3 Hair Masks Your Colored Hair is Craving

We've already covered the best color-safe shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair, but there's a step three that too many miss: using a hair mask specifically designed to enhance your shade. But, trust us – a once-weekly masking session is vital if you want color to look its glossiest. And not just any formula will do; you need a specialized treatment that locks in pigment for longer.

So, let's take a look at the non-negotiables you need in a hair mask for colored hair, plus three options that shield your shade while ticking off your hair goals...

Why Do You Need a Hair Mask for Colored Hair?

All hair types can benefit from a hair mask – nothing beats it in terms of deep nourishment. But do you really need a mask specifically for color-treated hair? The simple answer is 'yes'. A hydrating mask can be the difference between shades that look good and shades that look eye-catchingly glossy, injecting your hair with vibrancy and shine from one salon visit to the next.

But that's not the only reason you need a hair mask for color-treated hair. The right mask will also help to lock in color molecules, your shade stays truer for longer. When hair is dry and damaged, the cuticle can lift, allowing pigments to escape quicker than they usually would. A hair mask seeks to fix that by caring for the cuticle, so you can enjoy your dream shade for as long as possible. It's like insurance for your salon hue.

3 Things to Look for in a Hair Mask for Color-Treated Hair

1. Proven Claims

The hair care industry is tightly regulated, which means if you're seeing a mask with a benefit such as 'up to 4x less breakage', you can rest assured knowing that claim has been rigorously tested in instrumental or consumer trials. So, when you're choosing a hair mask for color-treated hair, pay close attention to exactly what it's promising you. Where there's a statistic, there have been months – sometimes years – of formula fine-tuning to back it up.

At Wella Professionals, our formulas are powered by science, co-created with professionals, and put through their paces to ensure they work. We don't believe in superficial claims; we believe in performance you can see and results you can trust. That's why we're able to say, for example, that ULTIMATE COLOR gives you up to 10 weeks of color vibrancy¹.

2. Shine Enhancement

All hair colors are at their most beautiful when shiny and lustrous, so make sure your mask gives good gloss. This is something all our color-friendly masks tick off. Key words to look for are 'smoothness' and 'vibrancy', as this means your treatment won't simply add a dazzling topcoat; it will go deeper to create a light-reflective surface, while dialling up the richness of your shade.

3. Metal Purifying Ingredients

Metals found in the water you wash with can distort your hair color, leaving it dull and brassy, with a scattering of tones you definitely didn't ask for. So, when choosing a hair mask for colored hair, reach for one that promises to neutralize these metals. All of the products in this article contain Wella's Metal Purifier, which encapsulates metal particles to help protect your color.

So, how do you choose the right hair mask for your color-treated hair? It all comes down to your primary hair concern. Is your hair feeling dry? Prone to breakage? Lacking vibrancy? Knowing your top priority will guide you toward the perfect mask for your colored care routine…

For Hair Hydration and Breakage Protection: ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask

What It Does: Washing is the biggest culprit behind fading hair color. Every time you rinse your hair, water causes the hair fiber to swell, allowing color pigments to escape and vibrancy to gradually fade. So, we developed ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask to reduce your washing steps, with a no-rinse, moisturizing formula that quenches thirsty strands and helps your color keep its vibrancy.

Why You'll Love It:

• Gives you color vibrancy for up to 10 weeks¹.
• Makes hair up to 4x more resistant to breakage².
• Offers moisture while giving hair a healthy-looking shine.
• Helps to protect against UV exposure and metal damage.
• Reduces rinsing steps with a creamy leave-in formula.

How to Apply:

1. Prep hair by washing with ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo first, a mild, sulfate-free wash that rinses away dulling impurities and shade-distorting metals.
2. Blot hair dry with a microfiber towel, then smooth ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask through lengths and ends. Comb to distribute evenly.
3. Dry and style hair as usual. You can also use the mask on dry hair as a moisturizer, applying a small amount to boost hydration in between wash days.

For a Bond-Strengthening Boost: ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask

What It Does: If your main concern when it comes to caring for color-treated hair is damage, ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask is the formula for you. It's an intensive formula that's packed with our bond-strengthening WellaPlex, giving you color protection, vibrant shine and a strengthened hair structure in one rich, potent blend.

Why You'll Love It:

• Supports the hair structure with the bond-reconstructing WellaPlex bonding agent.
• Gives you up to 8 weeks of color protection³.
• Leaves you with stronger hair⁴ that's silkier and more manageable.
• Neutralizes harmful metals in the water you wash with, thanks to Metal Purifier.
• Injects your color with a stunning shine.

How to Apply:

1. Wash your hair with ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo, focusing the rich lather in the roots of your hair and letting it run through the lengths as you rinse.
2. Squeeze out excess water, then apply ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask to the lengths and ends of hair. Smooth through with a wide-tooth comb. If your hair is breakage-prone, you should only comb wet hair with a mask or conditioner in.
3. Let the mask absorb for five minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with a microfiber towel to reduce split ends in fragile hair.

For Enhanced Color Vibrancy: INVIGO Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask

What It Does: When brilliantly vibrant color is your goal, INVIGO Color Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask delivers. It's the antidote to dullness; an intense mask that smooths and envelops your hair in shine. It's also formulated with Anti-Oxidant Shield Technology to help control the oxidation process after coloring, and to protect your shade, so your hair looks its very best. Lustrous, vibrant and energized.

Why You'll Love It:

• Instantly detangles your hair and improves the surface for beautiful shine.
• With Lime Caviar Extract, it boosts color vibrancy.
• Rich in antioxidants and Metal Purifier to protect your shade against fading aggressors.
• Available in two versions – one for coarse hair and one for fine to medium hair.
• With Vitamin E, it helps to control oxidation after coloring.

How to Apply:

1. Start by washing your hair with INVIGO Color Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo. Take your pick between the formula for fine to medium hair and the formula for coarse hair.
2. Lightly blot hair dry with a microfiber towel, then slather INVIGO Color Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask through the mid-lengths and ends of hair.
3. Let the mask absorb for five minutes. To improve absorbency, wrap your hair in a warm towel while the hair mask is one. Rinse thoroughly, then dry and style hair as usual.

¹ With regular use of ULTIMATE COLOR regimen from salon to home.

² Vs. non conditioning shampoo.

³ When using Structure+ Mask.

⁴ When using Structure+ Mask vs. no treatment.