"The first time a drop of bleach touched my hair, I was the ripe ole age of 15. No one could convince my sophomore-aged self that my mousy brown locks—which now, ironically, have been rebranded to old-money brown—didn’t need to be altered. Since then, I’ve sat in the salon chair with requests of bright blonde, dark brown, and just about every shade in between. The result of quarterly hair color appointments for 13 years? Strands that are constantly begging for a bit of help.
Since my hair is already on the thin, fine side, adding bleach damage to my equation has made me the ideal hydrating hair product guinea pig. If you opened the cabinet under my bathroom sink at any given time, you’d be met with baskets stuffed with dozens of products that I’m testing in hopes they’ll leave my locks even a little healthier. While I’ve found a handful of winners throughout the years—you’ll never catch me without my trusty K18 mask handy—none have been repurchased by me as many times as the Amika Soulfood Nourishing Repair Mask.
What Is Amika’s Soulfood Nourishing Mask?
Amika Soulfood is a hydrating hair mask for dry hair in need of a boost of moisture. It helps to deeply condition and hydrate all hair types, and can also help restore damaged hair. It can be used either as a weekly treatment or everyday conditioner (my preferred use), by leaving on for 5-7 minutes after shampooing. Key ingredients include:
- Jojoba Seed Oil: An oil that contains fatty acids, as well as antioxidants and vitamins A, D, and E, which can help soften hair
- Sea Buckthorn: A plant that contains Omega 7 (a fatty acid typically found in fish oil), which can promote elasticity and hydration
- Asorbic Acid (Vitamin C): A water-soluable vitamin that can assist in hair growth, repair, and the reduction of free radicals
Who Can Use Amika’s Soulfood Nourishing Mask?
Soulfood is formulated for all hair types—straight, wavy, curly, and coily—that are looking to improve dryness and shine. It’s also suitable for fine, medium, and thick hair. TL;DR: If your hair is dry, you can benefit from this mask.
How to Use Amika’s Soulfood Nourishing Mask
Soulfood can be used either as a weekly treatment or everyday conditioner based on hair’s needs. Those with high porosity hair in need of extra hydration should use it every day, while those with lower porosity hair should stick to using it as a weekly treatment instead. After shampooing, leave Soulfood on for 5-7 minutes and rinse.
My Review on Amika’s Soulfood Nourishing Mask
I was first introduced to Amika’s Soulfood a little over a year ago after finally picking it up in a Sephora sale. There’s been a revolving door on hair masks sitting on my bathtub ledge for as long as I can remember, but off the bat, the little orange tub of product felt different to me. I can tell if my hair liked a conditioner as soon as I rinse it out, and as I ran my fingers through my still-wet strands, they felt noticeably silky. After I dryed my my hair, though, it felt like I swapped my head out for one that had completely different hair. My hair was shiny and completely frizz-free, but not weighed down whatsoever (which is something my fine strands experience pretty frequently with deep conditioner).
I personally only wash my hair three times a week, and given my hair’s porosity and dryness, I opt to use it every time I shampoo my hair. I leave it on for at least five minutes—but often will let it sit up into the 30-minute territory—and then rinse it out and blow dry as usual. Over the past few months, I’ve prioritized my hair’s health over all else, and have transitioned it to being much closer to my natural color with the goal of foregoing additional damage. Throughout the journey, Amika’s Soulfood has had a permanent spot in my routine. I’ve tried hair masks double and even triple the price, and nothing has held a candle to how silky, shiny, and healthy Soulfood has left my hair feeling.
I can honestly say that to this day, Amika’s Soulfood is my favorite hair mask I’ve ever tried. Actually, in my opinion, its price tag combined with its quality makes every other mask pale in comparison. While an eight-ounce jar retails at $34, the 3.3-ounce version will run you $19, which is on the low end of presige brand pricing. Me, though? I’ll be stocking up on the 16-ounce jumbo size forevermore.
Maddie Galassi, Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor
Madeline Galassi is the Fashion & Beauty Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the fashion and beauty categories of the site. She brainstorms, writes, and edits stories across a broad range of topics including trend reports, product reviews, celebrity style, and more. She’s always keeping a pulse on the latest trends to create timely, exciting content for our readers.