15 Best Leave-In Conditioners for Every Hair Type

Tester Michelle Rostamian fell in love with this leave-in enough to make it a permanent part of her routine. "For professionals, it brings hair back to a healthy state, allowing for more styling freedom when clients are in the chair; but for non-professionals like me, it restores softness and shine, and overall makes my hair more manageable," she wrote in her review.

Tester feedback: Commerce writer Jennifer Hussein is another fan of the buzzy treatment. "After letting it soak for four minutes, I blow-dry to reveal a head of super silky, frizz-free hair," she says. "Though it provides a high-shine finish similar to weightier formulas, this leave-in conditioner doesn't leave a waxy or tacky film behind—well, as long as you follow the directions and add the tiniest bit at a time. I only need two pumps for my head of ultra-thick hair."

Key ingredients: K18 peptides | Who it's for: damaged hair, dry hair

Best Detangling Leave-In Conditioner: Milk_Shake Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: Milk_Shake's Leave-In Conditioner takes the cake (uh, shake?). This lightweight, color-protecting formula is bolstered by vitamin E, milk protein, and fruit extracts (hi, strawberry, blueberry, and papaya) for noticeable shine and softness. Plus, the generous size of this bottle (11.8 fl oz.) will last you months. Seriously, though, we're a couple of sprays away from petitioning for a standalone fragrance. For now, if you're after something a little less gourmand, spring for the floral-forward Flower bottle.

Tester feedback: "I've been using the Milk_Shake Leave-In Conditioner for almost a year and can't brush my hair without it. Like, can't," said Allure contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman in her review. "It's a conditioner, yes, but I use it almost exclusively to detangle my damp hair. I can cover my whole head and lightly mist my roots with about eight spritzes. This stuff doesn't make my hair oily, which is a huge plus, as I'm an over-washer (I know, I know)."

Key ingredients: vitamin E, honey, milk protein, strawberry extract, blueberry extract, and papaya extract | Who it's for: all hair types

Best Leave-in Conditioner for Dry Hair: Amika Dream Routine Overnight Hydrating Hair Mask

Why it's worth it: Amika’s Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner is what your dry or brittle hair longs for. Every spritz of this weightless, moisturizing workhorse indulges your strands with three conditioning ingredients: hydrating hyaluronic acid, coconut water, and moisture-boosting squalane. Hello, smoother, easy-to-detangle hair. We also love the joyfully illustrated container that makes the conditioner stand out among its white-bottled peers.

Tester feedback: "My hair becomes incredibly tangled when wet, and the Amika Dream Routine acts as the perfect conditioner and detangler when I am due for an overnight reset," says senior audience director Lexi Herrick. "A little goes a long way, and my hair is left completely straight, smooth, and silky by the morning."

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, coconut water, squalane | Who it's for: dry hair, brittle hair, and fine hair

Best Leave-in Conditioner for Bleached Hair: Ceremonia Guava Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: The bleaching process can be especially harsh and drying, so when your strands are feeling brittle, slather on a dollop of Ceremonia's Guava Leave-In Conditioner. This Allure Best of Beauty Award winner packs a moisturizing punch without weighing strands down or leaving a greasy finish—no matter how thin your hair may be. So, what's at work? Antioxidant-rich guava extract protects your hair against free radical damage while avocado oil and blue agave extract replenish much-needed moisture.

Tester feedback: "Leave-ins are tricky for my fine, bleached hair: I need moisture to help deal with the chemical damage, but not too much that it weighs my strands down," says Allure content director Kara McGrath. "Ceremonia hits that balance perfectly; the Guava leave-in makes my hair so soft and shiny."

Key ingredients: guava extract, blue agave extract, avocado oil | Who it's for: dry hair, bleached hair, color-treated hair, and damaged hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Thick Hair: Crown Affair The Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: Crown Affair's Leave-In Conditioner Cream employs Tsubaki seed oil to reduce frizzy flyaways, hydrate, and soften, making brushing easier and shininess simple. Then, meadowfoam seed oil helps protect hair against high heat, either from a hot tool or dry weather. This rich leave-in takes the best elements of a hair mask and meshes them with versatility (some offer heat protection) and ease of use (no waiting or rinse-out needed). Work one to two pumps through fine hair, and three to four pumps for thicker strands.

