’re used the mask, or – like us – if you want to wear the mask overnight while protecting your pillowcase.

Buy now from Cocunat

5. Lush H’Suan Wen Hua hair mask

£15 | Buy now

Lush

Why we love it: Lush products regularly feature in our Best Buys lists, particularly for hair care products. It Lush bars feature in our best shampoo list, and the brand features in our vegan beauty products roundup.

The brand’s best mask, in our opinion, is its H’Suan Wen Hua treatment. This shine-enhancing mask will leave your locks feeling revitalised and is particularly suited to people with natural hair.

Packed with fresh bay leaf and watercress it stimulates the roots and soothes the scalp, which encourages healthy hair growth. You can read more about his in our how to grow your hair fast article.

While there are definitely cheaper masks out there, they don’t offer the same results as H’Suan Wen Hua, and at £15 this natural hair mask is incredibly popular.

Buy now from Lush

5. L’Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Masque

£19.50 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

L'Oreal

Why we love it: If you’re looking to tame unruly, thick hair then this argan oil and Myrrh extract mask will leave your hair volume-controlled whilst providing instant nutrition.

It doesn’t perform quite as well as the Give Me Hair mask, but it’s a great alternative if you have thicker hair.

The Professional Mythic Oil Masque by L’Oreal is a buttery mask that leaves you with nourished and disciplined locks.

Buy now from Lookfantastic | Buy now from Amazon US

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Jayni Patel

The post Best hair mask: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types appeared first on mamabella.

Best face mask: The best face masques for acne, oily skin, dry patches and wrinkles

Jayni Patel — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 07:00:43 +0000

The best face masks promise a quick and simple fix to a bad skin day. Whether your complexion is looking dull, tired or you’re eager for an instant glow, we’ve rounded up our go-to face masks that solve a multitude of skincare problems.

This list includes the best face masks for acne and blemishes, masks that help balance oily skin, and formulations that tighten and refresh more mature skin.

Face masks may be considered a bit of a luxury, especially if you barely have the time or money for a standard skincare routine but they’re a worthwhile investment if only to allow you to concentrate on yourself for five minutes.

We’ve deliberately chosen masks that are easy to apply, and have selected a number of peel-off and sheet masks. This means you can apply them and get on with things, without having to wash them off. We have a whole page full of the best sheet masks as well if that’s more your thing.

We tend to put on a peel-off face mask first thing, brush our teeth and do our eye makeup or hair while it’s setting, before peeling it off and putting on our foundation and other skincare products. Or at the weekend, while we’re making our sons’ breakfast. This is time we’d be spending doing other things anyway so it’s an easier way to incorporate a face mask into our already stretched daily schedule!

FURTHER READING: Best BB cream for oily skin

Best face mask

Editor’s Pick: Origins GinZing – £24.50
Bargain Buy: Garnier Moisture Bomb sheet mask – £2.99
Luxury Buy: GLAMGLOW Gravitymud Firming mask – £44
Best face mask for acne and blemishes: L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask – £7.99
Best face mask for oily skin: Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque – £26
Best face mask for dry skin: Revolution Skincare x Jake – Jamie Watermelon Hydrating Face Mask – £8
Best chin lift mask: Wishful skin Chin Lift – £8

1. Editor’s Pick: Origins GinZing face mask

£24.50 | Buy now

Origins

Why we love it: We are huge fans of peel-off face masks because they’re the least messy and can be removed easily.

They’re also great at lifting away dead and dull skin, which is exactly what this metallic peel-off mask from Origins does, leaving you with a clear and radiant complexion.

Our top entry in our list of the best face masks is made with coffee beans and PanaxGinseng, which help revitalise skin and tighten pores. Just apply an even layer to clean, dry skin, let it “set” and peel off. You can read about the benefits of caffeine on skin and hair in our guide to the acids in your skincare.

It’s no surprise we rate this mask so highly. Origins has previously proved itself enough to join the ranks in our best anti-ageing cream and best hair mask lists and this face mask lives up to the high standards these products have set.

