Latest news with #DevanteTurnbull
Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
The viral K18 repair treatment has been a staple for 6 years – why it's worth the hype
It was summer 2018, and I was working the fitting room at an Anthropologie in Chicago. A swift stride past the full-length, tri-fold mirror made me do a double-take, followed by some serious panic. The back of my head was, truly, horrendous. It wasn't just split ends or a little knotting. It was full-on breakage, right where my hair would go into a ponytail, that looked like a serious flyaway situation. I finished my shift and immediately walked to the Sephora in the mall in search of anything that would help make my hair look healthier. Little did I know at the time, this would be the love story I'd share over and over again for the K18 hair mask. You've seen it all over social media: A hair mask that promises to fix all your broken hair in four minutes. Too good to be true, right? In my experience, it freakin' works. Really well at that. But what exactly is K18, where did it come from, why is it everywhere, and will it actually change your life? Lemme get into it. K18 started with one single product: The Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask. But since then, it's actually grown into a full haircare line focused on repairing damaged hair at every step (shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, volumising spray, oil, etc.). The mask, though, is still the most talked about product. It's a repairing treatment that's loaded with a patented peptide that helps strengthen hair (more on this below). It's actually a leave-in mask, so instead of the usual rigamarole of standing naked in the shower for 10 to 20 minutes waiting to rinse out your deep conditioner, you just smooth it onto wet hair after shampooing, then leave it on for four minutes before layering on anything else (like a leave-in conditioner or volumizing mousse). But what's most important... Here's the thing: K18 is quite different from the standard bond-building treatments that have begun popping up in its wake. "Typical bond builders work just below the surface, rinse out when hair is washed, and only work on one type of bond for a short time," says hairstylist Devante Turnbull. K18, however, works much deeper, and it's all thanks to the K18PEPTIDE, a patented peptide developed from biotech that "mimics the hair's structure at its core by reconnecting polypeptide chains at the molecular level," Turnbull explains. "This helps strengthen the hair from damage it may have endured from bleach, color, chemical, and heat services, leading to stronger hair," he says. That's not to say K18 doesn't also do the same repairing as a traditional bond-building treatment (it just does it in a much stronger way). "Bond builders help to repair the hair starting from the inside out, not just make it 'feel' better," says hairstylist Marc Ballance. "Think of them as really good strengthening treatments that help bring your hair back to life." FAQs: In general, you can use the K18 hair mask about once a week. But Turnbull recommends starting with your first four to six washes if you're looking for a hard reset on your hair. From there, you can use it as needed, up to once a week. "You'll truly see the progressive results if you follow this cadence, and then you can treat your hair as you see fit," he says. Yes, too much strengthening can potentially do the opposite, making your hair feel brittle and dry, says Ballance. Which brings us to.. Your hair can potentially feel dry after using K18 because it's not meant to add moisture, but rather repair. "K18 rebuilds the inside of the hair, but it doesn't hydrate," says Ballance. "Try using a leave-in conditioner or hydrating mask in your routine to balance it out," he adds. You can potentially see a difference after your first use of the K18 mask, says Ballance. "It's one of those rare products where you actually notice results pretty quickly," he says. But Turnbull notes that you'll really notice the biggest result after four to six uses. In general, though, "the more you use it, the more it helps rebuild your hair," Ballance adds. Olaplex is another popular strengthening treatment on the market, but the two are fairly different. First of all, Olaplex is a rinse-out mask that you should apply to wet hair before shampoo and conditioner. It's also best used in a system, not just the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, but also the No. 4 Shampoo, No. 5 Conditioner, No. 6 Leave-In, etc. Meanwhile, the leave-in aspect of K18, coupled with the fact that it only requires one product to do some damage control, makes it quite a bit simpler. One isn't necessarily "better" than the other; it really just comes down to personal preference. But... 