Byrdie
TL;DR
If we could only recommend one overnight hair mask, we'd definitely go with the Drunk Elephant Silkamino Mega-Moisturizing Masker. This highly effective treatment smooths and repairs each and every strand, creating healthier-looking hair. We also love the Vegamour HYDR-8 Deep Moisture Repair Mask, a reparative hair mask that's been proven to soften, hydrate, and repair brokenness.
If you're like most people, your hair probably goes through a lot. From dyes and blowouts to relaxers and hot curlers, day-to-day stresses can lead to hair damage. But luckily, there's an easy solution: Overnight hair masks. These deep conditioning treatments help nourish and repair weak, damaged, and brittle strands. You can find options that moisturize dry hair, smooth frizz, add shine, strengthen, detangle, fortify—you name it. With the overnight variety, you let the product do its thing for several hours while you get your beauty sleep.
To help you decide which overnight hair mask is best, we researched and thoroughly tested top-selling hair masks, keeping ingredients, ease of use, efficacy, and price in mind. Then, we chatted with several experts to get their thoughts on formulations and how to see the best results. Check out our definitive list of the best overnight hair masks.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Drunk Elephant Silkamino Moisturizing Masker
Restores, repairs, and replenishes
Sinks into hair quickly
Counteracts heat damage
Can impart a waxy residue
Key Ingredients: Silk amino acids, sunflower fatty acids | Size: 7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
To put it plainly, we love this mask from Drunk Elephant. Like the brand's popular staples, this mask is like skincare for your hair. Lighter than most other masks we tried, it melts into hair on contact and reverses years' worth of heat damage and skipped haircuts. If you're battling nearly dead, straw-like ends, we urge you to try this lovely hair mask; just be sure to rinse it out in the morning—it can leave a waxy residue otherwise.
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Mollie, tester: "I loved the consistency of this mask—it was soft and airy. It was lighter than a conditioner and soaked into my hair quickly. I could even get away with wearing it during the day in a bun either at work or working from home; my hair never looked wet or greasy."
Best Hydrating
Vegamour Moisture Repair Mask
Smooths, hydrates, and strengthens dry, damaged hair
Noticeably addresses frizz
Fixes broken bonds over time
Smells like baby powder, which isn't for everyone
Key Ingredients: Karmatin™, marula oil, moringa seed oil, milk thistle | Size: 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This reparative hair mask from Vegamour isn't exactly intended for nighttime use, but we don't see why you couldn't lather it on and catch some Zs (remembering to rinse it out in the morning). It's designed specifically to target damage (aka flyaways, split ends, and more), plus it's been clinically proven to smooth, hydrate, and strengthen hairs with its formula powered by Karmatin™ (a patented vegan silk alternative to keratin and silicone). Unlike other bonding hair products, it attaches itself to each hair, connecting broken bonds rather than washing out with water.
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Best Leave-In
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Mask
Leave-in formula treats breakage with one pea-sized dot
Available in mini size
Hair feels more manageable over time
Hair can feel greasy if too much is used
Key Ingredients: K18Peptide™ | Size: 0.5, 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If your hair has been through the wringer (i.e., damaged from heat styling, too much chlorine, or bleach gone wrong), this leave-in mask is an absolute must. The formula features the brand's proprietary peptide, which is intended to repair damage from heat styling, chemical processing, and more. We love how it softens and smooths hair for an instant result, while it also works its magic over time, giving hair a brand new life with continued use. You can expect your hair to feel healthier, look less brittle, and show fewer signs of breakage. The bottles are tiny—at 0.5 ounces for a travel size and 1.7 ounces for the full size—but we assure you that a little goes a long way, further justifying the splurge. Best of all, you don't have to rinse it out, so you reap the benefits while you sleep (or live out your day). Just use it sparingly (one pea-sized dot is all you need). If you use too much, your hair can look a bit greasy when it dries.
Read Full Review: My Hairdresser Said My Hair Is Longer and Thicker Than Ever—Thanks to K18's Repair Mask
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Caitlyn Martyn, associate editor: "It reversed years of damage and helped my hair resist future damage. Now, the bonds are healthy and strong, allowing my hair to grow long and thick past my shoulders without breaking off. I saw the change with my own eyes, but I knew it must have been drastic when my hairdresser of 10 years commented on my hair’s improved length, thickness, and overall health."
Best for Damaged Hair
Briogeo Moisture + Damage Defense Leave-In Treatment
Nourishing and moisturizing
Absorbs nicely
Stylist-recommended
Can weigh down fine hair if too much used
Key Ingredients: Argan oil, coconut oil, rosehip oil, ceramides, shea butter | Size: 4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Briogeo makes some of the best hair treatments out there, so it's no surprise that hairstylist Sky Kim considers the Don't Despair, Repair! line is one of her favorites. "The formulas work all hair types," she says. "Just be sure not to over-apply to avoid residue, especially on fine hair." The Moisture + Damage Defense Leave-In Treatment is the newest addition to the line and serves as an invisible leave-in treatment that seals split ends, repairs breakage, and moisturizes dry, damaged hair. It has a serum-like consistency that applies evenly throughout hair, and we love that it comes in a cute little pump bottle for easy access.
Best for Split Ends
Coco & Eve Like a Virgin Hair Masque
Softens hair, especially dry dead ends
Tamps down frizz
Organic ingredients
Can weigh hair down if used too often
Key Ingredients: Coconut, fig and shea butter, linseed, argan oil | Size: 7.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Have split ends? Reach for Coco & Eve's Like a Virgin. This cheekily named, award-winning hair mask works overtime to condition, hydrate, and mend, all while enhancing texture and helping to prevent frizz and flyaways. During testing, we took note of how thick the formula was. Although we grew to love it over time, it may not be for those with thin or flat hair. Those with thick, curly, or color-treated hair will love this one, especially if you value an organic approach with fewer chemicals. The tub of product comes with a tangle-taming brush, which we loved, but several of us who already own a plethora of brushes found it unnecessary.