FURTHER READING: The truth about the acids in your skincare

Buy now from Feelunique

2. Bargain Buy: Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask

£2.99 | Buy now

Garnier

Why we love it: If you’re after the best face mask on a budget, we highly recommend the Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask. It’s priced at just £2.99. The ultra-thin tissue is infused with chamomile and hyaluronic acid, perfect for those who want to soothe and hydrate dry and sensitive skin.

We tend to use this mask on a weekly basis and save some of the more expensive masks for a monthly treat. If you keep this mask in the fridge, it’s also a hugely refreshing wake-up call in the morning. Plus there are complexion benefits to applying cold products to your face. You can read more in our Cryotherapy: What is it and why have celebs become obsessed with frozen facials? guide.

If the best sheet mask is what you’re after, we’ve also rounded up our favourites here.

READ NEXT: Best skincare fridge UK

Buy now from Lookfantastic

3. Luxury Buy: GLAMGLOW Gravitymud Firming Mask

£44 | Buy now

GLAMGLOW

Why we love it: This face mask was once our Editor’s Pick until we gave the Origins mask a go. The latter is cheaper and less hassle, which is why it claimed the top spot. However, that doesn’t mean this Glamglow face mask isn’t worthy of high recognition.

It’s also a face mask that beauty gurus are raving about from the Gravitymud Firming Mask from the GLAMGLOW range.

Priced at £44, this firming treatment is far from cheap but it leaves skin looking renewed and youthful, even after one use. This is most definitely the best face mask for anti-ageing!

Containing liquorice and marshmallow leaf, this mask is great for anyone who wants to lift and tighten their skin. Sweep on the product with a brush and peel it away once it’s dry. It does have a slightly odd smell but it’s not unpleasant.

If £44 is too expensive, you can also buy a smaller pot of this face mask from Lookfantastic for just £16. You get 15g, rather than 50g, but it’s at least a cheaper way to try this mask to see if it’s as good as we think it is!

Buy now from Boots

4. L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask

£7.99 | Buy now

L'Oreal

Why we love it: There are dozens and dozens of clay masks ranging vastly in price. So much so, we’re currently in the process of putting a load to the test to discover which is best.

While we complete those tests, though, we have to give a shout-out to an early front-runner. The Pure Clay Detox Mask from L’Oreal.

Fortified with charcoal and pure clay, the Pure Clay Detox Mask from L’Oreal’s range helps to draw out impurities whilst detoxifying the skin, making it the ideal product for anyone who suffers from acne.

Despite not being as cheap as our budget buy, this mask is more than affordable and offers a deeper cleanse. This is an ideal mask to use on a Sunday night to detox your skin from the week before to get it ready for the week ahead.

Buy now from Boots

5. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque

£26 | Buy now

Kiehl's

Why we love it: Next up in our list of best face masks is a product that’s perfect for those who suffer from oily and blemished skin.

The Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque draws out dirt and toxins while minimising the appearance of pores.

\It contains aloe vera, which soothes and comforts the skin, and Amazonian white clay which removes bacteria.

At £26, it’s a mid-range face mask, so is more of a treat mask than a weekly one but we find it works particularly well as we’re about to come on our period when our skin gets clogged up and gross.

If this is a problem you also suffer from, we also want to give a mention to Faace’s Period mask.

Buy now from Kiehls

6. Wishful skin Chin Lift

£8 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

Wishful

The Chin Lift Sculpting Sheet Mask from Huda Kattan’s Wishful Skin is made from material typically used for athletic tape.

This tape mimics the elasticity of your skin and moves in the same way your skin moves. Within the Chin Lift strap, which is secured over your ears, are ingredients including adenosine, peptides, and niacinamide, plus peppermint to cool and calm the skin.

The Chin Lift is designed to be worn for up to 30 minutes and can give you a more defined jawline for an average of three hours. You can read our Wishful Chin Lift review to see before and after photos of our experience with the mask.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

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Jayni Patel

The post Best face mask: The best face masques for acne, oily skin, dry patches and wrinkles appeared first on mamabella.