'Having used both products extensively on multiple clients with varying hair types, I always find that K18 achieves a significant—and immediate—difference in the hair structure," hairstylist Jae Manuel Cardenas previously told Cosmo. I also personally prefer K18 for all of the reasons above (I'm lazy, sorry). Let's get into my whole experience, though... Super fine, kinda thin, extremely oily—that's the SparkNotes of my hair. I was trying to grow my hair long for months, but as it goes, it got to the top of my bra strap and refused to grow any longer. Instead, my ends looked sparse and my roots were limp. Not a vibe. In the past, I've highlighted my hair to a bright, honey-esque blonde, but currently, I'm working with basically entirely my natural color with a few rogue highlights sprinkled throughout. But! I do heat style my hair very consistently, which has damaged it a lot. I just prefer how my hair looks when Because my scalp is so oily and my hair is so fine, I don't need too much moisture. Which is why the skip-conditioner aspect of the K18 mask is legit perfect for me. Once every two weeks, I'll wash my hair in the shower, then immediately smooth a pea-sized dot of the mask all over my hair from roots to ends. (Ofc, if you have thick hair, you will likely need a bit more to cover your entire head.) While the K18 is doing its thing, I'll put my makeup on, then add on any leave-in products (usually a wave spray or some kind of volumizing product) before blow drying. But I've air-dried my hair many times after using K18, and my results are still pretty much the same. I've been using K18 since that fateful summer day in 2019, so the results over time have been the most impressive. Truth be told, my hair doesn't really sustain too much damage now that I have this in my arsenal, because of how well it has strengthened my hair strands. Immediately after I use it, my hair feels extremely soft. Like, shockingly soft. My ends are sealed, my flyaways are smoothed down, and my hair just looks like how I imagined it did before I started attacking it with box dye, bleach, and straighteners as a teenager. When I decided to give this experiment a go a second time, I knew it would need to include a haircut. K18 is amazing, but it can only do so much. Obviously, my cut took away a lot of the dead ends. But it was K18 that made my hair look this shiny, smooth, and healthy. I haven't had a hair routine without the K18 hair mask in nearly six years, and I cannot imagine ever going back. Truly, it's the best repairing product I've ever tried. Yes, it's expensive, but I use so little that a bottle lasts me quite a long time. I also have healthier hair now, so I'm never sitting in a salon chair begging my stylist to coat me with whatever hydrating, repairing treatment they have to try to fix whatever damage I've done, saving me a lot of money over time. I've also stopped bleaching my hair so often, I've switched to a shower filter, I get regular trims, I use v high-quality hair products—all of which have definitely helped make my hair healthier over time. As much as I love K18, no one product can be a cure-all for intense damage. But I definitely credit the K18 mask for kickstarting my hair-health journey. My hair might not be longer, but gosh, does it look so much better. Shop the K18 hair mask Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from shampoo for oily hair to the Scandi hairline trend. She regularly tests and analyzes hair products for efficacy, while working with the industry's top experts to assess new formulas and brands. Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
K18 Hair Mask Review 2025: I Tried the Viral Repairing Treatment
It was summer 2018, and I was working the fitting room at an Anthropologie in Chicago. A swift stride past the full-length, tri-fold mirror made me do a double-take, followed by some serious panic. The back of my head was, truly, horrendous. It wasn't just split ends or a little knotting. It was full-on breakage, right where my hair would go into a ponytail, that looked like a serious flyaway situation. I finished my shift and immediately walked to the Sephora in the mall in search of anything that would help make my hair look healthier. Little did I know at the time, this would be the love story I'd share over and over again for the K18 hair mask. You've seen it all over social media: A hair mask that promises to fix all your broken hair in four minutes. Too good to be true, right? In my experience, it freakin' works. Really well at that. But what exactly is K18, where did it come from, why is it everywhere, and will it actually change your life? Lemme get into it. K18 started with one single product: The Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask. But since then, it's actually grown into a full haircare line focused on repairing damaged hair at every step (shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, volumizing spray, oil, etc.). The mask, though, is still the most talked about product. It's a repairing treatment that's loaded with a patented peptide that helps strengthen hair (more on this below). It's actually a leave-in mask, so instead of the usual rigamarole of standing naked in the shower for 10 to 20 minutes waiting to rinse out your deep conditioner, you just smooth it onto wet hair after shampooing, then leave it on for four minutes before layering on anything else (like a leave-in conditioner or volumizing mousse). But what's most important... Here's the thing: K18 is quite different from the standard bond-building treatments that have begun popping up in its wake. "Typical bond builders work just below the surface, rinse out when hair is washed, and only work on one type of bond for a short time," says hairstylist Devante Turnbull. K18, however, works much deeper, and it's all thanks to the K18 Peptide, a patented peptide developed from biotech that "mimics the hair's structure at its core by reconnecting polypeptide chains at the molecular level," Turnbull explains. "This helps strengthen the hair from damage it may have endured from bleach, color, chemical, and heat services, leading to stronger hair," he says. That's not to say K18 doesn't also do the same repairing as a traditional bond-building treatment (it just does it in a much stronger way). "Bond builders help to repair the hair starting