I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to viral products—it’s practically my job to wade through what actually works and what’s BS, but trust me when I say K18 is very much worth the hype. Though the hair mask has recently been gaining steam on TikTok, it’s actually been making noise in the beauty community since it launched in 2020, and since been endorsed by some of the best colorists and stylists in the biz—which is why it’s crazy it’s taken me so long to try it.
Before we get to my results, let me explain why this product is so well-received. This product is different from traditional hair masks that only hydrate and smoothen the outside of your hair. Click hereK18 Leave in Molecular Repair Hair Mask is softening and shinier. This mask repairs damage from the inside. “K18 travels into the inner-most layers of hair, and can renew hair’s core strength elasticity to bring hair back to its near-original, youthful state,” says Yusef, celebrity hairstylist and K18 partner. “K18 does all the bond-building work, but also repairs polypeptide chain breakages on the y axis. Hair feels and looks like new.
Yusef believes that healthy hair is the key to great hair. He recommends the treatment to anyone who wants to reverse damage caused by heat, chemical services and bleach. Celebrity colorist and co-owner of New York’s Mark Ryan Salon, Mark DeBolt—who is not affiliated with the brand—is also a fan of the mask as well as K18’s salon-only mist. He says he especially loves it for clients who are trying out to grow their hair or lighten with highlights.
Although my hair is not in the best shape, the idea of repairing years worth of bleach damage (under a gloss) with a leave in product was too tempting to pass up. A few weeks ago, my normally bouncy hair started to look frail and scraggly. I also hadn’t had a haircut in early fall.
It’s a bit more difficult to apply than your typical mask. Instead of putting the mask on your hair for ten minutes, you can use it as a leave in treatment. “We tell our clients to shampoo their hair, but do not condition,” says DeBolt. “After getting out of the shower, towel dry hair well. Use 2-3 pumps to coat your palms. Rub together to distribute evenly across your hands. Start by applying the mask to the porous and sensitive parts of your hair: the mid lengths and ends. Apply the mask closer to the root using any product that is left. Use either a wide-toothed comb or detangling brush to brush hair out and distribute product more evenly.” Be sure to let it sit for four minutes to activate, after which you can add other styling products or style with heat as usual.
Source: Glamour