Most hair masks are recommended for once-a-week use, but several beauty editors slather one on their ends every time they wash their hair.
The question was raised and a hairstylist and cosmetic chemist gave their professional opinions.
First, the difference between a mask and a conditioner.
"We increase the levels of conditioning ingredients in masks, and these ingredients tend to be on the heavier side, such as butters, oils, and silicones in addition to quats and wax-based conditioners," says cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson.
"Quats" are a family of ingredients that begin with the word quaternium and they condition and detangle hair.
No reason you can't use a mask on the regular, says Wilson, but "if you use these ingredients on a daily basis, then you will experience buildup much quicker, and your hair may be weighed down."
If you have fine or thin hair, put away the hair mask and stick with a lightweight conditioner on only the ends and rinsed out well, which offers all the smoothing you need.
If you have long hair, though, hairstylist Riawna Capri recommends that you use a hair mask instead of a lighter conditioner every time you shampoo.
”Long hair is old, and it needs more attention,” she says.