from the inside out, not just make it 'feel' better," says hairstylist Marc Ballance. "Think of them as really good strengthening treatments that help bring your hair back to life." FAQs: In general, you can use the K18 hair mask about once a week. But Turnbull recommends starting with your first four to six washes if you're looking for a hard reset on your hair. From there, you can use it as needed, up to once a week. "You'll truly see the progressive results if you follow this cadence, and then you can treat your hair as you see fit," he says. Yes, too much strengthening can potentially do the opposite, making your hair feel brittle and dry, says Ballance. Which brings us to.. Your hair can potentially feel dry after using K18 because it's not meant to add moisture, but rather repair. "K18 rebuilds the inside of the hair, but it doesn't hydrate," says Ballance. "Try using a leave-in conditioner or hydrating mask in your routine to balance it out," he adds. You can potentially see a difference after your first use of the K18 mask, says Ballance. "It's one of those rare products where you actually notice results pretty quickly," he says. But Turnbull notes that you'll really notice the biggest result after four to six uses. In general, though, "the more you use it, the more it helps rebuild your hair," Ballance adds. Olaplex is another popular strengthening treatment on the market, but the two are fairly different. First of all, Olaplex is a rinse-out mask that you should apply to wet hair before shampoo and conditioner. It's also best used in a system, not just the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, but also the No. 4 Shampoo, No. 5 Conditioner, No. 6 Leave-In, etc. Meanwhile, the leave-in aspect of K18, coupled with the fact that it only requires one product to do some damage control, makes it quite a bit simpler. One isn't necessarily "better" than the other; it really just comes down to personal preference. But... 'Having used both products extensively on multiple clients with varying hair types, I always find that K18 achieves a significant—and immediate—difference in the hair structure," hairstylist Jae Manuel Cardenas previously told Cosmo. I also personally prefer K18 for all of the reasons above (I'm lazy, sorry). Let's get into my whole experience, though... Super fine, kinda thin, extremely oily—that's the SparkNotes of my hair. I was trying to grow my hair long for months, but as it goes, it got to the top of my bra strap and refused to grow any longer. Instead, my ends looked sparse and my roots were limp. Not a vibe. In the past, I've highlighted my hair to a bright, honey-esque blonde, but currently, I'm working with basically entirely my natural color with a few rogue highlights sprinkled throughout. But! I do heat style my hair very consistently, which has damaged it a lot. I just prefer how my hair looks when Because my scalp is so oily and my hair is so fine, I don't need too much moisture. Which is why the skip-conditioner aspect of the K18 mask is legit perfect for me. Once every two weeks, I'll wash my hair in the shower, then immediately smooth a pea-sized dot of the mask all over my hair from roots to ends. (Ofc, if you have thick hair, you will likely need a bit more to cover your entire head.) While the K18 is doing its thing, I'll put my makeup on, then add on any leave-in products (usually a wave spray or some kind of volumizing product) before blow drying. But I've air-dried my hair many times after using K18, and my results are still pretty much the same. I've been using K18 since that fateful summer day in 2019, so the results over time have been the most impressive. Truth be told, my hair doesn't really sustain too much damage now that I have this in my arsenal, because of how well it has strengthened my hair strands. Immediately after I use it, my hair feels extremely soft. Like, shockingly soft. My ends are sealed, my flyaways are smoothed down, and my hair just looks like how I imagined it did before I started attacking it with box dye, bleach, and flat irons as a teenager. When I decided to give this experiment a go a second time, I knew it would need to include a haircut. K18 is amazing, but it can only do so much. Obviously, my cut took away a lot of the dead ends. But it was K18 that made my hair look this shiny, smooth, and healthy. I haven't had a hair routine without the K18 hair mask in nearly six years, and I cannot imagine ever going back. Truly, it's the best repairing product I've ever tried. Yes, it's expensive, but I use so little that a bottle lasts me quite a long time. I also have healthier hair now, so I'm never sitting in a salon chair begging my stylist to coat me with whatever hydrating, repairing treatment they have to try to fix whatever damage I've done, saving me a lot of money over time. I've also stopped bleaching my hair so often, I've switched to a shower filter, I get regular trims, I use v high-quality hair products—all of which have definitely helped make my hair healthier over time. As much as I love K18, no one product can be a cure-all for intense damage. But I definitely credit the K18 mask for kickstarting my hair-health journey. My hair might not be longer, but gosh, does it look so much better. Shop the K18 hair mask Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from shampoo for oily hair to the Scandi hairline trend. She regularly tests and analyzes hair products for efficacy, while working with the industry's top experts to assess new formulas and brands. Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
