8. K18, a truly magical leave-in treatment that’ll help repair damage if your hair has been through some rough times. It’s great for restoring hydration and softness, especially for those who use heat-styling tools, or for those who regularly bleach or chemically treat their hair!
Melanie Aman / BuzzFeed, Sephora
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Melanie Aman loves it: “I bleach my dark brown-black Asian hair blonde every six to eight weeks, so I was immediately intrigued when I first heard some stylists at my salon raving about K18. I snagged a bottle and was gobsmacked at how much softer my hair was — this stuff truly does what it says it will do. Seriously. I spent the whole day touching my hair, and even my boyfriend agreed that my mane was noticeably silkier.
Olaplex was my go-to before I tried K18 and I still stand by it as a product, but I really love that K18 is a leave-in treatment rather than an in-shower mask. Having to let the Olaplex sit for 10 minutes felt like forever, especially when I wasn’t taking an everything shower (you know, the ones where you exfoliate and shave). With K18, you let it sit in your hair for four minutes post shower to activate and then you can style your hair (or just let it air dry like I do).
I’ve found that my hair is softest the next day, so don’t be discouraged if your hair looks or feels the same the day you use it. One last thing: it is pretty pricey but a little goes a long way. The 50 mL tube lasts a few months, and eventually K18 can become a maintenance product so you won’t need to use it every time you wash your hair.”
Promising review: “I am extremely pleased with this product. As an African-American woman in her 60s. Healthy hair is important. After one four-minute process, I could immediately see and feel the difference.” —influencer2021
Get it from Amazon or Sephora for $29+ (available in two sizes).