If you have dry hair that's prone to frizz, you've probably done your fair share of experimenting with leave-in sprays and oil serums. But handling frizz isn't just about the styling products you use; it all starts with what you put on your hair while it's still wet. While the shampoo and conditioners you use are certainly important, one of the best ways to prevent frizz from occurring is with a hair mask. Since one of the main causes of frizz is a lack of moisture, the best hair masks for frizzy hair will boast heavy-duty moisturizing formulas that restore hydration.
Ahead, you'll find five of the best hair mask formulas on the market that work specifically to combat frizz, smooth and soften hair, and repair damage (since damaged hair is much more susceptible to frizz to begin with). For the best results, you should these masks at least once a week — but if your hair is extremely dry, coarse, or unruly, you can use a mask instead of conditioner whenever you wash your hair. (You can also sleep in a hair mask on occasion — just wash it out in the morning, and experience the softest hair of your life.)
Once you've selected your mask of choice, check out these smoothing serums and styling products that help combat frizz. With this combination, you should be on your way to healthier, more manageable hair in no time.
SheaMoisture's Mankua Honey & Marfura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque combines honey and shea butter with a blend of deeply nourishing oils — baobab, coconut, and avocado — to keep hair moisturized and frizz-free. The botanical-heavy formula also contains glycerin, a humectant that attracts moisture, aloe, for further hydration, and mango seed butter, which is rich in fatty acids that help soften and restore dry and/or damaged hair. This decadent combination of ingredients results in a seriously thirst-quenching formula that, in addition to taming frizz, makes hair shiny, manageable, and easy to detangle.
Curly-haired girls have had particular luck with this mask, as they note it enhances the definition of their natural curls. One reviewer calls it "The only product so far that got completely rid of my frizz," while another says it kept her hair "frizz free for seven days with no extra product."
One reviewer found an alternative use for this hair mask, wrote, "I have been using this lately as a frizz control styling creme and it works great ... As long as it's used sparingly as a style creme, it helps get rid of frizz and adds shine without making my hair feel weighed down."
For a salon-quality treatment at home, pick up the Redken Frizz Dismiss Mask. This thick, sumptuous mask nourishes hair to keep it manageable, smooth, and frizz-free. Suitable for all hair types, but especially beneficial for over-processed hair, it also helps prevent humidity-induced frizz from occurring in the first place.
"Excellent product for dry, frizzy hair," wrote one reviewer. "I use it about 3 times a week. My hair is SO soft and manageable. I have long curly hair and there is no frizz even when it's a bit humid outside."
Another fan shared, "I've always loved Redken hair products and this one is truly a game changer ... No more puff ball hair in rainy weather or during humid summer time."
Often, you're experiencing frizz because your hair is damaged, whether it's from heat styling, dyeing, perming, or otherwise chemically-treating your hair. The Elizavecca CER-100 Collagen Coating Hair Protein Treatment is particularly good for repairing damage, since it works to strengthen and rebuild hair that's become broken or weak. After letting it sit for five to 20 minutes, expect shinier, healthier, and less frizzy hair.
Reviewers with all hair types — fine, thick, curly, bleached — claimed this mask leaves hair "impossibly silky" and compare it to "magic." "Frizzy hair magically transformed," one wrote. "I have ultra fine, curly blonde hair that’s extremely prone to breakage and I feel like my hair has grown an inch since using this product."
Another fan reported, "My hair was so dried out and over processed even Olaplex wasn't helping. I saw a review for this online and thought at that price, it would be worth a try. Wow, what a difference ... My hair went from dry and frizzy to shiny, smooth and soft."
Mayo has long been used as a DIY hair masks for its smoothing and shine-enhancing abilities. The only problem? It stinks. Korean brand TONYMOLY formulated the classic kitchen ingredient into prestige mask form with their Haeyo Mayo Hair Nutrition Pack. It offers up the same softening and moisturizing benefits of mayo without the unfortunate smell; instead, the brand infused the mask with a vanilla and macadamia nut scent. In addition to egg yolk extract, the formula uses shea butter and macadamia seed oil tame frizz, repair split ends, and hydrate hair. Reviewers say it also leaves hair silky and enhances shine.
One fan shared, "After washing my hair and conditioning, I put the haeyo mayo on and left it for 3-5 minutes. My hair feels so smooth and sleek. I blew it dry and didn't even use a brush, and my normally frizzy and fly away hair is like silk. Cannot recommend enough."
Another reviewer, who describes their curly hair as limp, frizzy, and dry, wrote, "I used maybe a third of the bottle and let it sit on my head for twenty minutes and then washed it out and went to sleep. MY CURLS WERE BACK WHEN I WOKE UP. Beautiful, voluminous, soft and silky and a gift from God."
Take your frizz control on the go with these Hask Keratin Protein Conditioning Packets. These TSA-friendly treatments are light and thin, so you can throw a few in your toiletry bag without adding any extra weight. The formula uses keratin protein to repair and strengthen damaged hair: expect less breakage in the future, less frizz, and increased softness and shine.
"Daughter uses this for her regular conditioner. It is the best we have found for controlling frizz in her long, thick, wavy hair," wrote one reviewer.
Another said, "I had just about given up on my hair. After a few years of coloring, highlighting, straightening and curling, it was a frizzy mess. My friend bought me one of these keratin protein packs and I decided I had nothing to use ... This transformed my hair with one use! I'm serious, this is a miracle product."
To keep frizz at bay between washes, you need a styling product like Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Shine Pomade. What makes it so great is that it can be used on both dry and damp hair, and it tames frizz instantly. Though it's a pomade, it leaves hair hydrated and soft instead of crunchy and stiff. Use it to smooth your edges, moisturize your scalp, or to create sleek updos.
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