We Found 15 Conditioners for Men That Will Maximize Hydration

Best Overall

SheaMoisture Hydrating Conditioner For All Hair Types

$10 at Amazon $13 at Ulta $11 at Target

SheaMoisture’s hydrating conditioner for all hair types is our top pick, as it works to hydrate dry and damaged hair while also keeping curls nourished and plump. Its formula centers on shea butter, coconut oil, and coconut milk—three hero ingredients that provide softening, revitalizing, and buoyant results for every hair type and make it ideal for those that like to prioritize natural ingredients in their routines. If you're looking for a heavy formula that'll saturate your strands you might want to skip this one, but if that isn't an necessity for you, this will be a mainstay in your routine.

Hair Type: Curly | Size: 13 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Budget

American Crew Daily Conditioner

View on Americancrew.com View on Sleekshop.com

There’s a reason we associate American Crew with a majority of barbershops and salons across the US: Because it’s forever a fan favorite and another cost-effective option. It also balances oil levels with bark extract and tones your scalp with thyme, rosemary, menthol, and peppermint extracts. And yes, those last two give you a tingly fresh feeling, too. This is a great option for keeping your hair feeling healthy and strong and getting your day off to an invigorating start. 

Hair Type: Oily | Size: 15.2 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Drugstore

OGX Biotin & Collagen Conditioner

$17 at Amazon $11 at Ulta $9 at Target

For just $5, you can feed your hair its daily-ish dose of collagen, and protein. OGX’s formula penetrates each strand to leave hair visibly fuller after use, which helps restore volume and texture to hair after a moisture-parching wash. The formula’s key ingredient is Biotin, a nutrient that’s essential for healthy hair and nails. 

Hair Type: Color-Treated, Thick | Size: 13.0 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for Dry Hair

Alaffia Shea Conditioner

View on Vitacost View on Alaffia.com

You’ll see shea butter as a common ingredient across the roster of conditioners mentioned here, and it’s no accident: Shea is a super conditioner and smoother, and one of the best universal ingredients. That makes it especially perfect for dry hair types, too, who rely on a conditioner to pack on excess nourishment and moisture. Alaffia’s affordable conditioner is not only eye-catching in your shower caddy—it also leaves your hair buoyant, restored, and stronger with each use. It can revive the driest of strands and also balances pH levels in your hair and scalp.

Hair Type: Dry, Normal | Size: 16.0 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Curly Hair

Living Proof Curl Conditioner

$36 at Amazon $18 at Sephora $36 at Ulta

Coiled or curly hair needs a conditioner that amps up the moisture and volume, DeZarate says. "Curl-defining conditioners will enhance the coil, as well as give your curls plenty of hydration," the celebrity groomer adds. My curly friends' collective favorite is Living Proof's, with the brand's Health Curl Complex that holds together its assortment of curl-care and -styling products. This conditioner enhances and boosts textures of all types—from waves to coils.

Hair Type: Curly | Size: 12, 24 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Natural Hair

Bevel Sulfate-Free Conditioner

$10 at Amazon View on Getbevel.com

Coconut oil and shea butter make yet another appearance, and make Bevel’s conditioner an outstanding one for curls, kinks, and coils. No matter if you wear your hair short or long, it helps define texture and prevent moisture loss, meaning no bad hair days. The sulfate-free formula also deeply cleans the hair and scalp, removing buildup without overly stripping it of natural oils. 

Hair Type: Textured, Curly, Kinky, Coily | Size: 12.0 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Thick Hair

MATRIX Mega Sleek Conditioner

$20 at Amazon $20 at Ulta View on Sleekshop.com

“Thick and dense hair can hold onto a lot more moisture,” DeZarate notes. “For control, heavier [smoothing] conditioners will do best with this type of hair.” MATRIX’s “Mega Sleek” recipe utilizes hydrating and hefty shea butter to smooth and tame the most unruly of thick hairs—and to prevent poofing and frizzing all the while. Use this before blow-drying a straighter, sleeker look for best results.

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 10.1, 33.8 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for Thin Hair

Sachajuan Thickening Conditioner

$29 at Amazon $34 at Dermstore $36 at Revolve

"Fine and thinning hair really should rely on volumizing and treatment-type conditioners," DeZarate says. Treatments are best received through leave-in or mask formulas, while the volumizing conditioners are better for the more everyday/every-other-day conditionings. The daily ones will coat each strand with tiny keratins/proteins and make them all slightly thicker. The overall impact, spread across all your hair, is more visible and tangible fullness. I rely on Sachajuan's thickening conditioner like a crutch for my thinning hair; they'll use it on me before my funeral, too, so that my hair looks as full on my way out as it does every waking day.

