Have you ever tried a hair mask? You may have already tried one and loved the results.
Hair masks are a broad term that covers a lot of different products. Every mask has a unique set of ingredients.
These ingredients can be synthetic or natural. In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know about natural hair masks.
Before you understand their ingredients, however, there’s one important question to ask. What is a hair mask anyway?
Continue with your discovery about hair masks so that you can add an effective step to your daily, beauty routine.

What is a Hair Mask?
A hair mask is a deep conditioning treatment for the strands, follicles and scalp. It’s typically made from mostly natural ingredients, including oils and butters.
Why would you want to put more oil on your hair? For one reason, the hair is usually stressed with the lack of natural oils.
Traditional shampooing and conditioning strips natural oils from the hair. Women are left with dry and frizzly hairdos.
A deep conditioning hair mask is a perfect reprieve from your daily, beauty routine. Fit it in at least once a week for the best results.
What About Regular Conditioner?
A standard conditioner treats the hair strand along its outside surfaces. It might calm frizzy conditions or offer a hint of shine.
Hair masks are different, however. They’re designed to saturate into the hair strand and not to just rest on the exterior surfaces.
Everyday conditioners don’t have the same nutrients as hair masks. These nutrients might include:
- Antioxidants
- Vitamins
- Fatty acids
Women leave conditioners on for only a few minutes. This time frame only allows for a short, treatment period.
Hair masks might be used for three minutes or longer. During this time frame, the nutrients actively move from the outside to inside of the hair shaft.
This shift is important because the nutrients have all of the time in the world to improve your hair. Rinsing the residues from the hair will still leave the nutrients intact. No conditioner can beat this scenario.
Are you debating on whether you should use a hair mask or not? Don’t analyze the product too much at this point.
Explore the rest of this article for why you should use masks every week. There are real benefits that only a hair mask can provide.
What is a Hair Mask For?
Some women consider the idea of a hair mask for their beauty ritual and promptly throw out the concept. How can there be another step in a daily routine?
Think of the main benefits that a mask can bring to your hair. What about a hair mask for hair growth?
Take a moment to mull over the benefits associated with hair masks today. There are good reasons to spend a few minutes each week on your hair.

Zip Through Your Styling Process
Do you spend 10 or 20 minutes in the morning with a battle of the frizz? A weekly hair mask for dry hair is a simple solution to lost time.
Your styling session won’t take nearly as long as before when your hair is tamed before the curling iron or straightener warms up. Style it and go.
Protect Your Color
When you color your hair, it has a specific lifespan. Certain shampoos and conditioners, however, can speed up the fading time.
Use hair masks on your colored hair, and you’ll notice that the color seems to have new life.
Hair masks nourish the hair shaft as the ingredients move from the exterior to the interior. Any color found in these areas will be nourished along with the rest of the strand.
You’re left with a hairdo that looks as if it was just touched up by a professional.
Enjoy Long Hair
The best conditioner for dry hair cannot produce the same nourishment as a hair mask. The mask strengthens the hair so that it has a chance to grow longer than its everyday breaking point.
Women with curly hair may see a difference too. Those curly locks are protected even further from damage, which gives them a chance to stretch out.
Takes Time Out For You
Hair masks might take three or more minutes to set in. Consider this time as your own.
Every woman deserves some time that’s devoted to her. Read a book or meditate on the day. A hair mask is both a physical and mental reprieve.
Make it Shine
Feel like a kid again with shiny hair. This shine doesn’t come from oily conditions, however.
Hair masks balance out the natural oils on your scalp and hair. All of these areas become healthier than before, which leads to shiny hair with a strong bounce.
Fight Hair Aging
Did you know that your hair ages along with the rest of the body? This aging isn’t necessarily represented by graying either.
Older women might have limp hair without any elasticity. Hair masks seek to turn back the hands of time so that a person doesn’t have to deal with lackluster hair.
The nutrients continually repair and protect the hair into the senior years.
Cost Effective
You wouldn’t take on another beauty ritual unless it was cost effective. A deep conditioner for curly hair, for instance, won’t break the bank.
Many OTC masks are inexpensive. If you want to really see a cost difference then buy your own ingredients.
DIY treatments will always be low cost and incredibly effective.Committing yourself to a weekly hair mask for damaged hair will pay off in the end. What about the ingredients though?
If you want to create your own hair mask, learn more about the proper ingredients below. There are certain ingredients that make a true impact on your overall appearance.

