L'Oreal Dream Lengths Heat Mask Product Review

Who doesn’t love a hair mask? Seriously. Not only do they make your strands look a million times healthier but they’re also the best excuse to have a pamper night in. Not only that, but they’re the best way to pump your hair with moisture if you’ve been using too much heat. This is why we were so excited to try the new L’Oreal Heat Mask for our Tried and Tested series. It promises to intensely nourish and repair your hair in just 10 minutes, perfect if you’re too busy and need a quick fix. The mask comes in two parts starting with a thick balm that you work into your hair closely followed by an oil lined shower cap that you put over the top. The cap is infused with a self heating lotion that warms up on your head, helping to open your cuticles so that it can really sink in. At £5.99 it’s also seriously affordable and as it’s a drug store brand it’s easy to get your hands on.

STEP 1

The first step is to apply the balm. The balm is made with vegetable protein oil which is intensely moisturising and rich in cysteine, which has been proven to improve the strength of your hair. The formula also includes castor oil, which is great for speeding up hair growth and is just as moisturising.

STEP 2

Before working the balm into your strands you’ll need to brush your hair to remove any tangles. You then want to smooth the balm over your hair, concentrating on the lengths and ends and making sure to really work it into your hair. Once you’re done you can then use a tangle teaser to gently work it through your hair. This will ensure you get an even coverage so that the mask can work its magic.

Step 3

Next, you’ll need to apply the cap over the top of your hair, making sure that all your hair is inside. The cap is very oily so you’ll need to try and avoid getting too much of it on your skin. We’d recommend keeping it as close to your hairline as possible and popping it behind your ears. You’ll need to leave this on for 10 minutes to get the most out of your treatment.

STEP 4

To remove the mask simply rinse your hair in warm water until you’ve removed the balm from your strands. Once your hair is clean you can then blowdry it as normal to finish the treatment. BEFORE AFTER

What We Thought…

Christy I was really intrigued by this mask and I loved the idea of it being self-heating as I’ve used the Phillip Kingsley Elasticiser for years which comes with a shower cap too. When they first arrived in the office I was surprised at how small the compartment was for the balm. It didn’t look like enough to cover my hair which is pretty short and the mask is intended for long hair. The balm was really nice, it smelt amazing and it was really thick and creamy but there wasn’t anywhere near enough of it to cover my hair which was disappointing. When it came to applying the cap it was completely saturated in oil and really messy. As soon as I put it on my head I could feel beads of it dripping off but I wasn’t sure it was doing anything for my hair. It also didn’t heat up very much so I don’t think the self-heating gel made any difference or helped to open my cuticles. When it came to rinsing it out it was really difficult to budge the oil and my hair felt greasy and limp. When I finished blowdrying my hair it still felt really greasy at the roots but the ends of my hair didn’t feel nourished at all. I can’t see that it made a lot of difference and I don’t think I would purchase this again. Sadia I was very excited to try out this mask as I'm always looking for new products and ways to help add some moisture to my hair. The packaging itself was very eye-catching, but looking at the description it didn't really explain how this heat mask was meant to work. The instructions were simple to follow and the first step was to apply the balm, which I have to say, did smell absolutely incredible and was easy to apply. I wish the same could be said for the next steps. Having very long, thick hair, I found it fidgety trying to get my hair into the tissue cap without drenching myself in oil, it was not a pretty sight! The last step is to rinse your hair thoroughly with water only. I found this super strange and struggled to wash the oil out of my hair without using shampoo. Once I was done I dried my hair and found it to be very greasy and difficult to style. Overall, I really wasn't a fan of this mask. The time and effort it took to follow all the steps and the mess it created may have been worthwhile had it made any difference. However, the end result was so disappointing and I had to wash my hair again with shampoo to get all the oil out.