Leave-in conditioners can leave your strands bouncier, shinier and younger looking.
Leave-in hair conditioners (and their extra-restorative cousin, hair masks) often seem unnecessary — you're already conditioning your hair once in the shower, why would you possibly need to do it again? In fact, before working on this story, the last time I'd used a leave-in conditioner was in the '80s, when my mom untangled my hair with that purple bottle of Aussie Kids spray before brushing out the knots. However, as it turns out, there are loads of reasons why you should be applying leave-in conditioners to your grown-up hair (even if you already use the best shampoo and conditioner you can find).
No matter your hair type, leave-in conditioners can be nourishing. They help tame annoying flyaways and puffed-out texture by providing smooth, soft frizz control. They help smooth split ends and can even — as they did for me while reporting this story — make your hair bouncier, shinier and younger looking than it's been in years.
In addition to testing myself, I reached out to celebrity colorist Cassondra Kaeding (her client list includes Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Kendall Jenner as well as the cast of the latest Mean Girls) to find out how these formulas work and why we should try them. Here's what I learned: If you want the best-looking and healthiest hair possible, you should try a leave-in conditioner — starting today.
Update, August 18, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. Our No. 1 pick for the best leave-in conditioner remains unchanged.
Hair Type: All | Formula: Lightweight cream | Ingredients: sh-Oligopeptide-78 (K18Peptide™), Hydrolyzed wheat starch | Scent: Floral with notes of jasmine and peony
This repairing mask is, by far, not only the best leave-in conditioner I've tried, but is the best hair product I've come across in ... as long as I can remember.
Kaeding agrees: "I personally love K18’s Leave-in Molecular Repair Mask. It contains a patented peptide that works at the innermost layer of the hair (the cortex) and is clinically proven to repair damage from bleach, color, chemical services and heat in just four minutes. Because it works on this molecular level (where all hair is the same), this product is effective on all hair types — so I recommend it to literally everyone."
My experience with this mask is that it made my hair silkier and shinier than it's been since my high school yearbook portrait. I wish it wasn't close to $30, but I also felt like the quality was worth it.
Hair Type: Fine and long hair | Formula: Lightweight spray | Ingredients: Biotin, coconut oil, shea butter
The best drugstore pick we came across, Marc Anthony's leave-in conditioner, is effective and gentle (paraben-, sulfate- and phthalate-free) without breaking the bank. It's an excellent lightweight detangler that adds moisture to fine and long hair without weighing down your strands. One minor complaint: It's more of an old-school, everyday leave-in conditioner, and it won't repair damaged or ultradry hair like some of the pricier items on this list.
Hair Type: All | Formula: Lightweight moisturizing spray | Ingredients: Fennel seed oil, coconut oil | Scent: Floral, with notes of ginger, amber, and musk
Curly hair folks trust Mizani as a shampoo brand for all types of curls, and its leave-in conditioner follows suit. It's made with coconut oil but is somehow not the least bit greasy. It protects hair from heat, detangles, moisturizes, tames frizz and helps repair damaged hair. Best of all, it works on any hair type: natural, relaxed, straight, any kind of curl and even wigs and weaves.
Hair Type: All, including curly, coily and wavy | Formula: Liquid spray | Ingredients: Coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, olive fruit oil, silicones, humectants, vegetable protein | Scent: Fresh and floral with notes of rose, floral ginger and cedarwood
A trio of luscious oils — coconut, olive, and camellia seed — included in this leave-in conditioner lock in moisture so your hair stays hydrated. Plus, it detangles, adds shine and helps smooth frizz, thanks to coconut oil's ability to penetrate deep into the hair shaft. Yahoo Shopping Deputy Editor Izabella Zaydenberg said, "Now that my bleach blonde days are behind me, I've resolved to make [this] the year I'm way gentler on my hair. I'm a big fan of one-and-done products, and this Pureology spray is it: I just spritz it on damp hair and style as usual. I love that it provides heat protection, too, so when I choose to give myself an at-home blowout, my strands don't look or feel fried. It's also safe on color-treated hair, plus it smells incredible. I'm still on my first bottle, but I already bought a second as a backup, in case Pureology ever stops making this stuff (and if they do, I'll absolutely buy out their stock)."
