Africa's Best Originals Hair Mayonnaise 15 oz

Two products in this range look similar on the shelf and do different jobs. The cholesterol tub is lipid-led and works on softness. This one is protein-led, built on egg protein with olive oil alongside, and works on strength.

That distinction matters if your hair is breaking rather than simply feeling dry. Protein temporarily fills the weak points along a damaged shaft, so the strand holds together under a comb instead of giving way. Olive oil keeps the result from feeling stiff.

Good for:

• Overprocessed hair that has gone brittle and weak
• Breakage that shows up as short broken pieces around the crown
• Hair that has lost both its stretch and its body
• Damage from relaxers, colour or heat

Apply to clean damp hair, concentrate on the lengths, leave it to sit, then rinse it out. 15 oz, and worth alternating with a moisture-led treatment rather than running it every wash. Protein and moisture work as a pair.

Protein-led treatments are the ones people get wrong most often. Run every wash, they leave hair stiff and prone to snapping, which is the opposite of the intended effect. Once a fortnight is plenty for most hair.