These New 10-Second Water Masks Will Give You Flawless Hair

via Giphy

It takes a lot for the haircare community to get excited about a product. Seriously – how many versions of dry shampoo do we actually need? And who else has a cemetery of gimmicky hair tools collecting dust under their sink? However, there’s a new emerging category in hair care that not only caters to our innate desire for instant gratification, but that actually delivers on its promises to leave hair in better condition than it was before.

The category we’re talking about? Instant deep treatments, and the community is hella excited about its emerging presence. Gone are the days of twiddling your thumbs for 20 minutes while a product sets on your head. Now we have access to products that require minimal effort – like 10 seconds worth of effort – and give us glorious, glorious hair.

Water Treatments for Your Hair

One of the first of its kind was the Moremo Water Treatment Miracle 10, a K-Beauty product that really was the first of its kind. It has the consistency of water and only needs 10 seconds to work its magic in your hair before you can rinse it out (hence the name).

The formula is rich with three different keratin proteins and a host of amino acids that nourish, bolster, and heal your hair strands. It mildly warms upon contact with your hair (a sign that it’s working) and then once it’s rinsed away your hair feels silky AF. It’s a bit spendy at $25 but, depending on the length of your hair, you can get a good five to 10 treatments out of it. Also, you really only need to use it once or twice a week like you would a regular deep conditioner.

A product that’s very similar – maybe even a little sus – is L’Oreal Paris’ brand spanking new Wonder Water, $9. We’re not going to beat the issue, and dupes are nice for those of us with smaller pockets, but the packaging and ingredient lists are quite similar. The primary difference is that L’Oreal’s version says it works in eight seconds versus Moremo’s 10-second claim. Also, the L’Oreal version is much more approachable cost-wise, though a drawback is that it isn’t as rich in proteins and nourishing ingredients.

Based on personal experience with both, the Moremo version is superior, but both really are great options.

Amika is also launching a water-based treatment, which will hit Sephora and their website in March 2020. Their Flash Instant Shine Mask, $25, is meant to be applied after shampooing and left in for about 60 seconds before rinsing. It’s formulated with hydrolyzed flax seed and amino acids, as well, but also contains red wine extract and sea buckthorn berry.

Source: Amika

Since it hasn’t launched yet we’ve yet to test it ourselves, but it certainly falls right in line with the “instant hair masks” we’re starting to see more of and the brand says it’s “one of our most exciting launches of the year.”

Spray-On Instant Hair Treatments

Spray-on treatments may not seem quite as novel as the water treatments above, but girl. Let’s start by talking about IGK’s Antisocial Overnight Bond Building Dry Hair Mask, $34, which boasts a breakthrough formulation that repairs and strengthens the hair bond simply by spraying it on top of dry hair. No rinsing required.

Though it’s technically called an “overnight” treatment, you can use it at any point throughout the day for an instantly refreshed and hydrated look. We actually recommend spraying it onto the mid-shaft and through your ends after straightening or curling your hair to smooth, seal, and nourish the cuticle.

Also – don’t confuse this product with a dry conditioner. Antisocial actually penetrates your strands to restore bonds from the inside out versus creating a coat that merely sits on top. Also, it’s super lightweight and leaves behind zero residue. You’ll notice a very slight dampness, but this dissipates quickly as your hair soaks up the goodness.

A product that’s somewhat similar, but should be applied on wet hair before styling, is Color Wow’s Dream Coat, $28. It features heat-activation technology and should be sprayed liberally to damp hair just before blow drying. The formula contains a polymer that, when heated, compresses, tightens, and seals your hair strands for silky “glass” hair.

Though it works intensely, Dream Coat doesn’t make your hair feel heavy or greasy at all, which sometimes feels like a sacrifice you have to make when using hair-smoothing serums and oils. Best of all, the polymers stay intact for three to four shampoos, which means you don’t have to use it every time you style just to reap the rewards.

A Few Final Thoughts…

If we had to guess, we’d say that the above four products are only the beginning of this trend, and we are here for it. It’s 2020 and ain’t nobody got time for a 20 or 30-minute deep condition, so let’s give it up for the beauty chemists working diligently to give us products that cater to our fast-paced lifestyles and don’t leave us hanging dry (literally).