Ekin Karasin tested the most nourishing, deeply penetrating hair masks to restore dry, damaged locks to their hydrated best. From budget buys to indulgent splurges, these are the products that deliver results.
Why hair needs extra care in summer
Blistering heatwaves, chlorine-drenched pools, and damaging seawater make keeping colour-treated hair healthy in the summer often feel like an impossible task. As someone with long, frizz-prone, wavy blonde hair who swims at their local lido three times a week, Karasin attests that it's tough to get chlorine-frazzled locks looking okay from May to September.
Georgina Hamilton-Hopkins, colour director at Hadley Yates Salon, explains: "Bleached hair is more porous and vulnerable, while chlorine can leave it feeling even drier. The best approach is to combine moisture with repair by using a gentle shampoo, nourishing conditioner and a weekly treatment. Minimise heat styling, always use a heat protectant, and rinse hair before and after swimming to reduce chlorine exposure."
What to look for in a hair mask
Hamilton-Hopkins advises looking for ingredients that hydrate, strengthen and protect the hair. "Shea butter, argan oil and glycerin help restore moisture, while ceramides support the hair's barrier. Peptides and hydrolysed proteins help strengthen weakened hair, and conditioning silicones smooth the cuticle and reduce breakage."
For very damaged hair, a mask once or twice a week is usually enough. "Consistency is more important than frequency, and combining moisture with strengthening treatments will deliver better long-term results than relying on conditioning alone."
How the testing was done
Karasin substituted her conditioner for a different hair mask with each wash and used each one for around three minutes after her regular shampoo. She did this over several weeks, styling afterwards with her regular hair serum. In between, she continued to go to the pool several times a week and her hair faced extreme sun exposure during back-to-back heatwaves.
The best hair masks tested
Davines Nounou nourishing fast mask for processed hair (£30, Sephora.co.uk) – Best overall. It has regenerative lupin extract, proteins, polysaccharides and fatty acids to lock in moisture and repair the hair fibre. It immediately softened hair in the shower, made it easy to brush through, and left it glossy and less frizzy for hours despite 34C temperatures.
Monday deep moisture hair mask (£5, Boots.com) – Best budget buy. The keratin formula left hair soft and supple, and the back of the locks stayed virtually smooth and knot-free. The brand's clean formulas are dermatologically tested, pH balanced, contain ethically sourced natural extracts and are not tested on animals.
Olaplex rich hydration mask (£31.20, Sephora.co.uk) – Best for long-term benefits. Formulated with biomimetic cuticle technology and an avocado and shea conditioning complex, it reduced frizz and over time made hair shiny and voluminous, with a definite boost at the roots.
Oribe signature moisture mask (£64, Libertylondon.com) – Best luxury buy. A thick paste that goes a long way, it made hair instantly silkier and less prone to frizz, with a glossy effect that lasted all day. Bolstered with ginger root extract, wild mango butter, and macadamia nut seed oil.
Color Wow x Chris Appleton money mask (£39.50, Sephora.co.uk) – Best for instant salon-style softness. It made hair so instantaneously soft it felt like a salon treatment, absorbing into the hair cuticle with no waxy build-up. Contains blue sea kale, sea kelp and algae blend, and hydrolysed vegetable protein complex.
JVN nurture intense hydration mask (£29, Lookfantastic.com) – Best with an intoxicating holiday smell. The coconutty scent is a highlight, and a 50p-sized amount covered mid-length hair. The formula uses keratris, a vegan alternative to keratin derived from upcycled oranges, and hemisqualane from bio-fermented sugarcane. Retained moisturising effects on day two.
Amika The Kure intense strength repair mask (£36, Cultbeauty.co.uk) – Best for everyday use. It transformed hair after one wash, restoring broken and brittle ends. Powered by Bond Cure Technology, with sea buckthorn, borage oil, shea butter and mango butter. Provides immediate hydration that lasts for days.
Final verdict
Karasin's best buy is the Davines Nounou mask for exceptional results in a short time, with Color Wow x Chris Appleton a close runner-up. For a budget buy, Monday's offering is unbeatable at £5. For a luxury splurge, Oribe's moisture mask feels like an amazing indulgence to use once in a while.
