When you’ve been called “Simba,” and the person speaking isn’t referencing your ability to sprint across the savannah and/or track down and catch prey, chances are it’s in reference to your hair. Your big, kind-of-crazy, usually-crispy-dry hair.

I’ve since therapized all the rude comments I got about my appearance out of my system (yay for therapy!), but one upside of having people make fun of your big, naturally coarse and curly hair is that you learn how to tame that shit early on.

Now that I’m pretty much a black belt with my hot tools, dealing with my natural hair texture is much easier. But all that damaging heat styling means that I need to pay special attention to keeping my hair healthy.

I was loyal to one hair mask for years and years, but when a friend of mine suggested I try Virtue Labs’ Restorative Treatment Mask as a replacement, I decided to switch things up.

It was then that I bought, used and ended up LOVING this mask. (It also lasted me for about four months, with use twice or three times weekly.)

So, because I love to share everything I am obsessing over, I posted it on IG and managed to connect with Virtue Labs, and let me just say, their whole line is amazing.

I’m actually running a giveaway right now on my Instagram to give away the Full Shampoo and Conditioner duo, so you must enter that! And I will be posting more on IG and here about the products I’m loving from this line. But for right now let’s just focus on this MVP.

The Backstory

Virtue Labs essentially changed the game when it came to hair care ingredients.

They came up with their own (now trademarked) form of keratin that literally changes the structure of your hair. Their group of scientists now collect keratin and put it into their formulations, which–according to their science–not only reduce frizz, but also help to temporarily seal split ends and increase volume.

Virtue Labs uses a patented human-derived Alpha Keratin protein in their products that actually helps to restore the health of your hair.

Let’s go through all the specifics.

The Texture

This stuff is like whipped butter. Perfection. It’s super thick and rich. A little goes a long way.

That’s why this product is different from other masks that use silicones or other coating agents to just lay on top of the hair cuticle. In the long term, those kinds of ingredients can be damaging to the hair, so that’s another reason I love this product.

The Application

Because it’s so thick, you have to be careful when you apply it. So it doesn’t glob onto one area of your hair.

Put some between your hands, rub them together to spread it out, then take your hair piece by piece from the mid-shaft to the ends. Leave it on for at least two minutes, then rinse.

And stay away from the roots! Heavy, moisturizing hair products near the roots = no bueno.

The Results

Seriously? AMAZING. Like, one-use-and-your-hair-is-changed amazing.

I have thick hair that tends toward being coarse. So obviously I would suggest this for people who have a similar texture. But even if you have finer, softer hair that is damaged and in need of moisture, I would absolutely suggest this.

The best way to describe the results from this mask is soft hair that actually feels healthier.

You know how, when using certain hair products, your hair has a gloss or shine but still looks and feels damaged underneath? Almost like it’s just covering up the problem? That is not what you get with this guy. This restorative mask works to heal your hair. So you won’t have to cover it up with products to make it look good.

SHOP IT

Have you ever tried Virtue Labs? What are your favorite products for dry hair? I’d love to hear more in Comments below!

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