Lindsey, tester: "It has a nice, creamy texture. It had the right consistency for my thick hair."
Best Spray
IGK Overnight Bond Building Dry Hair Mask
Unique dry spray technology
Smooths and strengthens hair
Serum-like texture
Could be more moisturizing
Key Ingredients: Proprietary bonding technology, vegan silk proteins | Size: 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
You're probably familiar with dry shampoo, but what do you know about dry hair masks? Allow us to introduce you to IGK Antisocial, the first of its kind to deliver a bond-building, cuticle-smoothing, dry overnight formula that strengthens tired hair from the inside out. The lightweight serum-like formula is easy to apply and absorbs into the hair on contact, making for a nongreasy, residue-free dose of hydration. It could be more moisturizing—so it may not be a great option for those with dry or super curly hair—but it's suitable for all hair types and can be used daily.
Best Bonding
Olaplex No. 8 Moisture Mask
Restores damaged hair bonds
Hair appears less broken over time
A little goes a long way; good value
Some hair types might require extra hydration
Key Ingredients: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate | Size: 3.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
At this point, Olaplex is synonymous with hair health. The brand has reached a cult-like status over its many innovations that promote bond repair. The No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask is no different; it touts a proprietary technology that repairs the disulfide bonds that get broken when hair is colored or chemically treated, helping it stay stronger and healthier for longer. It's creamy and rich yet easy to disperse evenly throughout all of the hair on your head, regardless of length or texture. The bottle itself is on the smaller side—sigh, we know—but we promise, a little bit goes a long way, so you don't use as much product as you might think. Admittedly, results take some time (you won't notice miracle results right away), but the more you use the mask, the faster your hair will return to life. If you have thicker, drier, or curlier hair that thrives off moisture, you may want to double up with another leave-in conditioner to avoid feeling dry.
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Bella Cacciatore, news editor: "I have a lot of hair, but the individual strands are thin, so it's perfect for my hair type as it didn't weigh it down or make it feel greasy. Right after using the mask, my hair felt soft, silky, and bouncy."
Best for Fine Hair
Amika The Kure Dream Routine Overnight Hydrating Hair Mask
Lightweight and ideal for fine and thin hair
Keratin- and color-safe
Very hydrating
Glass bottle that can shatter if dropped
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, coconut water, blue and green algae, sea buckthorn | Size: 3.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Infused with hyaluronic acid and coconut water, this mega-hydrating, silicone-free overnight treatment reduces breakage, boosts moisture, and nourishes hair while you sleep. The brand recommends applying it from the lengths to the ends of your hair just before bedtime. We love that it's lightweight enough to use every night if needed and doesn't require a rinse in the morning. While testing, we appreciated the fact that the formula didn't make hair feel greasy, and it didn't stain our pillows.
What to Look for in an Overnight Hair Mask
- Intended Use: With so many hair masks available, you'll want to pay attention to the intended use when shopping around. Many options are meant to be rinsed out after a few minutes, but overnight masks are formulated to work for several hours. Unlike rinse-out treatments and leave-in conditioners, an overnight hair mask won't typically offer a styled look. Especially if you're using a mask for damaged hair, you can usually expect the formula to be thick, goopy, or oily, which may make your hair look temporarily greasy or heavy. When you wake up in the morning, you can wash it out and style it as usual. There are several formulas on this list that can be rinsed out, though.
- Ingredients: One of the most important things to look for when browsing overnight hair masks is the ingredients list. While there isn't one specific ingredient that makes a good formula, several are known to condition, fortify, repair, smooth, and nourish. Look out for products containing natural butters and oils, such as shea, cupuacu, coconut, and avocado, as these will nourish and moisturize your hair. Wheat protein, amino acids, sea kelp, algae extract, and other ocean-derived ingredients help repair and strengthen. Ingredients such as iris root extract, collagen, and aloe vera promote elasticity while smoothing the hair follicles.
- Instructions: Anytime you're leaving an intensive treatment on for several hours—whether it's a haircare or skincare product—you'll want to carefully read the instructions. Most are relatively straightforward and won't harm your hair if you leave them on longer than directed. However, some call for using a plastic cap to allow the product to penetrate (while keeping it off your pillowcase), and others will have a more absorbent, less goopy finish. In any case, you'll also want to ensure that when you wake up in the morning, you're washing or rinsing it out as directed—at least the first time to see how your hair responds.
How We Tested Overnight Hair Masks
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We believe in using the products we recommend, so we prioritize testing them in real-life settings and in our NY-based Lab.
- Overnight Hair Masks Tested: 29
- Testing Period: Two weeks
- Methodology: Hair masks were tested at home in our everyday lives. Each hair mask was tested on different hair types (type 1-2, type 2-3, and type 3-4).
- Factors Considered: Feel/consistency, efficacy, hair look and feel.
Meet Our Expert
We consulted with an expert to narrow down the key elements to consider before buying an overnight hair mask:
- Sky Kim is a New York-based hairstylist. She works at Serge Normant at John Frieda and specializes in effortless hair with a bit of edge. Outside of the salon, she has also worked on shoots for Maybelline and designers like Jonathan Simkhai.
Why Trust Byrdie
Jennifer Hussein is an NYC-based writer covering beauty, fashion, and lifestyle topics. She received a B.A. in Journalism from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Associate Editor Caitlyn Martyn updated and edited this story in 2025 with tester insights and quotes.
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough overnight hair masks from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.
