Masques are a super concentrated, deep conditioning treatment, which, when left in for an extended period, aid in healing damaged hair. Masques are a way to treat yourself and nourish your hair without the price-tag and are great to use as a fill in treatment before salon visits, or regularly, in-between washes. As with most things, the more consistent you are with using a masque, the more noticeable the results. We like to call them our hair saviours.

A lot of people assume that they can get the same results from using a great conditioner. Wrong. A conditioner tames the hair and helps to protect it from environmental factors such as pollution, dust and changes in humidity. It improves the condition of the hair, but only at surface level, whereas a hair masque does all of the above, but also penetrates the hair follicle, infusing it with nourishment. If you can incorporate using a masque once, or twice a week, you will be pleasantly surprised at the healthier, stronger and more youthful looking hair which ensues (YAY!). 

The Top Three

1. Lack of Moisture
   The reason: There isn’t just one reason why your hair could be lacking in the moisture department. It’s no surprise that the use of heated styling tools are damaging. They remove the natural moisture in the hair, so its texture changes and often leaves us with that frizzy, unkempt look (we’ve all been there). Then there’s this curveball, what about going out in the sun and wind? Just like our skin, our hair is susceptible to the weather and harmful UV rays. Excessive exposure to these dry out the hair and negatively alter the way that the follicles can hold on to moisture, leaving us with those dreaded dry and brittle strands.
   
   Solution: Seven Day Mircale Masque
   After shampooing, rinse and apply Seven Day Miracle for a minimum of 2 - 10 minutes for a more intense masque. Rinse and style.
   
   
2. Tonal Imbalance
   The reason: There are two primary factors which contribute to brassiness in natural or dyed blonde and silver hair, but, like everything, it’s not simple and we could be here for days. Number one; blonde and silver hair is extremely porous, so anything which is put on it is soaked up, whether that is pollution, heat, hair products or chlorine. These ultimately damage the hair, increasing fragility and creating a dull, limp and flat one tonal appearance. Number two is a simple one; when you lighten your hair, toner is used to lift the colour to the desired hue, but when the toner fades, the warm tones are left noticeably exposed.
   
   Solution: Conquer Blonde Masque (not currently stocked)
   After shampooing, remove excess water and apply Conquer Blonde Silver Masque into the scalp and ends. Leave in for 2 - 5 minutes, then rinse. An alternative way to use, is to comb it through dry hair, leave for 2-5 minutes then wash off. This method enables precise application to those pesky areas.
   
   
   
3. Lack of Strength
   The Reason: Tresses that need a protein hit are prone to breakage. You can tell if this is you, if your strands lack elasticity and feel limp and weak and once these strands start breaking, they reveal a porous gap where your hair becomes even more vulnerable to external factors. Just like in the body, protein in the hair promotes regrowth and regeneration.
   
   Solution: Power Base Masque
   After shampooing, remove excess water and apply The Power Base for 2-10 minutes. Rinse and style.

Now all that said, don’t just put on a masque and be done with it, figure out exactly what masque medicine your hair needs and why. Make the switches to give your hair a fighting chance; wear a hat in the sun and wind, use heat protectant before styling, be gentle when using brushes and combs. If you really think about it, basic hair care is common sense.

This post was originally published at O&M