The Only Treatment Mask That Quenched My Tortured Hair

I’ve never liked my hair in its natural state — it’s thick and curly in an inelegant way, frizzed and wild with a little crunch to it. I did learn very young that I could easily solve this problem by blow-drying and straightening my hair into something more manageable, but of course, constantly torturing my hair with a hot iron has left it crunchy, damaged, and thirstier than ever.

Luckily, my best friend’s job gives me access to endless free beauty products, so I’ve been able to sample a wide assortment of quality stuff. Reader, I finally discovered what keeps my poor hair happy. You see, after years of lathering my hair with about eight times the recommended amount of conditioner (to little effect), I decided to try replacing my weekly conditioning routine with a hair-mask treatment. Of the many I experimented with, the one I fell in love with — the only one that turned my deep-fried hair into something soft and moisturized — was Kenra Platinum Revive Treatment.

Believe me when I tell you that Kenra’s treatment is extreme. A thick, concentrated conditioner full of gooshy stuff like macadamia glycerides, keratin, and grape-seed extract, it offers intense hydration for damaged, thick hair that’s been stripped of all moisture after a decade-plus of abuse. After shampooing, I simply massage the stuff into my hair, and leave it in for 15 minutes before rinsing. I can almost feel the strands on my scalp slurping up the liquid. No more split ends, no more flyaways. On the label, Kenra boasts that its strengthening treatment “restores youthful suppleness and radiance with a single application.” I’d say that’s almost exactly right — though repeated weekly use is the only way to sustain said radiance. For extra moisture, I’ll finish my hair off with a serum after towel-drying (pro tip: ghd Smooth & Finish serum hydrates without greasiness), and my hair is, ahem, revived.