The best masks for dry hair can boost softness, shine, and moisture—which is exactly what your hair needs after a summer of swimming in chlorine and heat-styling for wedding season. Unlike your regular conditioner, “hair masks are richer, more concentrated treatments meant to deeply condition and provide longer-lasting hydration,” Dara Spearman, MD, board-certified dermatologist and owner of Radiant Dermatology Associates in Fort Wayne, Indiana, tells SELF. Not only can they smooth damaged hair, but they can also prevent future dryness and breakage by reinforcing the hair cuticle and protecting against environmental stressors like sun, wind, and low humidity.
After talking to dermatologists and SELF staffers about their favorite hair masks, we rounded up a list of winners from top brands like Wella and Crown Affair. Shop their go-tos for every hair texture below.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: Cécred Moisturizing Deep Conditioner, $39
- Best for Bleached Hair: Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair Mask, $35
- Best for Curly Hair: Isima Súperbomba Triple Repair Peptide Hair Mask, $38
- Best for Frizzy Hair: Crown Affair The Renewal Hydrating Hair Mask, $58
- Best for Fine Hair: Ouai Fine To Medium Hair Treatment Masque, $38
- Best for Colored Hair: Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask, $39
- Best for Natural Hair: Pattern Barrier Breakage Hair Mask, $25
In this article
Shop the best masks for dry hair
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Best Overall: Cécred Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
Cécred
Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
Leave it to Queen Bey to create a deep conditioning mask that’ll solve your dry hair woes. Its rich formula packs 12 oils and butters, squalane, and hyaluronic acid for hydration. It’s suitable for anyone with damaged hair, but it’s also a standout pick for curly and coily hair types that need more moisture than what a conditioner can give.
“Cécred is one celebrity beauty brand that I actually love. If you walk in my shower, I have many products from the collection,” SELF’s editor in chief, Jessica Cruel, says. “The hydrating mask is one I use every wash day. I apply it section by section after my medicated shampoo to give my hair much-needed moisture. It’s got plenty of slip to help detangle my 4B coils and it smells like a fine fragrance.”
Size: 2.5 and 10 oz | Other notable ingredients: Conditioning shea and murumuru butters; moisturizing baobab, moringa, and black seed oils; strengthening hydrolyzed wool keratin
Best for Bleached Hair: Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair Mask
Wella Professionals
Ultimate Repair Mask
Our tester, who periodically bleaches her hair and blow-dries it after every wash, says this Healthy Beauty Award winner gives her strands a “healthy reset.” It uses a combo of stearyl and cetyl alcohols to help your hair stay moisturized, and it contains vitamin E to “soften and nourish the hair while providing antioxidant benefits,” like preventing breakage and adding shine, Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, tells SELF.
“This easily worked through tangles, and my hair felt super silky as I washed it out,” our tester says. “I’ve found that other deep conditioning masks can weigh my hair down or make it feel less clean after I use them, but this one didn’t at all.”
Size: 5 and 16.9 oz | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing squalene, smoothing omega-9
Best for Curly Hair: Isima Súperbomba Triple Repair Peptide Hair Mask
Isima
Súperbomba Triple Repair Peptide Hair Mask
While anyone can use this mask, we think its ingredient list is tailor made for wavy and curly hair textures. Nourishing oils (like castor, sunflower, and coconut) smooth strands and add shine, while soy and rice hydrolyzed proteins strengthen weak spots in the cuticle. The result? Healthy, defined curls.
“My hair tends to dry out if I wash it too often, and a quick application of this hair mask revives it in just a few minutes,” SELF’s senior commerce editor, Sarah Felbin, says. “After I use it, my hair feels softer and much healthier.”
Size: 8.5 oz | Other notable ingredients: Hydrating glycerin and panthenol, softening vitamin E, moisturizing cupuacu seed butter
Best for Frizzy Hair: Crown Affair The Renewal Hydrating Hair Mask
Crown Affair
The Renewal Hydrating Hair Mask
Is there anything worse than spending precious time doing your hair, only for it to wind up looking like a ball of frizz once you walk out the door? A weekly treatment with this mask can smooth hair, add hydration, and enhance body and shine. You can thank tsubaki seed oil, yuzu fruit extracts, and field mustard flower extracts—all of which offer moisturizing benefits—for those results.
Hannah Pasternak, SELF’s special projects director, has made this mask part of her self-care routine: “It feels like an ultra-luxe conditioner and basically does exactly that—I’ll just swap it in for conditioner when my hair feels like it needs a reset, leave it in for 10 minutes while I shave my legs and wash my face, and my hair is very happy once it air dries.”
Size: 6.8 oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, moisturizing cetearyl alcohol, smoothing dimethicone
Best for Fine Hair: Ouai Fine To Medium Hair Treatment Masque
Ouai
Fine To Medium Hair Treatment Masque
“While some hair masks can be heavy, this product is ideal for fine-to-medium hair to smooth, hydrate, and alleviate damage without weighing hair down,” Brendan Camp, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City, tells SELF. Dr. Garshick praises Ouai’s mask for its reparative ingredients: “It incorporates shea butter and hydrolyzed keratin, which can restore moisture, strengthen the hair cuticle, and reduce frizz,” she says.
Size: 8 oz | Other notable ingredients: Cetearyl alcohol, vitamin E, glycerin, panthenol, conditioning shea butter
Best for Colored Hair: Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Briogeo
Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Several dermatologists we spoke to recommend this Briogeo mask. First, Dr. Spearman points out that it’s “packed with natural oils, algae extracts, and B-vitamins to nourish and strengthen.”
The gentle formula is safe for color-treated hair and works well on all hair types and textures. Dr. Camp adds that it’s a great choice for overprocessed strands because it’s free of sulfates, silicones, and parabens that might add to your hair’s stress.
Size: 8 and 32 oz | Other notable ingredients: Cetearyl alcohol, moisturizing sweet almond and avocado oils, glycerin
Best for Natural Hair: Pattern Barrier Breakage Hair Mask
Pattern
Barrier Breakage Hair Mask
Dr. Camp says this mask from Tracee Ellis Ross’s hair care line is “ideal for transitioning from protective styles, straightened hair, color-treated hair, or chemical treatments back to natural hair types.” It uses a combination of manuka honey, white tea, castor oil, and cellulose to “leave hair smoother, softer, and more resilient,” he says.
Size: 11 oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin
How we chose masks for dry hair
Dermatologists told us all about their favorite hair masks for reviving dull, damaged hair and preventing dryness. Plus, we asked SELF staffers and looked back at Healthy Beauty Award winners to find even more standout options.
FAQs about masks for dry hair
Which ingredients should I look for in a hair mask for dry hair?
If you see any of these on the label, dermatologists say you’re in luck.
- Hydrolyzed proteins—such as keratin, silk, or wheat—strengthen and repair the hair cuticle.
- Natural oils like argan, coconut, and jojoba are emollients that add moisture and shine.
- Humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol help hair retain its moisture.
- Vitamin E softens hair and adds protection from antioxidants.
- Butters like shea, murumuru, or cocoa are deeply conditioning and soften coarse strands.
How should you use a hair mask?
Apply your hair mask to clean, damp hair, focusing on mid-lengths to ends, and allow it to sit for the instructed amount of time (usually at least five minutes) before rinsing it out. Dr. Spearman recommends using a mask once or twice a week if your hair is very dry or damaged. If you’re using it to prevent damage and maintain healthy hair, one application every one to two weeks should be enough, she says.
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