Vegan beauty is growing steadily, and you can now find all things vegan beauty without much effort. If you look specifically at hair care, you’ll see that creating a fully vegan hair routine is getting easier by the minute! Thanks to ingredient innovation, you’ll find ingredients that are traditionally of animal origin sourced from plants, granting the same efficient results. Come with us to find seven vegan hair masks that you can add to your hair care routine, and learn a few things about vegan hair care ingredients on the way!
Answering your questions about vegan hair masks & ingredients
Instead of jumping on the best vegan hair masks, let’s find all about vegan formulas, animal-derived ingredients, as well as concepts often confused with vegan ingredients, like cruelty-free and natural cosmetics.
Is vegan hair care better for you?
Vegan hair care products are better for those wanting to exclude ingredients of animal origin from their day-to-day life, including cosmetics. Vegan cosmetics, by definition, exclude all types of animal-derived ingredients. If you’re looking to exclude this type of ingredient from your daily routines, there’s no doubt that vegan hair care is the best for you! Keep in mind that vegan hair care is a broad label that only refers to the ingredients it excludes. Make sure to read beyond that to find out if the product is suitable for your specific needs. Vegan hair care is a universe where you’ll find formulas for all needs and preferences!
What makes a hair mask non-vegan?
What makes a hair mask non-vegan is the presence of ingredients of animal origin on the ingredient list. If a formula is cruelty-free, it doesn’t mean that it’s vegan: it wasn’t tested on animals but it may contain animal-derived ingredients. There are a few non-vegan ingredients that are common in hair masks, and we’re listing the most common below so you can check the ingredient list of the hair mask you already own. As this is not an exhaustive list, make sure to find a vegan checker you trust in order to verify the ingredient list of the product you’re interested in!
Honey | Cera Alba | Beeswax |
Keratin | Silk | Hydrolyzed Silk |
Bifida Ferment Lysate | Stearalkonium Chloride | Quaternium-33 |
Lanolin | Animal-Derived Biotin | Casein |
Are all ingredients of a vegan hair mask natural?
Vegan and natural ingredients are totally different concepts, yet often seen as synonyms! A vegan ingredient is any ingredient that’s not animal-derived, while natural ingredients are those that can be found in nature. Well, honey is a natural ingredient, but it is not vegan. Similarly, synthetic honey is not natural (it’s a lab product), yet it is vegan! There are a great number of brands releasing all vegan and natural products, yet that’s not always the case. Ingredient innovation when it comes to creating synthetic versions of animal-derived ingredients plays a huge part in the availability of so many vegan cosmetics. Keep in mind that natural ingredients are not better or safer in cosmetics, so you shouldn’t be reluctant in trying products featuring synthetic ingredients. We—and the animals!—have a lot to thank to non-natural ingredients!
Give it a go to the best vegan hair masks
The best vegan hair mask for you depends on what’s your main hair concern. Find our favorites for each hair need and give it a try!
Lazartigue Repair Intensive Repair Mask
Damaged and over-processed hair
Featuring vegetal keratin, this creamy vegan hair mask deeply repairs damaged as well as over-processed hair. Together with vegetal keratin is botanical hyaluronic acid, a combination that’s responsible to restore shine and smoothness to the hair, at the same time. After using this transformative hair mask, you’ll find the hair soft, pliant, and also smooth. The white flower scent is going to leave you addicted to it!
Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Remedy Rice Water and Starch Infusion Mask
Hydrating mask for normal hair
A hair mask featuring vegan-only ingredients is what you need to keep the hair looking both healthy and fresh. With a soft cream texture, this hair mask blends Rice water and starch in a formula with 97% of natural ingredients to replenish the hair with the shine and smoothness its laking. For the best results, apply it generously after shampooing, and then rinse well after a minute!
Schwarzkopf BC pH 4.5 Color Freeze Treatment Mask
Color-treated hair
Available in two different sizes, this hair mask comes to the rescue of color-treated hair. Rich, creamy, and comforting to the hair, this formula restores each strand while locking color in. The exclusive pH 4.5 Balancer Technology and vegan keratin are key for the amazing results you’ll notice! This magical formula comes in a container made with 97% of recycled plastic in order to minimize the environmental impact of the packaging.
Klorane Nourishing & Repairing Organic Cupuaçu Butter Mask
Very dry hair
Repairing and ultra-nourishing, this hair mask is the energizer you need to revive very dry and damaged hair. It contributes to taming frizzy, wavy, and curly hair, leaving the hair feeling soft whether you use it as a leave-in treatment or as a hair mask on wet hair. Thanks to organic caupuaçu butter and other all-vegan ingredients, the hair fiber is not only hydrated but also protected from within.
Garnier Fructis Hair Food Cocoa Butter Mask
Wavy & curly hair
Combining the replenishing potential of cocoa butter, jojoba, and coconut together with sunflower oil, this vegan hair mask improves the shine and bounce of curly hair. You may apply it in three different ways: as a pre-shampoo, as a conditioner or as a hair mask. Access the needs of your hair and use it to target its specific needs which may vary depending on the day!
Fanola No Yellow Mask
Yellow tones neutralizer for grey & super light hair
Say goodbye to unwanted yellow tones while hydrating the hair! Whether your hair is super light, gray, or even decolored, this hair mask is up to enhance your hair color in only two minutes. By neutralizing the yellow undertones, this vegan hair mask returns the hair to its natural vibrancy and health. Improve your hair color, smoothness as well as hydration, all at once!
René Furterer Tonucia Replumping Conditioning Mask
Thin & Weakened Hair
Replump and restructure the hair fiber of thin hair with this strengthening aqua-gel vegan hair mask! Each use contributes to restoring hair density as well as shine, leaving the hair looking healthier and softer. With key ingredients like wheat proteins, cimentrio together with orange essential oil, this product works application after application to improve thickness and shine!
Professional Makeup Artist & Beauty Writer