TEN of the Best AFFORDABLE Hair Masks

Happy #beautymonday!! I have been on the hair recovery road for almost a year now. I have tons of blog posts talking about the dozens and dozens of products I’ve used on my hair in the past. Some that worked really well, some that didn’t. What it all comes down to is that my hair is just extremely damaged from all of the processing and heat tools I’ve been using on it. I started really noticing it after I got my bangs cut last summer and began parting my hair down the middle. Some breakage wasn’t as noticeable when it was parted on the other side of my head – but when brought over, could CLEARLY be seen. SO. In light of all of that – I’ve been on the hunt for the BEST hair masks on the market – with an affordable price tag. I need to use hair masks at least 2x a week so it just isn’t realistic to be spending $50-100 on one jar. I wanted to keep it under $30 so I’ve been testing products for the last few months to round them up for you. Let’s dive into this.

---

TEN of the Best AFFORDABLE Hair Masks

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask – $10

Rate: 8.5/10

Hair repair quality: I did need to use this a few times to see full results – and the results didn’t stay forever. I need to use this product continually to see lasting results. My hair does feel SO soft and shiny after using.

Overall thoughts: Eventually I am going to do a full brand review on this brand – I have been using some of their products for a while now and I REALLY like them. But as far as this mask goes: I really enjoy it. The scent is a little bit strong for me at the moment (hi pregnancy nose) but I don’t think it’ll bother me when I’m less sensitive. It’s easy to apply, combs through easily and washes out easily. They suggest for quick uses, let sit for 10 min and for deeper repair, let sit for 20 under a cap with a blow dryer. I find my hair is softer, shinier and feels stronger after I use it. I did feel I needed to use it more than once to see full results.

Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense Hair Mask – $28

Rate: 7.5/10

Hair repair quality: The results on this last about 1 week – 1.5 weeks before needing to re-use. My hair feels stronger and softer after using. It does not add significant shine.

Overall thoughts: This is a VERY thick mask. I use a comb to get it all the way through my hair. I absolutely HATE the scent. It’s very powdery-smelling, like grandma perfume kind of. However: it does do a good job at repairing hair and adding moisture. I feel like my split ends were less noticeable after using, and I felt I didn’t need to use it every single week if I didn’t want to.

Loreal Extraordinary Clay Mask – $6

Rate: 8/10

Hair repair quality: This is less for hair repair and more for oil production. It does an AMAZING job and removing oil from my scalp.

Overall thoughts: This isn’t a damage repairing mask – but a pre-shampoo treatment. That being said – I love using this in conjunction to my hair masks because my hair tends to REALLY hold onto oil when I use thick masks often. This helps keep my hair from getting oily too quickly (so I don’t have to wash it every day) so I often use it on wash days in between reparative masks.

Loreal Elvive Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm – $7

Rate: 10/10

Hair repair quality: This stuff is my all-time favorite. It leaves my hair soft, shiny, and visibly stronger with less split ends and a smoother appearance.

Overall thoughts: I have talked about this mask in a monthly obsessions post before – because I LOVE it. I have used this entire hair line for a long time and love it. I use this after my conditioner in the shower every time I wash my hair and leave on for 5 min. 2x a week, I leave it in for 30 min while taking a bubble bath or reading a book. It smells amazing, and really does help repair my hair. It’s one of the first masks I used that really made a visible difference after one 30 min treatment. I will forever recommend it.

OGX Renewing Argan Oil Of Morocco Intense Moisturizing Treatment – $8

Rate: 8/10

Hair repair quality: I do really like this mask. It does a great job at adding much-need moisture to my dry hair.

Overall thoughts: This is an oldie but a goodie. This is one that I’ve used since high school. The mask adds softness and moisture, but also a lot of shine which I love. It says to leave in 3-5 minutes, but I always leave it on for 10-15. It smells AMAZING.

Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner – $3

Rate: 9/10

Hair repair quality: This is a really heavy duty mask. It is formulated specifically for intense dry and damaged hair. 

Overall thoughts: I like this one. Again – smells SO good. It’s really thick, and really coats the hair strand. It’s one of the BEST masks I’ve ever used, and I can get 2-3 uses out of 1 $3 packet. I stock up on them at Ulta when I can use my $3.50 off coupon and I can get like 5 for the price of 4 which is great. My hair stays soft, shiny and my split ends significantly reduced for up to a week. I keep it on for 10-15 min and sometimes if I want a REALLY deep condition, I’ll put on a shower cap and turn my blow dryer on to heat up the mask on my hair. 

Redken All Soft Mega Recovery Tissue Mask Cap – $8

Rate: 7.5/10

Hair repair quality: This does a great job at hair repair – and leaves hair FULL of moisture and revives dry hair. 

Overall thoughts: This is SUPER weird. It’s not an actual mask – but it’s a mask CAP. You get one use per packet (so it can be a bit steep for $8 per use). With wet hair, you are supposed to twist it up and put the cap on top of your wet hair. From there, you leave on for about 10 min. It does a good job at helping create softer, shinier hair. I don’t know that it necessarily REPAIRS damaged hair as much as it adds moisture to dry hair. It helps my hair for about 1-3 days, but I do have to continually use it every few days for it to make a real difference.

Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask – $9

Rate: 8.5/10

Hair repair quality: This is a mask specially created for dry, severely damaged hair and it delivers.

Overall thoughts: This is a little drugstore diamond in the rough. It smells like heaven in a jar, evenly coats hair strands in thick product, and repairs like a champ. A little bit of this product goes a LONG way so it lasts forever and my hair feels so healthy after I use it. I feel like it actually mends my split ends instead of masking them – which is HUGE for me.

Marc Anthony Repairing Macadamia Oil Deep Rescue Conditioning Treatment – $3

Rate: 8.5/10

Hair repair quality: This is a weekly mask made for dry and damaged hair. It claims to actually restructure the damaged areas to help with healthy hair! I feel like it does a good job of this.

Overall thoughts: This is another awesome holy grail product. I get between 2-3 uses out of 1 packet, so again, a super good price for that. I love that this mask in particular is made specifically to “reconstructed dry, stressed and damaged hair”. It is actually repairing your strands vs just covering them up. It doesn’t leave any residue, makes my hair feel soft, light and bouncy and DEEPLY hydrates my strands.

Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Butter Masque – $7

Rate: 7.5/10

Hair repair quality: This is a great quick mask to throw on in the shower for a few minutes – especially in the summer.

Overall thoughts: This is my go-to summer mask for post-pool time. It helps to drench your hair in hydration and helps seal in your split ends. They recommend leaving it on for 2-5 minutes, but I like 5-7 a little bit better. It is great right after swimming in salt water and chlorine because it immediately hydrates and softens your hair strands. 

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

---

I hope that this blog post helps you determine which hair mask is best for you – and if you are on the same hair journey I am, helps you discover something that will truly help your hair without robbing you blind every 3 weeks.

Do you have a tried-and-true hair mask that you SWEAR by?! Drop it down in the comments if you do!