Hair Type: All, including straight, wavy, curly and coily | Formula: Cream | Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, coconut oil, fermented argan oil, vitamin E
This leave-in "bond smoother" from the ultra-beloved Olaplex line (this product alone has nearly 40,000 five-star Amazon reviews) started as a salon-only treatment, but during the pandemic, it was made available to its devoted fans (including Margot Robbie) for at-home use. Kim Kardashian loved the hair-softening, hair-strengthening effects of this formula so much, she once used "Olaplexing" as a verb. I wrote all about Olaplex last year and I had to know: Does it work? Yes, yes it does. My hair was noticeably smoother, less frizzy and softer after just one use.
Hair Type: Extra-dry hair | Formula: Heavy-duty spray | Ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, blue algae | Scent: Vanilla with notes of citrus
I love nearly every product I've tried from Brooklyn-based Amika, and this heavy-duty, ultra-hydrating formulation is no exception. It's made with serious skin-care ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid and blue algae, but the scent is not sterile at all — it's a luxurious vanilla with a hint of citrus. Plus, it feels great in your hair. Pro tip: Avoid spraying at the very crown of your head, as the extra moisture might make your roots look oily.
Hair Type: All | Formula: Ultra-lightweight mist | Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, propanediol, glycerin, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, behenamidopropyl dimethylamine, linum usitatissimum (linseed) seed extract | Scent: Light aloe scent
It's pricey, yes, but if your scalp is easily irritated or dandruff-prone, this high-quality French leave-in is worth the investment. The ingredients here are 98% natural; it's also cruelty free and contains zero silicone, parabens, harsh oxidants or phthalates. Plus, it works: It sprays on in a fine mist (making it ideal for thinner or finer hair), detangles handily and adds moisture and shine.
Hair Type: All, including dry hair | Formula: Light serum | Ingredients: Plant-based proteins, niacinamide (vitamin B3), glycerin | Scent: Floral
If your hair is totally wrecked from sun damage or heat damage or color damage — any kind of damage — this is your (rather spendy) pick. It transforms hair literally overnight with a creamy, nutrient-packed formula and smells amazing. It also accomplishes all the other stuff you want — detangles, protects against heat damage — but it's the retexturizing, body-building, high-charge smoothing and moisturizing where this product shines. Pro tip: Use it sparingly, roughly once a week, for best results.
Hair Type: Fine and long hair | Formula: Lightweight spray | Ingredients: Biotin, coconut oil, shea butter
The best drugstore pick we came across, Marc Anthony's leave-in conditioner, is effective and gentle (paraben-, sulfate- and phthalate-free) without breaking the bank. It's an excellent lightweight detangler that adds moisture to fine and long hair without weighing down your strands. One minor complaint: It's more of an old-school, everyday leave-in conditioner, and it won't repair damaged or ultradry hair like some of the pricier items on this list.
Hair Type: All | Formula: Lightweight moisturizing spray | Ingredients: Fennel seed oil, coconut oil | Scent: Floral, with notes of ginger, amber, and musk
Curly hair folks trust Mizani as a shampoo brand for all types of curls, and its leave-in conditioner follows suit. It's made with coconut oil but is somehow not the least bit greasy. It protects hair from heat, detangles, moisturizes, tames frizz and helps repair damaged hair. Best of all, it works on any hair type: natural, relaxed, straight, any kind of curl and even wigs and weaves.
Hair Type: All, including curly, coily and wavy | Formula: Liquid spray | Ingredients: Coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, olive fruit oil, silicones, humectants, vegetable protein | Scent: Fresh and floral with notes of rose, floral ginger and cedarwood
A trio of luscious oils — coconut, olive, and camellia seed — included in this leave-in conditioner locks in moisture so your hair stays hydrated. Plus, it detangles, adds shine and helps smooth frizz, thanks to coconut oil's ability to penetrate deep into the hair shaft.
