This Mask Saved Steph's Straw-Like Hair After She Bleached It

Not bad for a $12 drugstore find.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein Power Treatment, $11.49, available here.

I’ve been coloring my hair in one way or another for the better part of the last decade, and as a brunette, that process typically includes some time spent with bleach. For the most part, since I’ve never done anything too drastic (like going platinum), I’ve managed to avoid damage. I usually get double-process bayalage to brighten up my ends and create dimension, and various colorists I’ve seen have almost always used Olaplex‘s in-salon treatment to make the process easy on my hair. (I also use the take-home version to rehab it every couple of weeks.)

But during my last trip to the colorist, things took a turn. I’m not sure exactly why, but for whatever reason, this time around I left with color that looked great — and hair that felt brittle and fragile, a little like in that one episode of “Gilmore Girls” where Lane dyes her hair purple, first stopping over in bleached, straw-like hair territory.

I immediately reached for this intensive protein treatment from Shea Moisture, which I initially worried would be too heavy for my fine hair texture, but proved to be a miracle worker for my over-processed strands. Packed with moisturizing shea butter and coconut oil, reparative manuka honey and protein-restoring yogurt powder, this ultra-thick, pudding-like formula goes a long way toward rehabilitating parched, fragile hair. After just one use (I let it sit for 10 minutes while I showered), my hair felt 99% of the way back to normal, with lots of shine. It also rinses out cleanly, so despite the heavy-duty conditioners in there, it doesn’t stick around and cause buildup or deflate volume. Not bad for a $12 drugstore find.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein Power Treatment, $11.49, available here.

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