“I use a ton of heat on my hair, which makes a hydrating shampoo all the more important when I get around to washing my hair once or twice a week. I used a generous squeeze of the Nourishing Shampoo on my wet hair; the Wild Nectar scent was a bit too sweet for my taste, but I could look past it for its ability to suds up within seconds of scrubbing my scalp.” —Talia Gutierrez, associate manager, special projects
Sandalwood Vanille Fundamental Strengthening Shampoo, $19
“As soon as I started massaging the Strengthening Shampoo into my scalp, a rich, creamy lather formed. Simultaneously, the shower was filled with the sweet vanilla scent. After some diligent scrubbing and a thorough rinse, my hair felt clean. When my husband walked into the bathroom, the first thing he said was, ‘What’s that smell?’ It definitely lingers.” —Paige Stables, senior beauty editor
The Masks
Again, you can choose from a nourishing or strengthening formula that is designed to pair with the respective shampoos. And again, the two options aren’t all that different from each other. “The real workhorse of these formulas is behentrimonium chloride,” says Dobos. “This ingredient mimics hair’s natural lipid protectant 18-methyl eicosanoic acid, which coats and protects hair that has been diminished through styling, especially with heat and hair color.”
As for the Pre-Shampoo Mask, Dobos points out the castor oil in the formula, saying it “helps coat and lubricate hair.” There’s a lot of misinformation on TikTok that claims castor oil can help your hair grow, but Dobos emphasizes that “is not true.” But it is good for “conditioning hair, which can reduce hair loss due to breakage.”
Wild Nectar Santal Fundamental Nourishing Mask, $20
“The mask was thick and buttery—exactly how I like it—and softened my hair. After rinsing it out, the fragrances of the product stuck to my strands. Though I felt a little overwhelmed by the scents, I’ve gotten compliments on how great I smell.” —Jesa Marie Calaor, senior editor
“Because I have coarse hair, I prefer a thick formula that drenches my hair with moisture and adds softness back to my waves. After leaving the mask in for about five minutes in the shower and rinsing it out, my hair did feel soft to the touch but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the packaging. With slippery, wet hands and no shelf space in my shower, the rectangular and octagon shapes take a bit of maneuvering to screw back on before finding a place for them in my limited shower rack storage.” —Gutierrez
Sandalwood Vanille Fundamental Strengthening Mask, $20
“I have fine hair and regularly style it with hot tools, so when I’m doing a deep treatment like this Strengthening Mask, I slather on a generous amount—from roots to ends. I regularly use Kérastase masks in my routine to keep my hair feeling soft and healthy. So it’s impressive to me that my hair felt noticeably silkier—just as it would following a Kérastase mask—after using this treatment for about five minutes in the shower.” —Stables
Milky Sandalwood Rich Reset Pre-Shampoo Mask, $25