How to Use Kerastase Hair Masks: Easy Instructions & Choosing Products

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 11, 2022 Tested

Prepping Your Hair

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Applying the Mask

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Rinsing the Mask

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Choosing the Right Mask

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Things You'll Need

Feel like your hair needs a little TLC? Kerastase hair masks provide needed nutrients to your hair, helping repair damage such as breakage or overly-dry hair. The best part is, they’re easy to use! In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to apply a Kerastase hair mask, plus help you choose the right product for your hair. Let’s get to it!

Things You Should Know

Wash and towel dry your hair so it’s still damp, then comb and part your hair into 2 sections down the middle of your scalp.
Rub a quarter-sized amount of mask into your hair strands with your fingers and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse and style as usual.
Choose the right product for your hair type. For example, try Discipline for super curly hair, or Resistance for heat-damaged hair.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Prepping Your Hair

1
Wash your hair thoroughly using shampoo. Lather up your hair while you’re in the shower, using your favorite shampoo. Rinse the shampoo out thoroughly with clean water once you’re done.^{[1]
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- Brush your hair before washing it if it has tangles.
- Washing your hair before applying the mask helps open up the cuticles in your hair.
2
Use a towel to remove excess water from your hair. You want your hair to still be damp when you apply the hair mask, so don’t towel-dry your hair completely. Try squeezing out excess water by blotting sections of your hair with the towel.^{[2]
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- Use a microfiber towel or a T-shirt for a gentler way of drying your hair.
- Avoid using terry cloth towels.
- Having too much excess water in your hair will dilute the mask once it’s applied.
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3
Part your hair down the middle to separate it into 2 sections. Try to make them equally-sized, but they don’t have to be exact. If you have short hair, use hair ties to pull together the hair on the left side and right side of your head. For longer hair, you can simply pull each section in front of your shoulders.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Applying the Mask

1
Use the masks as frequently as you need to depending on your hair thickness. For example, if you have thin or very short hair, only apply Kerastase hair masks occasionally, such as once a week. If you have thick or long hair, you can use the hair masks after every shampoo.
2
Gather a quarter-sized amount of hair mask using your fingers. Dip 2 or 3 fingers into the container, scooping out a small amount of hair mask. Rub the hair mask ingredients between your fingers so that you’re ready to spread it throughout your hair.^{[4]
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- If you have long, thick hair, you can use double the amount of hair mask.
- Avoid using more than the recommended amount of mask—Kerastase hair masks have a high concentration of ingredients.
3
Apply the mask to your hair by rubbing it onto the strands. Use your fingers to apply the mask to your hair, completing one section of hair before moving on to the other. Start at the bottom of a strand of hair and go up, rubbing the hair mask evenly throughout your hair.^{[5]
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- You can also twist individual strands of hair once you’ve applied the hair mask—this is supposed to help activate the mask.
4
Avoid applying the mask near your roots. Your roots already provide essential oils, so they don’t need the hair mask. Try to stop roughly 2 centimetres (0.79 in) before your roots when you’re rubbing the mask into your hair.^{[6]
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5
Leave the hair mask in for 5-10 minutes. This will give the ingredients in the hair mask time to help nourish your hair. Set a timer to help you remember when it’s okay to begin rinsing.^{[7]
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- If you have longer and/or thicker hair, try to leave the mask in for the full 10 minutes.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Rinsing the Mask

1
Add a little water to your hair and rub the strands with your hands. You can do this by simply placing your hands under running water and then massaging individual strands of your hair to help the hair mask work fully.^{[8]
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- You don’t need to create a cup with your hands to hold water, you just want your hands damp.
- If you have a spray bottle, you can also add a few sprays of water to your hair to get it wet.
2
Remove excess product from your hair. Hold a strand of hair with one hand, placing your hand near your roots. Use your other hand to get out excess hair mask by squeezing the strand of hair and sliding your fingers down the length of it. Continue doing this with other strands of hair until you’ve completed your whole head.^{[9]
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- It’s best to do this over a sink or in the shower so that you don’t make a mess.
3
Rinse your hair out thoroughly with clean water. The easiest way to do this is to hop back in the shower and use your hands to massage your hair under the running water. Rinse your hair out several times to ensure you got all of the Kerastase hair mask out.^{[10]
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4
Dry and style your hair as usual. Once the mask is all rinsed out, brush your hair to get any tangles out from the mask process. Use a blow dryer or let your hair air-dry as you normally would.
- If you're going to use a heat tool, make sure you apply a heat protectant to your hair first.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Choosing the Right Mask

1
Apply a Nutritive Kerastase product to your hair for nourishment. Nutritive hair masks are for all levels of dry hair. They add needed moisture and healthy ingredients so that your hair is soft to the touch.^{[11]
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Fix unruly, curly hair with Kerastase’s Discipline products. The Discipline hair masks help you smooth and refine your hair. If you have frizzy, curly hair, this is the product you should use to help shield your hair from humidity and damage.^{[12]
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3
Take advantage of lots of nourishing oils with the Elixir Ultime mask. Elixir Ultime products have oils like Argan, Camellia, Maize, and Pracaxi. The combination of ingredients helps nourish your hair to create a soft, shiny look.^{[13]
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- This product is for all hair types.
4
Use a Resistance product to repair damaged hair. Kerastase products labeled “Resistance” help fix hair that’s been damaged by heat tools. If your hair has breakage or lots of split ends, try out a Resistance hair mask to help repair the damage.^{[14]
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- A Resistance product also works well on over-processed hair.
5
Try out a Densifique product for thinning hair. This hair mask is for hair that’s lacking density. If you’d like thicker hair, opt for a “Masque Densité” to help replenish your hair and keep it healthy.^{[15]
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- This hair mask helps protect your hair against stress, as stress can cause hair to thin.
6
Preserve colored hair with a Reflection product. If you have color-treated hair and want to keep it looking vibrant and healthy, apply the Kerastase Reflection hair mask. This will help protect the color from fading while also adding nutrients to your hair.^{[16]
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