Tester feedback: "My ends hate moisture—it's okay, we're working through it—so Crown Affair's leave-in is a welcome addition to my routine," explains Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "It's thin enough that I can use it as a gentle detangler while combing through my post-shower hair, and it adds deeply necessary hydration and shine to my parched ends. I'm very sparing with hair products because my hair gets weighed down easily, but this formula is so featherlight that it's hard to overdo it. More is more!"

Key ingredients: Tsubaki seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil | Who it's for: all hair types

More leave-in conditioners we love:

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Thin Hair: Sachajuan Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: The Sachajuan Leave-In Conditioner feels like a watery version of its in-shower counterpart. Despite being free of oils and formulated for finer hair, it still packs a hair-smoothing punch. Thanks to weightless polymers, ethylhexylglycerin (a derivative of the hydrating glycerin we know and love), and the brand's proprietary Ocean Silk Technology (derived from hydrolyzed red algae extract), this leave-in adds major body, gloss, and scalp-boosting benefits. Oh, and if an uplifting scent is non-negotiable, this spritz has a light, herbaceous fragrance you're bound to love.

Key ingredients: polymers, ethylhexylglycerin, Ocean Silk Technology (hydrolyzed red algae extract) | Who it's for: fine hair, thinning hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Damaged Hair: Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother

Why it's worth it: Olaplex is best known for its in-shower hair treatments, but the No. 6 Bond Smoother is in a league of its own. Whether your color-treated hair feels brittle or you're doing damage control (say, forgetting heat protectant before a long blowout), this strand-strengthening formula is among your best bets. Much of this is thanks to the brand's signature active ingredient: bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. It reinforces broken disulfide bonds along the hair shaft to boost shine, strength, and malleability. Just don't try to pronounce it. On top of repairing strands, this leave-in product also promises to moisturize, speed up blow-drying time, and minimize flyaways for up to 72 hours. The airless pump bottle prevents the formula from oxidizing and, therefore, diminishing in potency.

Key ingredients: bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate | Who it's for: damaged hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair: Color Wow Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Strengthening Leave-In Treatment

Why it's worth it: Color Wow delivers when it comes to protecting your hair—whether from humidity or heat styling damage—and its Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Strengthening Leave-In Treatment is one of the best examples. The brand's kale-and kelp-infused formula works hard to reduce breakage, leaving your ends looking and feeling much smoother, while castor oil strengthens hair from the inside out. Kale and kelp are also rich in antioxidants, which protect bleached or color-processed hair from environmental aggressors and boost moisture, shine, and vibrancy.

Key ingredients: kale extract, kelp extract, castor oil | Who it's for: color-treated hair, damaged hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Curly Hair: SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Leave-In Conditioner is essential for curly hair. This treatment's star ingredients—manuka honey and mafura oil, bolstered by shea butter and sunflower seed oil—penetrate even the thickest strands to smooth frizz, add shine, and define curls. We were so impressed by the power of this custardy formula that we gave it a Best of Beauty Award in 2022.

Key ingredients: manuka honey, mafura oil | Who it's for: curly hair, thick hair, dry hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Refreshing Curls: Oribe Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioning Detangler

Why it's worth it: What's in a name? Well, in Oribe's Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioning Detangler, the keyword is "lotion," a testament to its curl-defining texture. If you're looking for the creaminess of a non-spray detangler, but aren't in the market for a hair mask, this formula is for you. The TL;DR? Intense conditioning (leading to less breakage), built-in heat protection, and a silicone-free formula. (Heads-up: Silicones aren't all that bad for hair, but regular use of products containing silicone could lead to buildup, clogged pores, and in turn, scalp inflammation.)

Editor's tip: Since this formula has a denser texture, people with finer hair types may want to pick up something lighter, like Oribe's spray-on Run-Through Detangling Primer.

Key ingredients: watermelon extract, lychee extract, murumuru butter, olive oil, avocado oil, cocoa seed butter, mango butter, edelweiss flower extract | Who it's for: thick hair, curly hair, and dry hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Wavy Hair: Iles Formula Haute Performance Finishing Serum

Why it's worth it: The entire three-piece hair ritual from Iles Formula's Signature Collection, which consists of a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in treatment, scored a 2023 Allure Best of Beauty Award for its luster-boosting, strand-strengthening results. The Haute Performance Finishing Serum, in particular, curbs dullness, frizz, and brittleness, and leaves your hair feeling akin to your favorite silk blouse.

