What’s the Difference Between a Hair Mask and a Conditioner?

The roles of hair masks and conditioners can sometimes be confusing. Some women think that because they use conditioners, they can forgo hair masks. This may be true for certain women; however, when we hit our 40s and head into our 50s, our hair becomes drier and thinner. Our scalps start lacking the proper nutrients to produce healthy strands, our follicles begin shrinking, and our hair texture becomes finer than it once was.

In short, we have aging hair.

When conditioning is no longer enough to balance our aging hair biology, a mask can boost moisture levels and improve scalp function. Read below to learn the difference between a hair mask and a conditioner.

What Is a Hair Mask?

Hair masks are ideal for the dryness and thinning associated with aging. They are formulated with a blend of hydrating butters and oils that contain hair softeners to moisturize your hair and scalp.

Hair masks strengthen your hair, making them ideal for your continuing hair management regimen when used about once a week. Masks designed for color-treated hair can help seal in color, decrease fade, and repair hair shaft damage. Masks made for gray or silver hair can improve texture and remove unwanted yellow tones. 

Some hair masks are made to be left in for 20 minutes. Others, like Better Not Younger’s masks designed for aging hair, are to be used in place of conditioner. Apply them root to tip for one to three minutes and rinse off. Using quality products can strengthen and nourish your hair from the inside out, providing noticeable results after one use.

What Is a Conditioner?

Hair conditioners make your strands soft and pliable, while also hydrating your scalp. Quality conditioners prevent damage and breakage while diminishing frizz and tangles. Some conditioners are intended to be left in the hair for several minutes. Better Not Younger conditioners are to be on your hair’s lengths and ends and should be rinsed out right away. Excess water can dilute the conditioner, preventing your strands from absorbing nutrients.

Conditioners used daily can replenish nutrients and re-hydrate hair. They also protect against environmental and sun damage that strips the hair of its sheen.

Different conditioners perform different tasks. Some volumize while nourishing and protecting, while others are formulated to bring heavily damaged hair back to health.

Additionally, Better Not Younger’s conditioners contain ingredients that focus on age-related thinning and dryness problems. Our conditioners sustain your hair biology, keeping it healthy day after day.

Better Not Younger Hair Masks and Conditioners

Though there are products available for nearly every hair type, Better Not Younger specifically creates masks and conditioners to unlock your aging hair's potential.

Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque

Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque improves tensile strength and boosts moisture using:

• Macadamia ternifolia seed butter — The squalane in this butter diminishes oxidative stress and nourishes your follicles.
• Murumuru butter — The lauric acid in murumuru butter attaches to your cuticles, decreasing breakage, tangling, and frizz.
• Avocado butter — Avocado butter penetrates your strands to deliver vitamins and amino acids.
• Mangifera Indica (mango) butter — Essential fatty acids contained in this butter guard your tresses against the summer sun and other environmental stressors.
• Cupuaçu butter — This hydrating butter is loaded with fatty acids and polyphenols to smooth and protect your locks.

Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque

The moisturizing butters listed above can be found in BNY’s Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque along with ingredients for graying hair including:

• Folic Acid — Folic acid is a water-soluble B complex vitamin that aids scalp function by increasing protein production.
• Green coffee extract (Coffea arabica) — The chlorogenic acid and caffeine in Coffea arabica detangles your strands and galvanizes hair follicles.
• D&C Violet 2 — D&C Violet 2 lightens and brightens hair color appearance while decreasing yellow tone intensity.

Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner

Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner was created to give your fine, limp, or curly hair luster and life without weighing it down. It uses potent ingredients, including:

• Apigenin — Apigenin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to stimulate healthy hair.
• Humulus Lupulus (hops) extract — The nourishing plant extract contains antioxidants, which increase your hair's thickness, sheen, and strength.

Second Chance Repairing Conditioner for Dry/Damaged Hair

Second Chance Repairing Conditioner restores and renews dry and brittle hair with:

Meadowfoam seed oil — Stable, non-greasy meadowfoam oil is made up of 98% essential fatty acids to hydrate your hair and vitamins to bolster scalp health.

Ceramide-NG — Ceramide-NG seals and protects your cuticles while attracting and retaining moisture.

Passiflora Incarnata (Passion flower) fruit extract — Passion flower extract enriches your scalp, curbs free radical damage, and brings vitality to your hair using vitamins A and C and omega-6 fatty acids.

Try Better Not Younger’s Hair Masks and Conditioners

The physiological changes your hair and scalp undergo as they age can leave you feeling frustrated. Hair masks and conditioners both infuse life into your dry and thinning locks, though each a bit differently.

Better Not Younger masks nourish your strands back to health with a blend of five butters. BNY’s conditioners can help you maintain beautiful, healthy-looking hair day after day. Repair and rejuvenate your aging hair with products designed to give your hair an extra nutritional boost for considerable shine and smoothness.

Better Not Younger products are appropriate for colored, thick, coarse, fine, and other hair types. They were created for women over 40 and are non-irritating, hypoallergenic, and paraben-free. Drop by the Shop page to see (and try) all of our Better Not Younger hair care products.