Hair Type: All | Size: 8.4 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Thinning Hair / Hair Growth

Hims Thick Fix Conditioner

$25 at Amazon View on Forhims.com

Packed with niacinamide, this conditioner helps stimulate circulation in the scalp, and leaves hair feeling fuller and with a healthy sheen. Conditioners for thinning hair often prioritize scalp care or density, as opposed to targeting any hormonal byproducts (like many shampoos for thin hair, which might deploy saw palmetto to neutralize hair-shrinking DHT). It also has an invigorating eucalyptus scent that perks you up on early mornings. Our pick for the best shampoo for men for hair loss is, in fact, the Hims Thick Fix DHT-blocking formula.

Hair Type: All | Size: 6.4 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Co-Washing

Kevin Murphy Repairing Cleansing Treatment

View on Com.au $41 at Ecosmetics.com

"Think of co-washing as your fancy version of all of those 2-in-1 shampoo conditioners," DeZarate says. It's the methodology that you "wash" your hair with conditioner, along with some thorough scalp scrubbing to lift away grime. Some guys will shampoo once a month or less and then manage the time between with co-washes. "Oil breaks down oil and dirt (yes… hence why makeup removers often utilize oil), so this will break down all that sweat and hair product from the last day or two." She says that guys with curly and thick hair should especially consider co-washing. And her favorite co-wash is Kevin Murphy. "They're more concerned with the health of your hair than 90% of brands out there," DeZarate says. "I know prices are higher, but you always use less product when you're using a quality one, so it goes much further."

Hair Type: Damaged | Size: 6.7 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Leave-In

Prose Leave-In Conditioner

$30 at Prose.com

“Leave-in conditioners are best incorporated if they’re already living in your shower (next to your daily shampoo and conditioner),” DeZarate says. “This is the best time to apply them after you’ve already rinsed out your daily conditioner, but your hair is wet and the product can be applied evenly. The other bonus is that if you happen to apply too much product, you’re able to towel dry off the excess or even rinse some out while you’re still in the shower.” My go-to is Prose, simply because they customized the formula and ingredients to my specific needs and goals—and they’ll do the same for you. Choose from a range of results-driven ingredients – from Caviar Lime Extract to hydrating Acacia Collagen – that are all cruelty, sulfate, and paraben-free. 

Hair Type: All | Size: 5.1 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Hair Mask

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Mask

$15 at Sephora $39 at Ulta $39 at Dermstore

A hair mask is like a mega conditioning treatment, which you can cycle into rotation once a week, give or take, depending on how much damage it routinely incurs (from products, hairdryers, and the like). Briogeo’s mask contains B-vitamins, natural oils, algae, and biotin, all of which give hair a fortification against all of its detractors. Think of it as a weekly supplement for your hair, no matter what type you sprout (it’s nourishing for your scalp, too!).

Hair Type: Color-Treated, Dry, Damaged | Size: 2, 8, 32 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Platinum/Blonde/Silver Hair

Amika Cool Blonde Conditioner

View on Amazon

Toning platinum or silver hair is hard work. The easiest way, though, is to take a product-forward approach. Invest in a brand with a purple-powered shampoo and conditioner that will prevent your hair from turning brassy or yellow. Amika is my perma-platinum friend’s go-to, and her hair is always perfectly balanced, even with our city’s hard water and high pollution-fighting against her. Some people prefer to use a purple shampoo and a different conditioner (like Olaplex, below), but a purple conditioner like this one is imperative for the infrequent shampooer. Its great results come from a Bond Cure Technology that targets hydrogen bonds to make the hair less prone to breakage. Use as directed, and not more, or else you’ll over tone your hair, and it’ll start to look rosy red.

Hair Type: Color-Treated | Size: 8.45 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Color-Dyed Hair

Olaplex No. 5 Conditioner

$30 at Amazon $15 at Sephora $30 at Ulta

Ask anyone with dry, damaged, or dyed hair which conditioner they rely on, and the odds-on favorite is Olaplex. Its three-minute wear helps build back the bonds of each strand with a patented key ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate.  This prevents breakage, split ends, and frizz while restoring hair (dyed or otherwise) to its fuller, more buoyant, and healthy state. ​​It’s raved about for a reason and we’ve noticed an immediate difference when trying it out for ourselves. 

Hair Type: All | Size: 8.5 fl oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes