I’ve completely updated my organic hair mask list with all my new faves! Non-toxic hair masks provide intense, deep treatments without silicones, synthetics, parabens, sulfates, filler ingredients and harmful toxins. Why avoid silicones? Because they only temporarily coat the hair to give the illusion of healthier hair without actually improving hair. Instead, my fave organic hair masks use nutrient-rich oils, butters and extracts that actually improve hair health over time. Keep reading for my faves and top tips on how to get the most out of an organic hair mask!
How to use a Hair Mask
After decades of having to use hair masks on my dry and damaged hair, I’ve cracked the code on how to get the most out of them. Here are my top tips on using an organic hair mask!
- Apply to dry hair or after lightly misting hair. The point is do not apply a hair mask in the shower on wet hair! Using it on dry hair ensures that the product penetrates deeply into the hair shaft.
- Do not use a hair mask on roots unless you have super dry roots.
- Spend a few minutes to massage the mask into hair. Do not skip this step! It isn’t enough to just apply a mask and then wait. Massaging it in is necessary in order to evenly distribute the mask and help it penetrate.
- Let the mask sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour or as long as a few hours.
- For maximum penetration do a hair steam session while the mask is in. Hair steaming is a total gamechanger for hair health! It’s easily done by using a shower cap to protect hair and wrapping a hot towel around the head.
- After shampooing hair in the shower, go in with a conditioner again. This really helps seal the deal, literally, and conditions the hair even further.
Vegamour Hydr-8 Deep Moisture Hair Mask
This is a super rich, hydrating cream mask that’s sooo effective at softening and hydrating my frizzy strands. It gives my hair a nice subtle shine and makes it so much easier to manage for days and days. Vegamour doesn’t use any silicones in their hair mask. Instead it contains a vegan keratin alternative called Karmatin that outperforms silicone, doesn’t dry out the hair and doesn’t clog pores. The cumulative use of Karmatin improves hair health over time and gives hair that silky, glass look. I find this mask rich enough to work for even the most coarse hair while not being overly heavy either. The smell is amazing and is a blend of vanilla, jasmine and geranium.
Price: $52 for 8 fl oz
Best for: Normal, thick, curly, normal, dry, damaged hair
How it feels: rich hydrating cream
How it smells: vanilla and jasmine
Key actives: Amino acids, Karmatin (vegan keratin alternative), Marula Oil, Moringa Oil, Milk Thistle
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Use OBL to save 20%
Innersense Hydrating Hair Mask (best for thick or curly hair)
I find the Innersense Organic Hair Mask to be beautifully formulated and excellent for thicker or seriously damaged hair. The ingredients are super clean and natural and the consistency feels super thick, buttery and rich compared to most other natural hair masks. A lot of organic hair masks feel just a little more moisturizing than a conditioner so I appreciate that Innersense’s feels like a heavy-duty mask. For fine hair I would recommend one of the lighter masks I like using in this list. I use this buttery intense mask when I need a very intense, deeply moisturizing treatment.
Price: $30 for 6 fl oz
Best for: Thick, curly, normal, dry, damaged hair
How it feels: rich butter
How it smells: yummy sage vanilla
Key actives: Shea Butter, Tamanu Oil and Jojoba Oil
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Organic Ingredients ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask (best for all hair types)
I find Rahua’s Omega 9 Hair Mask to be the best luxury organic hair mask suitable for all hair types! This product works sooo well and my hair absolutely loves it. I only wish it were more affordable so I could stock up on it and never run out! This is a very concentrated and simple formula of effective ingredients, the main one being an Amazonian ingredient called Rahua used by native women for centuries to nourish hair strands and improve hair follicle and scalp health. It feels like a creamy hydration lotion that’s not thick or buttery in any sense. I love Rahua’s signature woodsy earthy scent that’s soothing and grounding yet uplifting.
Price: $44 for 4 fl oz
Best for: fine, normal, thick, dry, damaged hair
How it feels: hydrating lotion
How it smells: woodsy, earthy and grounding
Key actives: Rahua (ungurahua), quinoa, shea butter, lavender, eucalyptus
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Organic Ingredients ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
John Masters Organics Nourishing Hair Mask with Rose & Apricot (best for normal hair)
This is a fantastic mask for normal hair John Masters Organics are literal masters at hair care and they use at least 60% organic ingredients in their formulas. I looove that this is a waterless hair mask that uses organic Aloe Vera leaf juice as the base. It’s loaded with hair nourishing actives like organic coconut oil, organic rose flower water, oat bran extract, organic horsetail leaf extract, Squalane, Wheat Amino Acids and a blend of organic essential oils. It feels like a hydrating light cream and my hair soaks it up super well. There’s a subtle floral rose scent to it that’s really lovely. I most recently used this on a beach vacation and it worked well at keeping frizz at bay and reviving my dull hair.
Price: $32 for 5 fl oz
Best for: fine, normal hair
How it feels: hydrating cream
How it smells: soft rose
Key actives: organic Aloe Vera leaf juice, rose flower extract, oat bran extract, organic horsetail leaf extract, Squalane, Wheat Amino Acid
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Organic Ingredients ✔ Waterless ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Treatment
I’ve tried sooo many products from Briogeo’s clean hair care line and the Don’t Despair, Repair! MegaStrength+ Rice Water Protein + Moisture Strengthening Treatment is one of my faves! It’s basically two treatments in one: a Protein Treatment and Moisture Treatment, that dispense as two separate products simultaneously. I find that it has a silky medium-weight consistency that’s not as light as a conditioner but not very rich either.