Best Ingredients for DIY Hair Masks
Are you itching to get into the kitchen and find those hair-rejuvenating ingredients? Examine our list before you pull anything out of the refrigerator.
The best ingredients for DIY hair masks are chosen with a clear purpose. Their inherent nutrients improve the hair shaft with regular use.
Essential Oils
Sage, lavender and tea-tree oils are just a few of the ingredients that improve a recipe. Add them to nearly any mixture, such as a mayonnaise hair mask, to see the hydration level skyrocket.
Avocado
Give some thickness and volume to your hair with avocado added to any mixture, including a coconut hair mask.
Yogurt
The body craves protein for tissue generation, which makes yogurt a great base for a mask. Try it with a coconut oil hair mask for an intoxicating scent during application.
Honey
Are you curious about adding honey to a bentonite clay hair mask? Go ahead because it couldn’t hurt! Honey is full of antioxidants and minerals, which lead to fewer split ends. Bees treasure it and so should you!
Coconut Oil
The key to coconut oil’s main benefit for the hair is its absorbency power. Fatty acids move rapidly into the hair shaft so that proteins and key nutrients can work their magic.
Green Tea
Most people think of drinking green tea instead of applying it to the hair, but it does have its perks. Combine it into a shea butter or aloe vera hair mask because the folate, B vitamins and other nutrients will improve the hair’s health in little time.
Clay
Clay from certain parts of the world will infuse the hair with nutrients and improve volume. Residual particles remain with the strands as they build strength and beauty.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is essentially fatty oils, so it makes sense that it will nourish dry or brittle hair.
Tapioca
Did you know that tapioca absorbs oil? It’s a starch so it’s known to have this ability.
Rosemary
Rosemary oil improves the hair from the follicle down. Thin hair might look fuller with fewer strands lost during the day.
The Beauty Secrets of Argan Oil
You may be in love with your olive oil hair mask, but try a different carrier oil. Argan oil comes from Morocco where the native people have been using it for many generations.
It’s a natural oil so it combines with other ingredients in a flash. Discover the main benefits of argan oil, such as:
- Vitamin E for hair hydration
- Vitamin A brings strength back to the strands
- Phenols for hair-follicle health
Simply add pure argan oil to nearly any mask recipe. It’s hard not to smile at the results. If you want to know more about argan oil’s overall benefits, read our comprehensive guide here.
You’re ready to mix up your own recipe now, right? Collect your ingredients, and match them to your hair type.
Our handy guide below will help you determine the best recipe for you.
Effective Hair Mask Recipes for Your Type of Hair
You may be excited about trying a hair mask, but don’t pick a random product. A major mistake can be in the making!
Applying a moisturizing mask on an already oily scalp is just asking for trouble. Be clever with your choices as you narrow down the right product or DIY recipe for your hair.
Follow these suggestions so that you can match your hair type to the perfect mask.
Dry Hair
Dry hair is characterized by brittle and frizzy textures. Mix together this DIY hair mask:
- 2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
Spread this mask onto the hair so that the strands are locked away from any moisture loss.
If you want an over-the-counter product to solve dry-hair issues, consider Tresemme’s Nourish & Replenish mask. Its aloe-vera and coconut-milk ingredients offer solutions for the driest hair strands. In our article, a Guide to Amazing Benefits of Aloe Vera on the Hair, we discussed the amazing benefits of aloe vera on hair.

Damaged Hair
Weather conditions and genetic influences may culminate into damaged hair. Try this DIY hair mask, which includes:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine 1 tablespoon oil to 1 teaspoon cinnamon for this overnight hair mask. The cinnamon works wonders on the microbial level while the coconut oil infuses the hair with much-needed moisture.
When you’re running out of time during the week, pick up Mielle Organics Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner. It offers proteins that perk up the hair and repair the damage.
Oily Hair
Some women have a greasy scalp by the end of the day. Oily hair is merely a reaction to an imbalance along the scalp.
Rejuvenate the scalp and hair by mixing these ingredients together, such as:
- One-half lemon
- 1 egg white
Apply this hair mask recipe to the scalp for about 45 minutes. Rinsing it out will leave the hair and scalp free from any imbalances.
The acid in the lemon performs most of the balancing work.Turn to Carol’s Daughter Rhassoul Clay Softening hair mask when you’re short on time.
Ingredients include cactus flower and clay, which draws in oil from the hair.

Colored Hair
Coloring the hair is applying controlled chemicals to it. Fight unwanted side effects by trying this homemade hair mask.
Mix one ripe banana with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Dampen the hair, and apply the mask.
The color remains true, and you have a conditioning agent that improves the texture.
Head to the store to buy Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment mask. A mixture of peppermint and castor oil improves the hair’s strength after being chemically treated.
Thin Hair
Grab 2 cups whole milk and 2 teaspoons honey. Mix the two ingredients together and apply it to the hair.
The nutrients found in both ingredients will perk up the hair. They aren’t too heavy either, so your hair should have a nice bounce to it afterwards.
As an alternative, try Bee Mine Bee-U-Ti-Ful Moisturizing deep conditioner. It incorporates coconut oil, shea and cupuacu butters together.
This product should only be worn for about 10 minutes. Any other homemade deep conditioner might be applied for a bit longer.