Hussein says this leave-in cream, enriched with a laundry list of moisturizers like ceramides, tucuma seed butter, and vitamin B5, is practically made for wavy hair like hers. "This lightweight, lotion-like formula instantly seeps into my strands and makes them soft to the touch," she says.

Key ingredients: ceramides, silk protein, tucuma seed butter, macadamia nut oil, panthenol, vitamin B5 | Who it's for: all hair types

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Split Ends: Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In Treatment

Why it's worth it: POV: Your split ends are starting to make you seethe, but you're still two weeks out from your impossible-to-book haircut. Enter Living Proof's Restore Repair Leave-In Treatment, whose key benefits include split-end repair, UV protection, strengthening weakened bonds, and major hydration, thanks to a star cast of hemisqualane, cupuaçu butter, and marine algae extract. Just give the ends of your damp or dry hair a couple of spritzes and watch the healing happen.

Editor's tip: This formula targets dryness and damage, but if you're looking for a leave-in conditioner that minimizes frizz, we recommend the No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream.

Key ingredients: hemisqualane, cupuaçu butter, marine algae extract | Who it's for: damaged hair, dry hair

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Frizz: Briogeo Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioner

Why it's worth it: Frizziness always finds a way, be it from dryness in the winter, humidity in the summer, or simply how your DNA came together. Briogeo's Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioner is one of our go-to solutions because it prevents frizz in all scenarios, even when you air-dry your hair on a drizzly day—which our deputy beauty director, Liz Siegel, can attest to. Not only does it detangle the most stubborn knots, this milky treatment is formulated with coconut oil and shea butter to add shine and keep your hair soft and moisturized for days.

Editor's tip: If you have intensely brittle hair, we recommend spritzing the brand's Superfoods Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture 3-in-1 Leave-In Spray.

Key ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, argan oil, rosehip oil | Who it's for: dry hair, damaged hair, and frizzy hair

Best Styling Primer: Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream

Why it's worth it: It seems like everyone—from TikTokers to Allure editors—adore Dae's ultra-versatile Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream. This pre-styler, which features an antioxidant-rich trio of prickly pear seed oil, dragonfruit extract, and meadowfoam seed oil, seals moisture for sleek, shiny hair—whether you choose to blow-dry or air-dry. This lightweight formula can also be used to slick back dry hair for slick-backed buns and sleek updos, or worked through wet or dry curls to enhance definition. What can’t it do? Bonus: Its fruity, orange blossom- and vanilla-based scent lingers throughout the day, so you'll smell like a tropical vacation for hours.

Key ingredients: prickly pear seed oil, dragonfruit extract, meadowfoam seed oil | Who it's for: all hair types

Best Heat Protectant: LolaVie Perfecting Leave-In

Why it's worth it: LolaVie's Perfecting Leave-In is the definition of a multi-tasker, which is why we gladly gave it a 2022 Best of Beauty Award. This conditioner hydrates and smooths hair, holds styles all day, and protects from heat damage. The formula uses a vegan thermal shield made of bamboo and yeast extracts that mimic the structure of keratin, a protective protein.

Editor's tip: Since this leave-in is slightly richer than its sister product, the fine hair-friendly Glossing Detangler, one-quarter-size dollop is usually all you need for your entire head of hair.

Key ingredients: bamboo extract, yeast extract, chia seed extract, rose of jericho | Who it's for: all hair types

Frequently Asked Questions

Leave-in conditioners are also miracle workers for those of us perpetually in a rush—we may not always have 15 minutes to wait for a hair mask to work its magic, but we still want to give our hair a little extra love. "Think of a leave-in conditioner as a balm that kind of does it all," says Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who works with celebrities like Camila Cabello and Jasmine Tookes, and considers moisturizing leave-ins a styling must. "They can tame flyaways and add shine—even if the hair is a bit dry or damaged," Giannetos adds.

What's shopping for a new hair-care product without considering chemistry? Cosmetic chemist Ginger King suggests ingredients like oils, fatty alcohols, and triglycerides that will "smooth the cuticles and keep the hair in place." For detangling in particular, King notes that compounds like quaternium 4, 7, and 11 work well (and to look out for ingredient names that start with quaternium or polyquaternium).

• Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
• Ginger King, a New Jersey-based cosmetic chemist

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn't want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls—right?