This is a 98% naturally derived product formulated to give the proper balance of protein and moisture to strengthen hair. The rice protein complex protects hair from future damage, hydrates dry, brittle hair, and supports healthy elasticity in hair strands. The moisture treatment contains Squalane, Sweet Almond Oil, Biotin, Panthenol, Glycerin and more. While Briogeo says this is a weekly treatment, I find it suitable to use multiple times a week. I feel that it penetrates my hair super well and leaves it feeling softer and healthier!
Price: $44 for 5 fl oz
Best for: fine, normal, thick, dry, damaged hair
How it feels: hydrating lotion
How it smells: woodsy, earthy and grounding
Key actives: Proprietary Rice-Protein Complex, B Vitamins, Algae Extract, Squalane, Sweet Almond Oil, Biotin, Panthenol, Glycerin
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Don’t Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask (best for fine hair)
Briogeo’s deep conditioning mask that comes in a round jar is a much thinner mask that’s best for fine or super fine hair. It’s made in a water base with rosehip oil, B-vitamins, algae extract and more and feels like a watery conditioner.
Price: $44 for 4 fl oz
Best for: fine, super fine, normal hair
How it feels: hydrating lotion
How it smells: woodsy, earthy and grounding
Key actives: Proprietary Rice-Protein Complex, B Vitamins, Algae Extract
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Ceremonia Mascarilla de Babassu (best for curly hair)
Ceremonia’s hair mask is one of the thickest hair masks I’ve tried, and I’ve tried a lot over the years! This clean hair mask is great for curly and low porosity hair. It feels extremely rich, almost waxy, and a little goes a long way especially if you don’t have coarse hair. The scent is super strong so may not be everyone’s cup of tea and it isn’t entirely natural. I love that this mask is infused with Latin American ingredients like Babassu from Peru, Aloe Vera from Guatemala, and Pequi oil from Brazil and it feels deeply deeply moisturizing.
Price: $34 for 7.8 fl oz
Best for: thick, coarse, curly dry, damaged hair, 4C
How it feels: rich, buttery cream
How it smells: vanilla (synthetic)
Key actives: Babassu and Cupuacu Butter from Peru, Murumuru Seed Butter, Pequi Oil, Avocado Oil, Maracuja Seed Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Acai Oil
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Use OBL to save 20%
EVOLVh Ultra Repair Reconstructing Mask (best for fine and normal hair)
I’m quite partial to EVOLVh’s Ultra Repair Reconstructing Mask because it was the first organic hair mask I tried. It’s still a go-to hair mask for me when I want to load up my hair with tons of antioxidants and nutrients. I love the super clean and concentrated silicone-free formula that’s absolutely brimming with nutrient-rich plant ingredients. There’s tons of essential amino and fatty acids to help restore dull, lifeless hair into healthy, smooth hair as well as plant-based extracts. I find the consistency to be light and creamy and the subtle grapefruit scent noticeable but not overpowering. In my experience, this is one of the best organic masks to improve hair health over time and not a quick fix type product.
Price: $48 for 8.5 fl oz
Best for: fine hair, normal hair
How it feels: light lotion
How it smells: grapefruit
Key actives: Silk Amino Acids, Soy Amino Acids, Mango Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Wild Pansy, Sweet Clover, Passion Flower, Willow Bark, Cupuacu Seed Butter, Red Grape Seed Oil, Nasturtium Extract
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Use OBL to save 15%
Everist The Deep Conditioning Concentrate (most eco-friendly!)
Everist’s sustainable and all-natural deep conditioning concentrate is a customizable waterless concentrate that can be used as both a conditioner or mask depending on how much water is added. This means that it can be diluted to any consistency desired to suit any hair thickness! I add a lot of water to turn it into a light conditioner or just a little water to make into a rich mask. Sometimes I don’t add any water to use it in its thickest non-diluted form.
This all-natural hair mask is totally color-safe, silicone-free, sulfate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and plant-based. I loooove that it’s super eco-friendly and packaged in 100% recycled AND recyclable aluminium tubes. I find that the tube is really easy to squeeze and product comes out without a hitch. I also tested this on my recent beach vacation when my hair gets the most damaged from the sun and sea and it dramatically repaired my hair when I used it as an intensive mask. It kept my strands moisturized, healthy and shiny throughout my trip!
Price: $28 for 3.4 fl oz
Best for: fine, normal, thick, dry, damaged hair
How it feels: hydration lotion
How it smells: woodsy, earthy and grounding
Key actives: Rahua (ungurahua), quinoa, shea butter, lavender, eucalyptus
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free ✔Packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable aluminum tubes ✔carbon-neutral ✔certified Ocean Positive
Derma E Hair Recover & Repair Deep Conditioning Treatment Mask (best for super fine hair)
I find that Derma E’s deep conditioning treatment mask has a lightweight, thin consistency that would be suitable for fine hair. This feels like a watery, hydrating mask and my hair does soak it up well, but obviously needs a little more than usual. If you find that every hair mask out there is too heavy for your hair and weighs it down, Derm E’s clean hair mask might fit the bill. It’s one of the most affordable clean hair masks on the market, but there’s clearly a loooot of water content in it. There’s tons of hair nourishing actives like Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, rice amino acids, papaya fruit extract and green tea leaf extract to revive dull hair.
Price: $11.50 for 45fl oz
Best for: fine, super fine hair
How it feels: watery lotion
How it smells: fresh lemongrass
Key actives: Rice amino acids, Papaya fruit extract, green tea leaf extract, coconut oil, jojoba oil, Mango seed butter
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ Silicone free
Andrea is a clean beauty expert from Los Angeles, California with 10 years of experience in natural skincare and organic living. She writes for Organic Beauty Lover using her expertise to guide readers in choosing the best clean products. Andrea graduated from the University of Southern California in 2012 and has worked at multiple skincare companies, big and small. Connect with her @organicbeautylover.
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