The Best Hair Masks and Treatments for Dry, Damaged and Colour-Treated Hair
From deep-conditioning masks to overnight and leave-in formulas, discover the best hair treatments for dry, damaged and colour-treated hair and find the right one for your routine.
Whatever your hair needs, extra hydration, repair for brittle ends, a little nourishing TLC, added shine, colour maintenance- a treatment can help. It's that extra step in your routine that can help you tackle any hair issues and offer a weekly reset to indulge in self-care for your hair.
Whether that’s in-salon or at-home treatments, our Hair Stylist, Glenn, recommends keeping up with your hair health through that consistent extra step of care. He explains, “A conditioner and a mask do two different things. A conditioner adds moisture and coats the hair, while a mask is built to penetrate your hair”.
So, what does your hair actually need? We have rounded up some of the best hair treatments to help you complete your routine.
What Is a Hair Treatment and Where Does It Fit Into Your Routine?
Think of your regular conditioner as the consistent part of your wash routine, while a treatment gives you the opportunity to get more targeted with a deeper solution.
- A richer mask can help replenish hair that feels dry and difficult to manage.
- Repair-focused formulas are better suited to lengths experiencing breakage or the effects of chemical processing.
- While colour-specific treatments focus on keeping dyed hair feeling conditioned and looking vibrant.
Treatments do not always need to be rinsed out, either. Color Wow Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Anti Breakage is applied after washing and activated by heat during styling, while KEVIN.MURPHY NIGHT.SHIFT Overnight Treatment stays in the hair overnight, with no morning rinse required.
The format you choose matters less than finding one that makes sense for your hair and, importantly, the routine you will realistically stick to. Do hair masks actually help your hair? Absolutely, think of hair masks as a way to treat any hair issues or your hair type.
Best Hair Treatment Products for Dry Hair
Dry hair can feel lose its usual shine and suddenly become far more difficult to detangle. The best hair treatment products for dry hair should bring back moisture without leaving strands feeling coated or weighed down. So, what is the best at-home deep conditioning treatment for dry hair?
Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm
When hair feels seriously thirsty, Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm offers a more intensive approach. Created especially with dry and damaged hair in mind, the rich balm is designed to deeply hydrate coarse, dry lengths while supporting strength and helping to reduce breakage.
Better still, it only needs five minutes to get to work, making it easy to fit into a normal wash day rather than saving it for the rare occasion you have an entire evening to dedicate to your hair.
Color Wow Money Masque
For hair that feels dry and has lost some of its usual gloss, Color Wow Money Masque brings the shine factor. The formula combines blue sea kale, Mediterranean algae and hydrolysed vegetable protein, with a focus on conditioning and strengthening the hair while leaving it feeling noticeably softer. Apply it through freshly washed, damp hair, leave for three to five minutes and rinse.
It is a particularly good choice when you want your treatment to make an immediate difference to how your hair looks and feels without introducing a lengthy new ritual.
KEVIN.MURPHY NIGHT.SHIFT Overnight Treatment
KEVIN.MURPHY NIGHT.SHIFT Overnight Treatment takes the work out of adding another intensive step to wash day, drenching strands in up to 12 hours of moisture. The lightweight leave-in serum is applied to dry or damp mid-lengths and ends before bed, then left to work overnight with no rinsing required.
With hyaluronic acid for hydration and Kakadu plum within the formula, it is designed to improve manageability and the appearance of frizz while supporting stronger-feeling hair.
Best Hair Treatments for Damaged and Breakage-Prone Hair
If your hair is feeling damaged and snapping at the ends, treatments created specifically with weakened and breakage-prone lengths in mind are what you're looking for, adding extra treat to care for your hair.
Maria Nila Structure Repair Masque
Maria Nila Structure Repair Masque has been created for damaged and chemically treated hair. The formula contains algae extract and wheat protein to support moisture and strengthen the hair fibre.
Including Maria Nila's Colour Guard Complex, it is also great if your hair has been weakened through colouring but still needs support maintaining its shade. Leave it on freshly washed hair for five to ten minutes before rinsing.
Color Wow Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Anti Breakage
Color Wow Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Anti Breakage is a leave-in treatment created for fragile and over-processed hair. Apply two to three pumps through towel-dried lengths after shampooing and conditioning, then leave it in and style with heat to activate the formula.
It is a particularly easy addition for anyone already blow-drying their hair, slotting into the space between washing and styling rather than adding another rinse-out step.
Davines NOUNOU Nourishing Hair Mask
Davines NOUNOU Nourishing Hair Mask is designed for brittle or chemically treated hair, combining intensive nourishment with a surprisingly quick application time. The formula features regenerative lupin extract and is designed to support strength and resilience in damaged lengths.
Apply it to damp hair after shampooing, leave for just 30 seconds, comb through and rinse. An easy one to slot into your routine.
Top Hair Masks and Treatments for Colour-Treated Hair
A fresh colour appointment might give you the gloss, but what happens between salon visits matters too. The top-rated hair masks for colour-treated hair should help care for lengths that may feel more sensitised after chemical processing while supporting the vibrancy that made you love your colour in the first place.
Bumble and Bumble Illuminated Color 1-Minute Vibrancy Treatment
For the wash days when five minutes already feels ambitious, there is Bumble and Bumble Illuminated Color 1-Minute Vibrancy Treatment. Designed for colour-treated hair, the rinse-out treatment uses the brand's PRO ColorShield technology alongside conditioning ingredients and kukui seed oil to smooth the cuticle, add shine and help protect colour vibrancy. As promised in the name, it takes just one minute.
Kérastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler
Kérastase hair masks for colour-treated hair are a community favourite. The Kérastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler is designed specifically for damaged and coloured lengths, for those looking to protect their coloured hair.
Its creamy yet lightweight formula helps smooth the hair fibre and reduce the appearance of porosity without weighing the hair down. Lactic acid within the formula helps trap dulling minerals, while the overall treatment focuses on maintaining shine and colour vibrancy.
Apply a coin-sized amount to towel-dried hair and leave it on for two to five minutes before rinsing.
How Often Should You Use a Hair Mask or Treatment?
Some richer formulas are designed to become a weekly ritual, while others can be used more frequently depending on your hair's condition. Maria Nila recommends its Structure Repair Masque once or twice a week or as a daily treatment, while Color Wow suggests using its Money Masque weekly.
It is also worth paying attention to how your hair responds. The goal is hair that feels conditioned and manageable, so more treatment is not always necessary simply because your lengths have experienced damage in the past.
Which Hair Treatment Is Right for You?
Consider what extra care your hair needs. Explore the full hair treatments and masks collection and find the formula that earns a permanent place in your routine.
