Written by Brooke Hansen, senior colorist at Solvi Salon, with twelve years behind the chair in Boise.
Boise summers are no joke. Between the high desert sun, the dry air, and long days at the river or up at Bogus Basin, hair takes a real beating from June through September. I spend a lot of time at our downtown studio helping clients get their color back after a hard day outside, and one product I keep reaching for is the Davines Su Hair Mask. Here is my breakdown of what it is and who should be using it.
What Su Actually Is
Su is the Davines sun care line, and the Su Hair Mask is the after-sun piece of it. It runs $36 at the studio and comes in a 100 ml (5.07 fl oz) jar. It is a replenishing treatment you reach for once the day outside is done. It rehydrates strands dried out by sun, chlorine, and salt water, and its key active is bitter orange extract, a source of flavonoid antioxidants that help neutralize the free radicals UV exposure creates. It calms and softens hair after the damage has started, which is exactly when most people forget to do anything.
One thing worth clearing up, because clients ask: the actual UV filters in the Su line live in the leave-in products like the Su Milk, not in the mask. If you want a step to apply before you head into the sun, that is the product to ask me about at the studio. The mask is your recovery step for afterward.
Why Boise Hair Needs It
Idaho is a dry climate, and that matters more than people realize. UV exposure fades color and roughs up the cuticle, but the low humidity here means hair loses moisture faster on top of that. I see it constantly at my chair around mid-July. Reds and coppers go brassy, blondes pick up unwanted warmth, and brunettes lose that glossy depth.
A treatment that floods the hair with moisture and antioxidant support after exposure is genuinely useful for that double problem. If you invested in a color appointment in the spring, helping it recover through a Boise summer is the difference between it lasting and looking tired by August.
How I Use It
The honest answer is that it is simple. After a day in the sun, or right after a swim, work it through clean, damp mid-lengths and ends, leave it a few minutes, then rinse. Those are the oldest, most fragile parts of the hair and the first to go dry.
Last July a regular client came in after a week floating the Boise River, and her copper had gone visibly brassy and felt like straw at the ends. We had her use the mask the same evening as each river day, and by her next visit the tone had calmed and the ends felt soft again. If you also want a before-sun step, the Su Milk leave-in is the one I point people to, and I am happy to show you how the two work together.
The Honest Drawback
This is not an everyone, all-year product, and I would not pretend otherwise. Su is seasonal. If you are not spending real time in the sun, the water, or outdoors, your money is better spent on a year-round mask. It is also a replenishing product, not a deep repair treatment. If your hair is already badly heat-damaged or over-processed, Su will help maintain it, but it will not rebuild what is broken. For that you want a bond or repair treatment, which I am happy to recommend in person.
So who is it not for? The person who works indoors all summer and rarely sees direct sun. For them it is a nice-to-have, not a need.
Who It Is Perfect For
If you color your hair and you live an outdoor Boise summer, this is close to essential. River floaters, pool regulars, hikers, festival people, and anyone heading somewhere sunny get the most out of it. Color-treated clients notice the biggest difference, because they have the most to lose when a long day outside leaves their tone faded and dry.
It is also a smart pick if you already use Davines and want your summer routine in the same family. The line is built to layer together.
My Take
For $36, the Su Hair Mask earns its spot on our shelf because it solves a specific Boise problem well. It helps color-treated hair recover and stay hydrated through repeated sun exposure, and it is easy enough that people actually keep using it. We carry it because our stylists use it ourselves, and every product on our shelves is one we trust behind the chair.
If you want to see whether Su fits your hair and your summer, grab the Su Hair Mask at the studio, take a look at our salon services, or book an appointment and I will walk you through a full summer plan at 104 S Capitol Blvd in downtown Boise.