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It takes a truly effective product to reach holy grail status in a few short years. K18’s Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask did just that, emerging in late 2020 as the new ‘It’ girl of at-home hair treatments.
The K18 hair mask is a leave-in formula designed to reverse damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat in four minutes flat. It’s formulated with a patented biomimetic ingredient, K18Peptide, which reconnects broken polypeptide chains and disulfide bonds to repair damage and strengthen your strands.
In non-science terms, this means that the K18 hair mask makes your hair look very good very quickly. So good, in fact, that its impressive results earned it a spot on our list of the Greatest Hair Products of All Time, which factors in input from nearly 700 beauty industry insiders.
Our beauty writer was introduced to the K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask in 2022 and has been using it religiously ever since. Read on for her honest, unbiased review, plus before and after photos.
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How We Tested the K18 Hair Mask
- Product tested: K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
- Number of testers: 1
- Testing time period: 2 years
- Key ingredients: K18Peptide, which is clinically proven to repair damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat
- Price: $29 for 15ml; $75 for 50ml
- Pros:
- Reverses damage in just four minutes
- Restores strength, softness, smoothness and bounce
- Gives both immediate and long-term results
- Makes hair routine quicker
- Cons:
- Can be costly if used often
K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask
Price upon publish date of this article: $75
K18 Hair Mask Review — Testing Notes
As a seasoned reporter on the beauty industry, I’m typically wary of anything with claims that sound too good to be true, but K18 truly lives up to the hype. The brand’s Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask literally saved my strands after a manic, COVID-era coloring spree. Not-so-fun fact: Years of beauty expertise can fly out the window during a mental health episode. I’ve since found mood stabilizers and K18, so my hair and I are much healthier now.
I first tested the K18 hair mask two years ago after a recommendation from celebrity colorist Rachel Bodt, who did my hair before COVID kept me away from the salon. (Rachel also does Beyoncé’s hair, so I’d trust her with my life.)
Before K18, my color was shifting as quickly as my mood. I went from bright red to pastel pink in a few months, bleaching in between with minimal damage. I used a demi-permanent color for the red and color-depositing conditioner for the pink, both of which faded gradually and didn’t require much of a lift in between.
McBroom’s hair color evolution prior to using the K18 hair mask.
Courtesy of Katie McBroom
It wasn’t until I tried a “ginger” colored conditioner that things really went south. The shade was more orange than copper as I’d expected, but I decided to roll with it for a bit. I assumed it would fade out like the others, but I was very, very wrong. It stained my hair cuticle in a way I’d never seen before in all of my years of testing hair products. (Turns out, I was just one of many victims of the ginger stain.)
In a desperate attempt to get the orange out, I bleached it again, but that barely removed any pigment. I then tried Color Oops Hair Color Remover, dandruff shampoo, dish soap, and any other dye-stripper you can think of. (Pro tip: Do not do this.) The orange went away after about three weeks, but my hair was absolutely wrecked, extremely porous, and completely lacking moisture. It turned to mush when wet. Any of my natural wave was gone, replaced by a frizzy, fried texture. It looked voluminous in a comical way because my cuticle had been so roughed up that my strands were puffy. Some pieces of it started to break off, too. Not my best look.
Before using K18’s hair mask (left), after 1 month of use (middle), and after 3 months of use (right).
Courtesy of Katie McBroom
After I started using K18, I could not believe how quickly it worked to repair the damage. My straw-like strands felt silkier and looked shinier after just one treatment. One! So, they weren’t kidding about that whole “reverses damage in four minutes” thing. I was hooked immediately.
Technically, you only need to use it four to six times following a salon service and then as needed. Well, I needed it, so I used it every day for a month to start. In that time, I noticed a significant improvement in both the strength and softness of my hair.
After the first month, I got a few highlights to break up my harsh root line instead of double processing as I had been. I went down to using K18 twice a week for the next two months. By that point my hair had completely transformed, even with the additional chemical process.