Hair Loss
Remember that there’s no real solution to hair loss, but you can fight back with healthy hair.
Mix together 1 cup pumpkin puree and 2 tablespoons honey. Add it to your hair for about 15 minutes. Go ahead and spread it on your face too!
The nutrients benefit the hair and body by strengthening both the strands and skin.
Head to the store for a product called the Alikay Naturals Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner. It’s designed for damaged hair, which can improve hair loss in some cases.
Dull Hair
Dull hair has met its match with a DIY hair mask of 2 tablespoons olive, 2 tablespoons coconut and 4 drops lavender oil. The nutrients and moisture give the hair new life.
Hair that seems to fall flat can benefit from Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Hair Masque. It’s lightweight as you apply it.
The mask leaves the hair with a new look that exudes beauty and healthy conditions. When you don’t have time for the DIY version, OTC products can produce some outstanding results.
Curly Hair
Curly hair tends to frizz as you try to style it. Combine these ingredients together for a moisture treat:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Wear the mask for an hour and rinse it out. The curls should look softer and healthier than before.
Explore the benefits of ximenia oil and alma fruit found in Soultanicals Afrotastic Curl Elastic Deep Conditioning Treat. This product is perfect for those busy days when you don’t have a ripe avocado on hand.
There’s a trick to every beauty secret. This fact is certainly true for hair masks.
Read even further to hear about the latest tips and tricks. Hair masks have incredible power over dry, oily or damaged strands.

Hair Mask Tips and Tricks
Stop what you’re doing right now. Learning more about your hair mask is critical before you apply it.
Remember the old adage of “less is more”? Be conservative with your mask use by following these tips and tricks today!
Go With Dry Hair
Many women enjoy oil-based hair masks, but they apply them to damp hair. Remember that water and oil don’t mix.
Use your oil-based mask on dry hair for the best results.
Nourish From the Inside Too
The hair can’t look spectacular unless it has nutrients from within. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to boost those vitamin-and-mineral levels every day.
Shorter is Better
Did you know that hair masks usually require only a few minutes of application time? Don’t allow the ingredients to rest for too long on the hair.
Shorter periods of application time are almost always preferred. Check the label for any variations.
Pay Attention to Frequency
Applying a mask once a week is the perfect schedule for most hair types. Daily masks will only leave the hair looking dull and lifeless.
Think About Keratin Alternatives
Let’s face it. Some women simply have more stubborn hair issues than others.
As a supplement to your beauty routine, try a keratin treatment. This specialty product offers extremely deep conditioning.
Alternate between masks and keratin so that any hair problems are quickly calmed.
Be Gentle on Ends
Don’t forget that the ends of the hair are where you want to focus your efforts. They’re the oldest parts of the strands, so they often exhibit the most damage.
Add the mask to the ends first. Move the mask into the rest of the hair afterwards.
Get Some Shuteye
Look for a mask that’s designed for overnight use. It often has gentler ingredients in comparison to the three-minute products.
By wearing the mask overnight, you take advantage of sleep’s healing powers.
Save Money
Although OTC products are certainly effective, you will pay a premium for their ingredients. Whenever you have the time, always perform DIY masks.
Incorporating the argan oil into the mask will only make it work better than any other combination.
Warm it Up
Don’t pull out your blow dryer, but consider adding a hot towel to your head as the mask sets in. The heat encourages the ingredients to absorb into the hair shaft.
Simply shampoo and condition afterward.With quality ingredients in your hair mask, those locks have a nourishing solution that comes around every week.
It’s time to reflect on all of this information so that you can treat your hair like a professional. There’s no time like the present!
Infographic
Revisit all the important details about hair mask in this infographic.

Conclusion
A hair mask can truly rejuvenate a woman’s overall look. Whether you have dry or oily hair, there’s a mask that works for every need.
In this article, you discovered the many features of hair masks, including:
- The best ingredients and their benefits
- Matching tips and tricks to a specific hair type
- Exploring argan oil’s role
With a hair mask as part of your daily beauty ritual, you can see a real difference in your hairdo’s sheen and strength. Try to make a mask at home for the most beautiful results.
Everybody wants long locks that turn heads. This woman can be you!
Did you try a mask of your own creation? How did it feel?
Share your suggestions with other women in the comment section below. It’s time to make a difference in your life as well as others.
Discover the power of argan oil as it’s used in hair masks today. Beauty and health go hand in hand.