The 16 Best Deep Conditioners for Bleached Hair That Has Seen Better Days

The hero of deep conditioning masks, especially if you have curly hair. Briogeo does not play games here: With ingredients like rosehip oil to control frizz, and algae extract to build amino acids in hair, this thick mask will laeve results after one use—with overall repair after several uses.

This is a favorite of Bodt's, who says, “Protein, moisture, bond repair, and a heat protectant should be included in a bleached hair routine. If you have fragile and colored hair, heat styling can really damage it, so it’s crucial to use something to create a barrier. Matrix Total Results Miracle Creator works wonders as it can help to create a barrier, protect hair from heat damage, nourish hair, and smooth the hair cuticle."

“This is a great mask to use once a week or whenever your hair needs extra love and hydration. It has great ingredients like ceramide to smooth the hair’s surface,” says Mondo.  

Bleaching hair actively strips hair of its natural oils while lightening, which results in strands that desperately need nutrients. The Moroccan lava clay not only leaves a welcome scent but also penetrate follicles to promote growth and rid hair of excessive fats from build-up. 

Going blonde is one thing, but keeping your blonde strands bright is a whole other. When your color begins to get a little brassy—it’s inevitable—combat that with this reparative mask in a cooling purple that will infuse hair with nutrients while lightly toning. Be careful: Leaving it on too long could result in a purple tint or a grey color. 

It’s well-established that the enemy of bleached hair is a dry scalp—and after numerous chemical treatments, your scalp might be crying for some help. Skip the abrasive scrub that will only cause more damage; instead, use this scalp stimulating conditioner from The Doux. Honey and green tea are highlighted for their soothing and oil stimulating abilities. Give your scalp some love, it deserves it. 

Of course, Brad Mondo loves his own products for bleached hair repair, and the illuminating results speak volumes. He says, “This product will relink broken bonds in hair as well as add intense amounts of shine with an ingredient called luminescine, all in 20 mins.” 

There I was, crying at work after a bad bleach job, my hair shedding excessively every time I ran my hands through it. Pan to this bottle of magic from Aveda, recommended to me by a stylist friend. After one use, my hair didn’t feel as thin; after a month of usage, breakage was in the past. 

If your bleached hair is becoming too much to handle, this intense hair mask helps repair as well as detangle, so no unnecessary tugging on knots. Natural ingredients power this formulation, with shea butter, avocado oil, sunflower oil, and herb extracts combining to nourish and fill locks with antioxidants. This clean and vegan formula works wonders for dry, thick hair.

Deep conditioners from Black-owned brands just hit better, mainly because curly/natural hair requires a lot of maintenance, so these brands know exactly what they're doing. Damaged curly hair is a pain, especially if you took the chance to bleach it, and this deep conditioner is ideal for thick hair that needs an equally thick formula. Remember to part your hair for even coverage. 

Make your hair care regimen an enjoyable experience with products that offer subtle fragrance without irritating a sensitive scalp and hair follicle. A major plus is the gentle texture that won’t weigh hair down but still enriches with shea butter and proteins. 

Any time mint is introduced into hair products, I’m expecting my scalp to leap with joy for some non-physical exfoliation. Your bleached hair could be damaged to a point of limited hair growth and oil production, so a good scalp treatment will repair strands while inviting growth. If you hate regrowth because of the different colored roots, sorry, but your hair will thank you. 

After bleaching, section hair into four parts to ensure maximum coverage of freshly lightened hair. Between bleach treatments, take a beat to give hair time to recover and do a repairing mask-like this amino acid-based one from Wella, to keep breakage minimized. You or your stylist is probably going to use Wella to bleach or tone your hair anyway; might as well keep it all in the brand family.

Chock-full of proteins like keratin and primrose oil, hair will look and feel stronger with regular use. Instructions recommend leaving this mask on for 5-minutes, however, overnight use will give added moisture for extremely damaged hair that needs it. The best part: You can add this into your routine for an every-other-week treatment.

You can’t go wrong with Redken—it’s one of the most beloved salon-care brands for a reason. Cica is a known hero ingredient popularized by Korean skincare, but it can also help restore bleached hair that can’t keep the good oils in. Technically a leave-in conditioner, this light formula works well for thin hair that is prone to product buildup.

One of the many hair color specialists that I follow on Instagram, Megan Schipani, is always recommending the K18 brand for hair repair after bleaching and coloring sessions. Their clinical studies are based on hair that has been bleached eight times (yikes), and hair feels stronger and softer after each use.