During these first few months of using it, I did not use any treatments other than K18. I shampooed with Pura D’Or Gold Label Shampoo four to five times a week and about once a week with Kérastase Blond Absolu Purple Shampoo to combat brass.
McBroom’s results after two years of using K18’s Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask.
Courtesy of Katie McBroom
I’ve since weaned off the bleach and returned to a more natural red to give my hair a true break. Now that it’s much healthier, I use K18 a few times a month for maintenance versus severe damage control. The more I use it, the better my hair looks.
K18’s hair mask can get pretty costly if you use it often, but in my book, it’s worth every penny.
K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask
Price upon publish date of this article: $75
How to Use K18’s Hair Mask
K18’s hair mask is a leave-in treatment that’s best applied on freshly shampooed, wet hair — think of it as a deep conditioner you don’t need to rinse out.
After shampooing your hair, dispense one to four pumps (depending on your hair length and thickness) of K18’s hair mask into your palms. Vigorously rub your hands together to warm up the product, then rake your hands through your hair, starting on the ends and working your way up to the mid-lengths of your hair. This way, the majority of the product will be focused on the ends of the hair, where damage is most evident. Then, to help distribute the product and detangle any knots, run a wide-tooth comb through your hair.
The K18 hair mask is rinse-free, so once you’ve applied it, all you need to do is wait four minutes before carrying on with your styling routine. At that point, you can use additional leave-in conditioners (you won’t need much!) or heat protectants before using hair dryers or styling tools.
As far as frequency goes, that depends on many factors ranging from the current condition of your hair to how often you color it. As a baseline, plan on using the product for four to six washes consecutively, then cycle it into your routine as needed.
More K18 Hair Care Products to Shop
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil
Editor testing and review notes: “When my color-treated hair is extra thirsty, I’ll give my hair a double whammy of TLC by applying this hair oil on damp hair after using the K18 mask. I find that it creates a glossy finish without feeling overly greasy or sticky. I like to use just two drops of the oil and massage it through damp hair, then proceed with my usual styling process (the oil has heat protectant benefits, which makes it excellent for my hot tool-heavy routine). Once dry and styled, I’ll add in a little more for shine where I need it.” — WWD Shop Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Commerce Editor Claire Sullivan
Price upon publish date of this article: $65
K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo
Editor testing and review notes: “I have a sensitive scalp, which prevents me from using many dry shampoos regularly without itchiness or irritation. This formula is one of very few that I can use regularly without any of those pesky side effects. It’s also entirely unique to other dry shampoos in that it’s a pump dispenser versus an aerosol one — and it provides a major volume boost while actually making my hair feel clean. I can stretch the time between washes to a full week when I have this on hand.” — Sullivan
Price upon publish date of this article: $48
K18 Damage Shield Protective Shampoo
Editor testing and review notes: “I love how silky this product feels when I lather it up and work it into my roots. Many shampoos leave my long, thick hair extra tangled, but this one seems to sidestep that while giving me an ultra-thorough clean. The scent is subtle but invigorating.” — Sullivan
Price upon publish date of this article: $34.20
K18 Damage Shield Protective Conditioner
Editor testing and review notes: “I have dry hair — and a lot of it — so I’m always looking for a rich conditioner to help restore moisture and detangle any knots. This conditioner has a dense texture that makes a little go a long way and effectively saturates my hair with hydration. Those with thin or fine hair may feel like the formula is heavy, but otherwise I can’t recommend it enough.” — Sullivan
Price upon publish date of this article: $36
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Meet the Author
Katie McBroom is an award-winning writer and content creator with over a decade of experience in digital media. Prior to contributing to WWD, she served as Content Editor for Google and Beauty Editor for Hearst’s Best Products. Her work has also appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Oprah, CNN, Business Insider, and Men’s Health, among others. Well-versed in all things beauty, she is also a licensed cosmetologist and professionally certified makeup artist. McBroom has been using K18 for over two years, and she used her firsthand experience to write this honest review.
Claire Sullivan, WWD Shop Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Commerce Editor, contributed to the 2025 update of this article.