Yahoo Shopping Deputy Editor Izabella Zaydenberg said, "Now that my bleach blonde days are behind me, I've resolved to make [this] the year I'm way gentler on my hair. I'm a big fan of one-and-done products, and this Pureology spray is it: I just spritz it on damp hair and style as usual. I love that it provides heat protection, too, so when I choose to give myself an at-home blowout, my strands don't look or feel fried. It's also safe on color-treated hair, plus it smells incredible. I'm still on my first bottle, but I already bought a second as a backup, in case Pureology ever stops making this stuff (and if they do, I'll absolutely buy out their stock)."
Hair Type: Extra-dry hair | Formula: Heavy-duty spray | Ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, blue algae | Scent: Vanilla with notes of citrus
I love nearly every product I've tried from Brooklyn-based Amika, and this heavy-duty, ultra-hydrating formulation is no exception. It's made with serious skin care ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid and blue algae, but the scent is not sterile at all — it's a luxurious vanilla with a hint of citrus. Plus, it feels great in your hair. Pro tip: Avoid spraying at the very crown of your head, as the extra moisture might make your roots look oily.
Hair Type: All | Formula: Ultra-lightweight mist | Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, propanediol, glycerin, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, behenamidopropyl dimethylamine, linum usitatissimum (linseed) seed extract | Scent: Light aloe scent
It's pricey, yes, but if your scalp is easily irritated or you use a dandruff-prone shampoo, this high-quality French leave-in is worth the investment. The ingredients here are 98% natural; it's also cruelty-free and contains zero silicone, parabens, harsh oxidants or phthalates. Plus, it works: It sprays on in a fine mist (making it ideal for thinner or finer hair), detangles handily and adds moisture and shine.
Hair Type: All, including dry hair | Formula: Light serum | Ingredients: Plant-based proteins, niacinamide (vitamin B3), glycerin | Scent: Floral
If your hair is totally wrecked from sun damage or heat damage or color damage — any kind of damage — this is your (rather spendy) pick. It transforms hair literally overnight with a creamy, nutrient-packed formula and smells amazing. It also accomplishes all the other stuff you want — detangles, protects against heat damage — but it's the retexturizing, body-building, high-charge smoothing and moisturizing where this product shines. Pro tip: Use it sparingly, roughly once a week, for best results.
I tested 30 leave-in conditioners for this story. Some were highly rated online but gloopy and weird in person, and a few made my hair drier than it had been before (I love JVN so much but his Hair Styling Creme made my hair feel like hay). Others were pricey but ineffective (for example, the Drunk Elephant Wild Marula Tangle Spray was stupid expensive without feeling particularly special). Then there were a handful of leave-in conditioners that I liked fine, but for one reason or another, weren't quite right, at least for me and/or our team.
I tried more than a dozen leave-in conditioners for our roundup, considering weight, texture, scent, detangling ability, softening results, value and price. I used each three times over three days and applied them after shampooing but before styling my hair.
"Leave-in hair masks are designed to provide additional moisture and detangle the hair," Kaeding said. They can include ingredients that hydrate and lock in that hydration (emollients) so your hair stays silky and smooth longer. "They are great to use regularly to help combat dryness and frizz — adding softness, smoothness and bounce to compromised strands."
It honestly couldn't be simpler: After your normal cleansing routine, apply the leave-in treatment, either by spraying on or rubbing onto your towel-dried hair, if you're using a cream. Pay particular attention to your ends and go light on your roots. Comb it through, then style as usual. Occasionally, a leave-in mask will require an additional step. In most cases, follow product instructions for best results.
"Absolutely!" Kaeding said. "They're more of a treatment product, so they are a wonderful addition to your hair care routine even if you're already using a regular conditioner. Leave-in hair masks often offer more intense benefits, while regular conditioners tend to be a bit lighter and more suitable for everyday use."
Leave-in hair masks are often thicker and richer and provide more intense benefits, while regular conditioners and leave-in treatments are typically lighter and more suitable for daily use, according to Kaeding. Hair masks are typically left on from a few minutes to overnight and are often washed out afterward, depending on the formula.
Cassondra Kaeding, celebrity colorist and co-owner of c r â n e Los Angeles.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
