I’m a loyal tester of any kind of mask that promises to brighten, tone and clear up my face, but it wasn’t until recently that I ventured into a new mask category: hair. I’m also not one to pass up on trying new beauty products, so when I heard of a drugstore hair mask that would reduce my split ends and rehydrate my locks, I was more than willing to step outside of my mask comfort zone and give it a try.
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L’Oreal’s Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm ($7) targets and treats the five signs of hair damage—split ends, weakness, roughness, dullness, and dehydration—and the product’s label states that it repairs up to one year of damage in one use. In the shower, I used my normal shampoo (though L’Oreal recommends their Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo ($5) for best results) and followed it by applying the hair mask instead of conditioner.
The thick white formula is about the same consistency as a typical conditioner, so I used close to the same amount of the mask as I usually do conditioner. The fragrance is really nice—the only comparison I can make is that it reminded me slightly of pineapple—but not too overpowering. The instructions say to leave it in for 3-5 minutes (the perfect amount of time if you want to shave your legs while you’re waiting) but I was feeling adventurous so I put my shower on pause, applied the mask to my hair, wrapped it in a top bun, and waited a whopping 10 minutes in hopes that leaving it in longer would make the results even more apparent. When my timer went off, I just hopped back into the shower and washed it out.
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I dried and styled my hair as usual, and it seemed to have a healthier glow. It was also noticeably softer, and I couldn’t keep myself from touching it. I have never dyed my hair, so I was mainly aiming to repair split ends, but the Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm is great for repairing the damages of color-treated strands.
All in all, I’m still a face mask lover—but now it’s nice to switch it up one day per week and use this hair mask instead so my hair gets the TLC it deserves.
